Network Switch..HELP!!

[Alwayslearningelec]

Ok, I have network switch shown for my security on each floor. It is a 15 story building with a IDF on each floor. On the SECURITY riser it says "network cable" and it shows it originating from the head end and hitting each network switch on each floor. I was talking with someone today in estimating and they were saying this is individual runs of Cat 5( which he was guessing that's what is was because it only says"network cable" but it makes sense to me) from the head end to each IDF. Ok I only included on main run assuming it was daisy chained because that's actually what someone told me to do. Do I have a leg to stand on that they are not individual runs or maybe not even a Cat 5/cat 6 cable.

 

[hurk27]

If your useing network switches/hubs, it is because they are identifing each floor via its own IP address, routers can only pass one IP address but switches will allow each port its own IP address. a network switch is like a router except the above. switches can get costly after you get above 12 ports, I have a Cicso 24 port 10/100 and a Cisco 48 port 10/10/1000 both of these are pricey, if your trying to do networking, your going to need help in pricing the equipment, and the know how to install it, or your going to wind up in trouble.

 

[hurk27]

generally you start at the head end, with a switch, in your case a 16 port (can be more), then each floor will get a switch each with a cat 5/6 from the switch at the head end with enough ports to cover each area or offices, each office with a cat5/6 from the switch for that floor, each office will get a router with enough ports to cover the equipment in it with a cat5/6 from that office router, this way each office will have its own IP address, and each floor will have it own sub net.

 

[hurk27]

let me re do the last post,
start at the head end, with a cat 5/6 to the building switch, each port will feed a floor switch with a cat 5/6 each floor switch port will feed each office/area router with a cat 5/6 each office area router port will feed each piece of equipment with a cat 5/6 so yes it is like daisy chaining.

got myself confused on that one.:roll:


also each floor switch will also feed the IDF from one of its ports

 

[zbang]

If your useing network switches/hubs, it is because they are identifing each floor via its own IP address, routers can only pass one IP address but switches will allow each port its own IP address. a network switch is like a router except the above. switches can get costly after you get above 12 ports,

I'm sorry, but that's completely wrong. Each interface has an IP address. Both switch and router ports can have multiple devices and IP addresses on each port. Some routers (AKA layer-3 switches) can have over 100 ports (and cost well into six figures).

For wiring, daisy-chaining switches is a bad idea. make a home run from the main switch to each floor's switch, but don't exceed cable 330' for each run (assuming CAT5 or 6).

 

[wireguru]

I'm sorry, but that's completely wrong. Each interface has an IP address. Both switch and router ports can have multiple devices and IP addresses on each port. Some routers (AKA layer-3 switches) can have over 100 ports (and cost well into six figures).

For wiring, daisy-chaining switches is a bad idea. make a home run from the main switch to each floor's switch, but don't exceed cable 330' for each run (assuming CAT5 or 6).

each interface (or vlan) will have an ip address if running in layer 3. it wont if layer 2.

routers are not layer 3 switches, theyre routers.

layer 3 switches can perform routing functions.

some network topographies have homeruns from each floor's switch to a 'main' switch. Another way to do it is to daisychain each switch, but the last loops back to the first and OSPF is enabled.

bottom line is there should be a network engineer somewhere who designed this and specified the network equipment. Anything you do without knowing the network topography is purely speculative and may or may not be adequate.

as far as expensive switches, there are some now (high density 10GE switches) that run well over a million bucks fully loaded.

sidenote: I saw the wierdest thing one time, a fedex guy carrying a desktop pc size box. The fedex guy had a sidearm (semiautomatic pistol). I later found out that cisco makes a couple cards for their CRS routers (think the machine that routes ALL of Verizons traffic in and out of new york) that cost over a million dollars for ONE LINE CARD!! So I guess when you insure your fedex box for a million bucks they send an armed fedex guy....

 

[zbang]

warning - networking mumbo-jumbo ahead!!

each interface (or vlan) will have an ip address if running in layer 3. it wont if layer 2.

Very little out there runs straight layer 2 (MAC level) connectivity, so it's pretty safe to assume that each network interface has an IP address. OTOH, a VLAN doesn't need one if it's not routing to any other VLANs.

routers are not layer 3 switches, theyre routers.
layer 3 switches can perform routing functions.

Router == layer-3 switch for many values of "router" (and if it's ethernet). About the only time we see a "router" is when changing layer 2 or below protocols & media, such as from TP ethernet to ds3 or sonet. (Many of the large l-3 switches will even do BGP.)

some network topographies have homeruns from each floor's switch to a 'main' switch. Another way to do it is to daisychain each switch, but the last loops back to the first and OSPF is enabled.

I think you mean spanning-tree (manages/prevents multiple layer-2 paths). OSFP is only needed if you have routers or something that looks like one, and you could do the same thing with RIP2 in a simple loop.

 

[wireguru]

warning - networking mumbo-jumbo ahead!!



Very little out there runs straight layer 2 (MAC level) connectivity, so it's pretty safe to assume that each network interface has an IP address. OTOH, a VLAN doesn't need one if it's not routing to any other VLANs.



Router == layer-3 switch for many values of "router" (and if it's ethernet). About the only time we see a "router" is when changing layer 2 or below protocols & media, such as from TP ethernet to ds3 or sonet. (Many of the large l-3 switches will even do BGP.)



I think you mean spanning-tree (manages/prevents multiple layer-2 paths). OSFP is only needed if you have routers or something that looks like one, and you could do the same thing with RIP2 in a simple loop.

as far as router vs switch, i get your distinction, but the layer 3 switch being used as a router is still a switch. a cisco 6500 is a switch not a router even though commonly used solely as a router and referred to as such myself included.

you are right, spanning tree...i was thinking osfp in fully redundant setup between buildings. rip isnt that great as it doesnt function by link states as i recall.

 

[M_J_C]

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Ok, I have network switch shown for my security on each floor. It is a 15 story building with a IDF on each floor. On the SECURITY riser it says "network cable" and it shows it originating from the head end and hitting each network switch on each floor. I was talking with someone today in estimating and they were saying this is individual runs of Cat 5( which he was guessing that's what is was because it only says"network cable" but it makes sense to me) from the head end to each IDF. Ok I only included on main run assuming it was daisy chained because that's actually what someone told me to do. Do I have a leg to stand on that they are not individual runs or maybe not even a Cat 5/cat 6 cable.

In my opinion, "daisy chaining" a single CAT5e/CAT6 cable for an Ethernet network through 15 floors is not practical or recommended by any standard.
Can it work, yes, depending on the number of active connections and throughput required, it may or may not perform satisfactory. Also, when one switch fails, the rest of the network behind it will go down as well.

You mentioned this is on the security riser (print?) is this network only for a single device on each floor?

The term "network cable" could mean a fiber optic cable(s), especially on a building of this size. The advantage of fiber is much longer distance between active devices on the network and the ability to achieve greater throughput at distance.

Ask more questions to get a better idea of what the "network" involves.