LAN Design Question

[Dean-VA]

I am working on a plan to upgrade the Network to accommodate for a newly installed VoIP (none-cisco) solution and for the potential growth.  The existing setup has around 14 3560’s dual-home to the Core (pair of 4510’s).

The plan is to upgrade the Core to a pair of 6509-E (SUP720), and re-use the 4510’s as access switches.  Each 4510 will have a total of 300 100/1000 PoE ports to provide connectivity for users and phones.   My concern is the uplinks between the 4510’s and 6509’s as I don’t see us getting the 10Gb interfaces, so I would have to use 1Gig or 2Gb channel for uplinks.  Currently all the users have Gig to the desktop, but no one ever uses more than 5 or 10Mb at max.  What are your thoughts regarding the uplinks speeds since it would be considered way over subscribed.

Thanks in advance

[Leo Laohoo]

You still have 2 Gig ports on the 4510 supervisor cards.

but no one ever uses more than 5 or 10Mb at max.

Doesn't include voice and any future multi-media growth.

What supervisor card do you have on the 4510?

My concern is the uplinks between the 4510’s and 6509’s as I don’t see us getting the 10Gb interfaces

Supervisor 5 and 6 support 10Gb but I wouldn't recommend it. 

[Dean-VA]

The 4510's will have SUP-5, but not the one that supports 10Gb.  In addition to the 2 Gb ports on the SUP's, each 4510 will have a fiber line module since I have them anyways.

You said you don't recommend 10Gb on the 4510, can you tell me why?

Thanks

[Leo Laohoo]

You said you don't recommend 10Gb on the 4510, can you tell me why?

The chassis can't support pushing 10Gb of traffic.

If you want to push 10Gb of traffic, the minimum (chassis-based) is the 6500 with Sup720, 4500M, 3560E/3560X, 3750E/3750X, 2350/2360.

Have a read here of a post by one of the expert, Jon Marshal:

https://supportforums.cisco.com/message/3035428#3035428

[Leo Laohoo]

You said you don't recommend 10Gb on the 4510, can you tell me why?

The chassis can't support pushing 10Gb of traffic.

If you want to push 10Gb of traffic, the minimum (chassis-based) is the 6500 with Sup720, 4500M, 3560E/3560X, 3750E/3750X, 2350/2360.

Have a read here of a post by one of the expert, Jon Marshal:

The 4500, even the 4500-E, cannot support that mich throughput and you will get oversubscription. If you want to run a 10Gbps network you should be looking at 6500 switches.

https://supportforums.cisco.com/message/3035428#3035428

[frank.mcdaid]

Hi Leo,

If you've got a whole bunch of copper ethernet ports, why not just bundle them into an etherchannel? An 8Gb etherchannel sounds like it would be more than enough bandwidth for the foreseeable future.

Regards,

Frank

[Leo Laohoo]

Hey Frank,

Haven't seen you for awhile.

Etherchannel is also available if you have enough links going to the 6500 but I wouldn't recommend more than 6 coming from a 4500.

[Dean-VA]

Yah, I figured the Port Channels would be the way to go, and I will have alot of spare Fiber ports

in all of these switches.

I am assuming no issues applying QoS to port channels?

Thanks