10GbE Switch recommendations?

[penguinz]

Need one for an iSCSI SAN backbone. Any suggestions?

[Aspengc8]

Port density requirements?

[penguinz]

Originally Posted by Aspengc8

Port density requirements?

At least 8.

[Aspengc8]

Originally Posted by penguinz

At least 8.

we use cisco 4900m series. Gives you 8 ports, that you can use at 10ge line rate. The additional 10ge modules come in 4/8 port flavors, just know that the backplane limitation for those expansion slots are 40gb, so you wont get line rate with the 8 port flavor.

[Kerberos]

Originally Posted by Aspengc8

we use cisco 4900m series. Gives you 8 ports, that you can use at 10ge line rate. The additional 10ge modules come in 4/8 port flavors, just know that the backplane limitation for those expansion slots are 40gb, so you wont get line rate with the 8 port flavor.

No one ever got fired for buying/using Cisco.

I have to vent here....When I worked for the School District back home in Kansas we used NOTHING but Cisco. Never had an issue the five years I was there or the Prior 6 years before I started working there (according to Network Admin).

Where I work now they use Extreme Networks switches and I can tell you first hand they are EXTREME pieces of CRAP. 10 X 48 port switches have gone out in less than a month. These switches are less than 3 years old.

If this in Enterprise equipment you are hooking up to I would use NOTHING but Cisco.

[htismaqe]

For data gear, I really like Juniper. However, I have no experience with their layer 2 switches and I've heard from several people that they have issues.

Nortel used to make GREAT switches but their financial collapse led to that line being acquired by Avaya and I can't vouch for them being any good anymore.

Unfortunately, it probably comes down to Cisco or HP. I can't stand Cisco and your CFO probably won't like them either. That being said, nobody has ever gotten fired for going with a market leader like Cisco.

[jidar]

At my shop we use Brocade switches for a 10GB transport network. We like these because they compare favorably on price/performance against Cisco (about 60% in my experience) and I find Brocades vlan configuration to be more sensible than Ciscos. Other than that their configuration command line is based on Cisco IOS. They also sell a line of switches that are specific to SAN but I don't have any experience with those.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by jidar

At my shop we use Brocade switches for a 10GB transport network. We like these because they compare favorably on price/performance against Cisco (about 60% in my experience) and I find Brocades vlan configuration to be more sensible than Ciscos. Other than that their configuration command line is based on Cisco IOS. They also sell a line of switches that are specific to SAN but I don't have any experience with those.

Brocade makes ethernet switches? Learn something new every day...

[NetworkGuy]

Check out Arista Networks' product line (aristanetworks.com). They're kind of one of those "best-kept secrets" in networking.

They make 10GBASE-T (100/1000/10G RJ45!) and SFP-based "pizza box" switches, and also their monster 7508 (which is probably a bit bigger than what you're looking for .

[Shaid]

Complete hijack because you guys obviously know what you're talking about. I need a good home wireless router. I generally have a good 8-10 devices connected and it's either crapping out the router or the modem when too many are going at once. I try limiting connections, etc. but the kids could be watching a show on netflix downstairs and I connect to an online game and it'll crap out on me. I mean, that's not a huge amount of load, I could see if I had multiple torrents going, etc. It just dies on my too often. Unplug the modem and router, let them reboot, everything is fine. Sigh.