Your argument seems to be that, because bad things can happen no matter what you do, that you may as well not worry about doing anything that prevents a clueless end user from bringing the whole business down. As an IT professional, it is generally your job to support the needs of your business in the most economical fashion possible. It is also your job to make sure the right people understand the tradeoffs between saving money and operating your business. While a network admin can absolutely mess up and bring everything down, a properly configured, managed network is going to ensure that doesn't happen just because you plugged a cable in the wrong place.
If everyone in your organization understands that your business might become non-functional because someone plugged a cable into the wrong place so that you can save $950, so be it. If, however, they decide that nobody being able to do their job, take orders, or whatever for an hour while you run around looking at $50 switches in everybody's office for the rogue cable was worth significantly more than $950, they might rightfully question why you did nothing to prevent it. So, while it might *sometimes* be as simple as that, if you have made this decision without the appropriate people in your organization understanding the risks, you might find yourself unemployed. -----Original Message----- From: Ray [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 4:55 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: desktop network switches Yes, I know the possible horror stories. Stuff happens, and is just as often caused by a network admin. So yes, it can be just as simple as $50 vs $xxx. -----Original Message----- From: Mayo, Bill [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 10:30 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: desktop network switches While I recognize the need to not waste money and be flexible, it isn't as simple as $50 vs $XXXX. If your whole business goes down because somebody caused a spanning tree loop with an unmanaged switch, does that make business sense? Again, sometimes you have to do what you have to do, but buying the cheapest solution available does not necessarily save money in the long run. -----Original Message----- From: Ray [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 12:04 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: desktop network switches It's easy to be critical. But business reality in some shops require more flexibility. Spending thousands of dollars when $50 will take care of the problem seems like good business sense. Maybe I just don't understand IT's role in business. Making things less inconvenient for IT isn't always at the top of my list. -----Original Message----- From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 7:59 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: OT: desktop network switches Required? Sometimes. More expensive up front? Yes. Valid or reasonable? I disagree. IMHO, being forced to use these tiny unmanaged switches shows a decided lack of foresight on someone's part, and a lack of understanding of their larger costs. Unless, perhaps, you're temporizing until a complete wireless solution is being readied. :) Kurt On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 02:59, Andrew S. Baker <[email protected]> wrote: > "Install extra cabling" is a solution that has greater expense, and > requires far more permission that "install unmanaged switch" in most circumstances. > There are plenty of valid scenarios where you will not have the > opportunity to add more network drops to a location, and for which the > temporary or permanent deployment of unmanaged switches will be entirely reasonable. > > ASB (Find me online via About.Me) > Exploiting Technology for Business Advantage... > > > > > On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 10:49 PM, James Hill > <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> I'm with Kurt. Unmanaged switches are just trouble. Do it properly >> and install extra cabling. >> >> Unmanaged switches have a habit of multiplying. I've been caught out >> one too many times by a hidden one under a desk somewhere, usually >> when imaging an entire floor with multicast or something when I don't >> have the time for trouble. >> >> I've even seen one of these switches go nuts and flood a core switch >> so much it brought the network to its knees. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Sunday, 6 February 2011 5:19 AM >> To: NT System Admin Issues >> Subject: Re: OT: desktop network switches >> >> It's not just one mistake. >> >> I don't know what it is about my user population, but at least a >> couple of times a year, and sometimes more often, I have to go >> chasing down some idiot (usually a software developer or hardware >> engineer) who has connected a little switch to itself, or to another little switch. >> >> I'm really tired of it. >> >> Kurt >> >> On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 05:47, Ray <[email protected]> wrote: >> > So because someone made a mistake you're condemning using them? >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]] >> > Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 1:45 PM >> > To: NT System Admin Issues >> > Subject: Re: OT: desktop network switches >> > >> > Don't. Just don't. >> > >> > Pull another run of cable if you have to. >> > >> > Desktop switches are just wrong. >> > >> > I speak from much experience here. >> > >> > >> > Just last month, we shuffled a bunch of folks around, and the >> > facilities guy was moving PCs and printers, and noticed that there >> > was a loose cable attached to a 5-port switch. So, not knowing what >> > else to do with it, he plugged it into the 5 port switch. Which >> > meant that both ends of the cable were in the same dumb, unmanaged, switch. >> > That's your basic layer2 loop, right there. >> > >> > It killed performance for lots of people, until I tracked it down. >> > >> > I've had this happen so many times with stupid 5 and 8 port >> > switches that if I could rip them all out I would do so in less >> > time than it takes to write about it. >> > >> > But, we now have so many of them, because our wiring is so sparse, >> > that I can't. Yet. It's a major line item in the IT CAPEX budget for next year. >> > >> > Kurt >> > >> > On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 11:00, John Aldrich >> > <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> One of my users just claimed an unused laser printer for his >> >> office (Acct. >> >> Manager) that has a network port on it as well as the usual USB. >> >> He'd like to be able to network it so he can print to it from the AS/400. >> >> What do you guys recommend for a small (4-5 port) network switch? >> >> To anyone who wants to know, this is for real, looking for >> >> recommendations for a RIGHT NOW purchase, not "next time." :-) >> >> >> >> Thanks! >> >> > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: > http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
