Intersting thread. I didn't know cisco defined a small business so
strictly. Is that an exam question? :)
Of course the bottom line is, you make technology recommendations on
what the business can handle, what they require, and what they can
afford. At some intersection of this triad, an answer may surface.
I am fortunate in that my experience with networking people have all
been with knowledgable and clever folks.
--- John Nemeth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On May 31, 7:43pm, anthony kim wrote:
> } --- "Howard C. Berkowitz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> } > >paper. The Small and Midsized Business market (SMB) almost
> always
> } > can
> } > >accomplish what they want with free Unix or Linux for layer 3
> and
> } > >cheap stackable switches with or without 802.1q support.
> } > >
> } > >So my obligatory cisco alternative:
> } > >www.zebra.org
> } >
> } > And, in a non-information technology related SMB, who installs
> and
> } > supports it?
> }
> }
> } Good question.
> }
> } I think under 1,000 employees is reasonable for a mid-sized
> company.
> } Less than 400 is a rough estimate for a small company. These
>
> Your numbers are a little off. Cisco defines them as:
>
> SOHO -- Small Office / Home Office: 1-20 users
> Small Business: 20-100 users
> Medium Business: 100-500 users
>
> I would tend to go along with these numbers.
>
> } companies tend to already have people taking care of their
> NT/Novell
>
> Medium businesses certainly. However, small businesses may or
> may
> not. Many of them will contract out the higher end stuff.
>
> } I don't think it's too much of a stretch for their in-house staff
> to
> } maintain Linux or FreeBSD. College grads are already familiar
> with
> } these free systems, or ought to be. Presumably, in-house staff
> should
>
> There's a big difference between playing with them at home and
> knowing how to handle production systems. Also, unless they went
> to
> vocational or technical schools, they won't have any operations
> training.
>
> } already know OSI, TCP/IP, and IPX. Thus, the learning curve isn't
> too
>
> That's a big presumption.
>
> } And routing isn't too difficult, really. Especially in small
> } environments: Anyone reasonably intelligent who knows TCP/IP
> } intimately, can manage routing, or a firewall for that matter. Or
>
> How many people know TCP/IP intimately? Probably fewer then
> you
> think.
>
> Firewalls are specialty items that still require knowledgable
> people. Unless you like either having people break into your
> network
> or having your network break.
>
> } I've worked for small companies. The limited resources require
> } sysadmins who can wear several hats and learn quickly. It's just
> the
> } nature of the beast, nasty, brutish, but for expediency's sake,
> as
> } variegated as the business needs require.
>
> That's true, but they don't necessarily have to know
> everything.
> Some of the more complex stuff could be farmed out.
>
> }-- End of excerpt from anthony kim
> On May 31, 7:43pm, anthony kim wrote:
> } --- "Howard C. Berkowitz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> } > >paper. The Small and Midsized Business market (SMB) almost
> always
> } > can
> } > >accomplish what they want with free Unix or Linux for layer 3
> and
> } > >cheap stackable switches with or without 802.1q support.
> } > >
> } > >So my obligatory cisco alternative:
> } > >www.zebra.org
> } >
> } > And, in a non-information technology related SMB, who installs
> and
> } > supports it?
> }
> }
> } Good question.
> }
> } I think under 1,000 employees is reasonable for a mid-sized
> company.
> } Less than 400 is a rough estimate for a small company. These
>
> Your numbers are a little off. Cisco defines them as:
>
> SOHO -- Small Office / Home Office: 1-20 users
> Small Business: 20-100 users
> Medium Business: 100-500 users
>
> I would tend to go along with these numbers.
>
> } companies tend to already have people taking care of their
> NT/Novell
>
> Medium businesses certainly. However, small businesses may or
> may
> not. Many of them will contract out the higher end stuff.
>
> } I don't think it's too much of a stretch for their in-house staff
> to
> } maintain Linux or FreeBSD. College grads are already familiar
> with
> } these free systems, or ought to be. Presumably, in-house staff
> should
>
> There's a big difference between playing with them at home and
> knowing how to handle production systems. Also, unless they went
> to
> vocational or technical schools, they won't have any operations
> training.
>
> } already know OSI, TCP/IP, and IPX. Thus, the learning curve isn't
> too
>
> That's a big presumption.
>
> } And routing isn't too difficult, really. Especially in small
> } environments: Anyone reasonably intelligent who knows TCP/IP
> } intimately, can manage routing, or a firewall for that matter. Or
>
> How many people know TCP/IP intimately? Probably fewer then
> you
> think.
>
> Firewalls are specialty items that still require knowledgable
> people. Unless you like either having people break into your
> network
> or having your network break.
>
> } I've worked for small companies. The limited resources require
> } sysadmins who can wear several hats and learn quickly. It's just
> the
> } nature of the beast, nasty, brutish, but for expediency's sake,
> as
> } variegated as the business needs require.
>
> That's true, but they don't necessarily have to know
> everything.
> Some of the more complex stuff could be farmed out.
>
> }-- End of excerpt from anthony kim
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