Depends in part on what you're trying to accomplish.. (yeah, I know that's a cop out)
In a home setup, I've found it's way more convenient to have a few low density switches than one high density switch. It's pretty common for me to have a couple of concentrated farms (servers in the guest room, phones on the coffee table, laptops in the office) that couldn't practically be fed from a single switch.
If you're planning for the future of PoE, you should make sure you get something that can light every port at a pretty high draw. Obviously a black and white phone has a lower power need than a guitar (http://www.gibsondigital.com/magic.html) or embedded PC would.
If you're thinking big, go Layer 3, and plan to put your phones and PCs in different VLANs. I can't tell you how many times that has saved my clients from anything from broadcast storms to Nimda, to the under-appreciated but surprisingly versatile ARP poisoning attack (http://www.watchguard.com/infocenter/editorial/135324.asp). If you're thinking really big, consider getting a Linksys with the "trade up to Cisco" program stickers on it.
For more info on QoS, check out "End to End QoS Network Design" by Tim Szigeti. Dude knows more about QoS than any two people I've ever met. It'll help you understand the kinds of problems QoS is trying to solve, and might help frame your purchase decision. It's also the only book on QoS I've ever read that's worth the price tag ($65). In a small set up where your calls are going straight to a SIP or IAX provider, so much of your call path will be uncontrolled I don't see the benefit of having QoS through to your demarc then getting the wild-west treatment on the Internet. In a WAN, especially Frame Relay or MPLS, it could be a life saver. YMMV.
--JW
----- Original Message ----
From: Rich Sias <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Discussion of AstLinux - Asterisk on Compact Flash <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 5:52:28 AM
Subject: [Astlinux-users] IP switches for astlinux
In a home setup, I've found it's way more convenient to have a few low density switches than one high density switch. It's pretty common for me to have a couple of concentrated farms (servers in the guest room, phones on the coffee table, laptops in the office) that couldn't practically be fed from a single switch.
If you're planning for the future of PoE, you should make sure you get something that can light every port at a pretty high draw. Obviously a black and white phone has a lower power need than a guitar (http://www.gibsondigital.com/magic.html) or embedded PC would.
If you're thinking big, go Layer 3, and plan to put your phones and PCs in different VLANs. I can't tell you how many times that has saved my clients from anything from broadcast storms to Nimda, to the under-appreciated but surprisingly versatile ARP poisoning attack (http://www.watchguard.com/infocenter/editorial/135324.asp). If you're thinking really big, consider getting a Linksys with the "trade up to Cisco" program stickers on it.
For more info on QoS, check out "End to End QoS Network Design" by Tim Szigeti. Dude knows more about QoS than any two people I've ever met. It'll help you understand the kinds of problems QoS is trying to solve, and might help frame your purchase decision. It's also the only book on QoS I've ever read that's worth the price tag ($65). In a small set up where your calls are going straight to a SIP or IAX provider, so much of your call path will be uncontrolled I don't see the benefit of having QoS through to your demarc then getting the wild-west treatment on the Internet. In a WAN, especially Frame Relay or MPLS, it could be a life saver. YMMV.
--JW
----- Original Message ----
From: Rich Sias <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Discussion of AstLinux - Asterisk on Compact Flash <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 5:52:28 AM
Subject: [Astlinux-users] IP switches for astlinux
I am in the shopping mood to acquire an IP switch for my astlinux
system. I plan to use
1. Sipura 2000,
2. Sipura 3000,
3. sunrockt's gizmo,
4. and maybe another sipura if I win an eBay bid.
That will enable me to wire up to 5-7 phone extensions into my asterisk.
I will also be using astlinux box to be my router etc for home lan
system. Of 16 ports I may wire up 11-13 ports from the get go between
the ATAs and the computers on the LAN. I also might want to run a p2p
downloader/uploader server, (hence the QOS needs to keep VoIP to near
perfect sounds).
I have checked into the Netgear FS116 and FS116PNA as possibilites (16
port w & w/o POE). Then I was looking at the Netgear FSM7352PSNA (48
port with POE). This last one mentions supports QOS! Since asterisk uses
QOS for prioritization of packets, do I need to be sure I have a switch
that lists support of QOS also ? This latter switch is a Level 3
managed switch and the prior are unmanaged switches. I don't really need
all those 48 ports but the feature set got me wondering just what IS
supposed to be important to me.
Which attributes for a switch for astlinux should I pay attention to?
1. Managed or unmanaged
2. Level 3 or "plain"
3. One that claims support to QOS or makes no mention of support of QOS ?
4. Other attributes to be concerned over ?
Since I am buying for future 5-9 years, I am considering havving at
least some of the ports to support POE(power over ethernet) in
anticipation of goodies in future might need this feature.
Rich
_______________________________________________
Astlinux-users mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.kriscompanies.com/mailman/listinfo/astlinux-users
Donations to support AstLinux are graciously accepted via PayPal to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
system. I plan to use
1. Sipura 2000,
2. Sipura 3000,
3. sunrockt's gizmo,
4. and maybe another sipura if I win an eBay bid.
That will enable me to wire up to 5-7 phone extensions into my asterisk.
I will also be using astlinux box to be my router etc for home lan
system. Of 16 ports I may wire up 11-13 ports from the get go between
the ATAs and the computers on the LAN. I also might want to run a p2p
downloader/uploader server, (hence the QOS needs to keep VoIP to near
perfect sounds).
I have checked into the Netgear FS116 and FS116PNA as possibilites (16
port w & w/o POE). Then I was looking at the Netgear FSM7352PSNA (48
port with POE). This last one mentions supports QOS! Since asterisk uses
QOS for prioritization of packets, do I need to be sure I have a switch
that lists support of QOS also ? This latter switch is a Level 3
managed switch and the prior are unmanaged switches. I don't really need
all those 48 ports but the feature set got me wondering just what IS
supposed to be important to me.
Which attributes for a switch for astlinux should I pay attention to?
1. Managed or unmanaged
2. Level 3 or "plain"
3. One that claims support to QOS or makes no mention of support of QOS ?
4. Other attributes to be concerned over ?
Since I am buying for future 5-9 years, I am considering havving at
least some of the ports to support POE(power over ethernet) in
anticipation of goodies in future might need this feature.
Rich
_______________________________________________
Astlinux-users mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.kriscompanies.com/mailman/listinfo/astlinux-users
Donations to support AstLinux are graciously accepted via PayPal to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
_______________________________________________ Astlinux-users mailing list [email protected] http://lists.kriscompanies.com/mailman/listinfo/astlinux-users
Donations to support AstLinux are graciously accepted via PayPal to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
