HSRP QUESTION

[alonzo-garza]

I plan do deploy 2 4006's in my Core. While I understand that the "CISCO" preferred design is to do Layer 3 VLAN routing in the Distribution later, I plan to have a collapsed core and do some VLAN's in the Core. My question is revolving around HSRP. I already have a main router that handles the WAN back to corporate so would I really need 2 RSM's in the 4006's??? Can anyone help with this design question?

[rfroom]

The 4232-L3 can handle 6 million packets per second, the SupIII can handle 48 million packets per second. What is your WAN router? It probably cannot handle these type of pps or traffic at gigabit rates that the 4006 can provide at layer 2.

[alonzo-garza]

The WAN router is a 3COM netbuilder II, but corporate is in charge of that router. I only have read access to that. I am just focusing on the LAN at this point but I realize there are AWESOME cisco solutions out there for LAYER 2 / 3 lan/wan connections.

[konigl]

Where do you really need the redundancy? If corporate is still running you through a single 3Com WAN router, then it's not deemed necessary there. (As an aside, they better be looking at replacing that NETBuilder II, 3Com hasn't been in the router business for a couple years now.)

If you have multiple VLANs at your site, e.g. several access VLANs and a server farm VLAN, then you will want L3 redundancy at the core so losing one of the Cat4006 chassis doesn't break down your site into disconnected islands of users. HSRP on each of your internal VLANs will allow the users on your redundant-connected access switches to maintain connectivity with your server farm VLAN.

I guess you would also want to set up a separate VLAN with HSRP on it, for external use. Plug the 3Com WAN router into that, so that if you lose a Cat4006 chassis by accident or intentionally, people can still stay connected to corporate.