Choice of router and switch for this topology

[julienduhavre]

Hello, we are building a project and we have to choose different switches and routers from Cisco, to wire a 4-storey building (ground floor + floor 1 to 3).

Each floor has 20 rooms, each with ten computers. On each floor, there is a printer (usable for the whole floor) a printer and an IP phone (so PoE switches) usable only by professors (with VLAN).

We want redundancy at the distribution layer (HSRP and Spanning-Tree) and Etherchannel to optimize speed and cope with cut wires.

The question is : what are the latest Cisco hardware for this configuration ? We have a budget of one million euro, for the hardware and wires, labor .. etc.

Thanks !

[Philip D'Ath · Accepted solution]

There are lots of right answers.  This is only my personal preference.

One each floor I would use a Cisco 4507.  They can take around 240 ports per switch.  So you can plug all 200 or so devices in on each floor to one switch.  You can also get a redundant supervisor for the 4507 and redundant power supplies if you crave high availability.

Note there is a promo where you can pay a small amount extra and get the bundle upgraded to UPoE.  Also note there are bundles with WiFi with deep discounts.  They all have part codes like ONENTWK in them (from memory).

Also note there are MGig bundle upgrades available, that lets you change some of the blades to Mgig, in case you would like to be able to run 10GbaseT out to some users (or want to run 802.11ac wave 2 access points).

Core switch.  Touch decision.  A Cisco 4507 with dual supervisor and redundant power supplies is very tempting.  If something breaks somewhere this gives you a lot of flexibility to "rob" parts from less important parts of the network to get you going more quickly.

Dual supervisors lets you do cool things like software upgrades with zero downtime.  Everything is hot swap on a 4507 as well.

If you want to go on an all out spending frenzy you could also look at a 6800 series, like a 6880 or a 6840.  You would want to buy two of them, and VSS them together, for HA.

The 4507 design has inherently HA in its design, so I probably wouldn't bother using redundant chasis's.  Up to you.  Your money.

If it was my money, I think I would go with 4507's everywhere with Supervisor 8E's.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/catalyst-4500-series-switches/models-comparison.html

[Philip D'Ath · Accepted solution]

ps. I would probably use 10Gb fibre to connect the floors up.  Sup8E's have 8 x SFP+ ports on them - so you would have that capability inherently in the system.

You wouldn't need HSRP anymore, and you would also have a loop free spanning tree.

Simple, reliable, fast - and within your budget.

[julienduhavre]

Thank you so much for your answer ! I will search details of Cisco 4507 to know if it have PoE for Wi-Fi implement.

[Philip D'Ath]

Also, it will probably be cheaper using the bigger 4507's than using all the little switches in your diagram.

The 4507 absolutely supports PoE.  It also supports UPoE.  You just choose whatever blades you want.  Mix and match to your exact needs.

If you want a lot of reading, this details "most things" that can be plugged into a 4500 chassis.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/interfaces-modules/catalyst-4500-series-line-cards/product_data_sheet0900aecd802109ea.html

[Joseph W. Doherty]

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Posting

Misc. comments, although as Philip wrote "There are lots of right answers." . . .

One each floor I would use a Cisco 4507.  They can take around 240 ports per switch.

In the 4500 series, you might also consider the 4506.  Basically the same edge card capacity, but it cannot take a second supervisor.  It costs less.

Conversely, you might consider the 4510R.  Same features as the 4507R, but supports 3 more line cards.

If you want to go on an all out spending frenzy you could also look at a 6800 series, like a 6880 or a 6840.  You would want to buy two of them, and VSS them together, for HA.

If you use (only) L3 devices downstream of your core, I would recommend you not use VSS.

If your core, supports hardware redundancy, such as Philip's suggestion of using a 4507 with dual sups (also with dual links to different line cards), two core devices offers little extra reliability.

Also, it will probably be cheaper using the bigger 4507's than using all the little switches in your diagram.

4500 line cards often cost less than the stand alone switches, but then there's the cost of the chassis, sup(s), power supplies.  A second sup, for redundancy tends to skew cost in favor of the stand alone switches.

You might also investigate stackable switches, both L2 and L3.