Audio network over Ethernet network compatible ???

[q-le]

Hi All,

We run a standard Nexus 7K Core with access switches 3750s around the campus setup.

We have a request from a user to run an Audio software or network over ours but they are using EtherType protocol transport and a minimum

1G ports

Our switches using standard 802.1Q for trunking.

Would the transport compatible or would it work at all ie clocking and jitter handling

What is the complication?

ANY advise are very much appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

[Mark Malone]

Hey Find out what protocol your using exactly and then prioritize like voice so it doesn't get any jitter or delay that's the last thing you want with audio ,in saying that if your network not under pressure you will probably see your lan will handle it fine without layer 2 qos but your bottleneck wan will be where the issue is and qos would definitely be required at that point as you could be moving from gig backbone to squeezing out a 50mb wan port as an example

There's no reason it wont work , 7ks definitely shouldn't be an issue they trust dscp by default and have 10gb ports , I would find out exactly the protocol/dscp value test it without qos see what its like then plan out qos if it is choppy or degraded.

[q-le]

Hi Mark,

This audio system requires 1GB port according to the manufacturer.

We tested it in our older 100mb ports over 802.1Q trunks 2960 switches and it did not work.

but if we tested in a local environment of 1gb dumb Netgear and it seems to work fine.

Not sure what happened here!!!

Thanks

Pete

[Mark Malone]

Yes so needs a 1gb port which is standard these days anyway on newer switches not surprised it had issue then on 100mb if vendor says needs a GB , the stream itself though hardly requires 1GB that would be a lot consistently, did they give you a bandwidth expected stream from using it or what type of protocol there using ?

[q-le]

The sound system vendor do not support VLAN frames as they modify the header.

However physical partitioning via the switches is possible. They only support HP or other Netgear switches not Cisco !!!.

so i t is not possible for them to run on our current infrastructure.

Thank you for help.

Peter

[devils_advocate]

HP and Netgear also produce switches which support 802.1q tagged frames so the switch vendor is not the issue, the issue lies with the sound product itself. It is a pretty poor product if it cannot handle a vlan tag being added to a frame, personally I would find somebody else. 

You can use Netgear or HP but you will need to ensure they are in L2 mode with 'untagged' ports interconnecting switches. 

You could use Cisco but you would need to connect switches together using Access Ports (i.e. once single broadcast domain) or put the audio system on the native vlan. Trunk ports between switches do not tag frames which are part of the native vlan (vlan 1 by default) so if you put the system on this, no vlan tag would be added to the frames as they egress the ports between switches.