RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812]
If you are swaying toward Cisco for any other reason, you can probably purchase the 2950-24's (without uplinks) as cheap as the VH2402SM and start working on your Cisco switching skill sets. I don't like the VH's very much either, but they are cheap. To make them run reasonably well, make sure you have the 2.05.00 firmware. In the Bridge Extension under VLAN learning, make sure you are running in IVL mode. SVL is evil and causes unpredictable results. Changing from SVL to IVL requires a reboot. Also make sure you enable IGMP on your VH's 2200's and 6000 to ensure the multicast traffic isn't broadcast everywhere. This setting is off by default on all your Cabletron products. Once you get all that set, they should behave pretty well. I've seen some weird spanning tree problems in poorly designed networks, but that may be getting better with the latest firmware. If you're looking for some good, inexpensive switches, check out the HP Procurves. I've had good results with them and they are a little less than the VH's. Good Luck!! Jeffrey Reed Classic Networking, Inc. Cell 717-805-5536 Office 717-737-8586 FAX 717-737-0290 -Original Message- From: Wright, Jeremy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 10:09 PM To: 'Jeffrey Reed '; Wright, Jeremy; '[EMAIL PROTECTED] ' Subject: RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] I appreciate the response. Basicallly we buy the vh2402 for workgroup access layer connections. we use no stacking (i heard if you stack 7 vh2402's it takes 18 minutes to boot up..geeze!) or fiber/gig uplinks. we usually have the 2402's uplinked (over copper) to a 2h252 thats linked to our 6000 core. i wanted to get a feel for if im only needing access ports with no gig/fiber modules, would the 2950 be a better fit. i think it is based on some of the specs ive read and the experience ive had with the 2402's. i also heard that enterasys is looking at purchasing a different brand of 24-48 port work groups switches because the 2402's suck and havent had much luck. i personally hate them and would prefer to use cisco. thanks again for your input. -Original Message- From: Jeffrey Reed To: Wright, Jeremy; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 7/26/02 8:54 PM Subject: RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] I think they are not in the same class of switches, so a direct comparison is tough. Here's some thoughts... - The 2950 is newer, therefore newer ASICs. The VH-2402, aka ELS100 has been around for about three years. -The VH is mostly ASIC based where the firmware is only 500k in size. The 2950's firmware image is over 4M. With a larger firmware base, I have to believe the 2950 will have the ability to change more drastically over time. I think the VH could be very close to end of life. - The 2950 is not very flexible when it comes to HW versions. If you want cheap, the lower cost model has 24 10/100 ports and no uplink or stacking capability. If you want 100M fiber, you have to buy the 2950C which has no GIG or stacking. If you want stacking, you have to move to the 2950G which has a list of twice the one without the GBICs. On the VH's, you have one common piece of HW and you purchase the uplinks, stacks etc. as you need them. - I think Cisco designed the 2950 internally while the VH was designed in Taiwan, not internally at Cabletron. Check out the Tiger Switches from SMC and you'll see very familiar HW at lower prices. If you have specific questions, let me know. I've sold hundreds of the VH's and a few dozen of the 2950's. Jeffrey Reed Classic Networking, Inc. Cell 717-805-5536 Office 717-737-8586 FAX 717-737-0290 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Wright, Jeremy Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 3:26 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] We are primarily a Cabletron shop. We have a lot of vh2402's and I wanted to see if there was someone on the list that had both the vh2402's and the catalyst 2950-24's. I've read the specs on both of them but I wanted to hear the real world comparison. TIA. Jeremy Wright Network Analyst Archer Daniels Midland [EMAIL PROTECTED] (217)451-4063 Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7i=49889t=49812 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812]
One of my resellers told me he could get me a 2950-24 for a little over $900. i know the vh's with maintenance run us about $1100. thanks again for the input -Original Message- From: Jeffrey Reed To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 7/27/02 12:18 PM Subject: RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] If you are swaying toward Cisco for any other reason, you can probably purchase the 2950-24's (without uplinks) as cheap as the VH2402SM and start working on your Cisco switching skill sets. I don't like the VH's very much either, but they are cheap. To make them run reasonably well, make sure you have the 2.05.00 firmware. In the Bridge Extension under VLAN learning, make sure you are running in IVL mode. SVL is evil and causes unpredictable results. Changing from SVL to IVL requires a reboot. Also make sure you enable IGMP on your VH's 2200's and 6000 to ensure the multicast traffic isn't broadcast everywhere. This setting is off by default on all your Cabletron products. Once you get all that set, they should behave pretty well. I've seen some weird spanning tree problems in poorly designed networks, but that may be getting better with the latest firmware. If you're looking for some good, inexpensive switches, check out the HP Procurves. I've had good results with them and they are a little less than the VH's. Good Luck!! Jeffrey Reed Classic Networking, Inc. Cell 717-805-5536 Office 717-737-8586 FAX 717-737-0290 -Original Message- From: Wright, Jeremy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 10:09 PM To: 'Jeffrey Reed '; Wright, Jeremy; '[EMAIL PROTECTED] ' Subject: RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] I appreciate the response. Basicallly we buy the vh2402 for workgroup access layer connections. we use no stacking (i heard if you stack 7 vh2402's it takes 18 minutes to boot up..geeze!) or fiber/gig uplinks. we usually have the 2402's uplinked (over copper) to a 2h252 thats linked to our 6000 core. i wanted to get a feel for if im only needing access ports with no gig/fiber modules, would the 2950 be a better fit. i think it is based on some of the specs ive read and the experience ive had with the 2402's. i also heard that enterasys is looking at purchasing a different brand of 24-48 port work groups switches because the 2402's suck and havent had much luck. i personally hate them and would prefer to use cisco. thanks again for your input. -Original Message- From: Jeffrey Reed To: Wright, Jeremy; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 7/26/02 8:54 PM Subject: RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] I think they are not in the same class of switches, so a direct comparison is tough. Here's some thoughts... - The 2950 is newer, therefore newer ASICs. The VH-2402, aka ELS100 has been around for about three years. -The VH is mostly ASIC based where the firmware is only 500k in size. The 2950's firmware image is over 4M. With a larger firmware base, I have to believe the 2950 will have the ability to change more drastically over time. I think the VH could be very close to end of life. - The 2950 is not very flexible when it comes to HW versions. If you want cheap, the lower cost model has 24 10/100 ports and no uplink or stacking capability. If you want 100M fiber, you have to buy the 2950C which has no GIG or stacking. If you want stacking, you have to move to the 2950G which has a list of twice the one without the GBICs. On the VH's, you have one common piece of HW and you purchase the uplinks, stacks etc. as you need them. - I think Cisco designed the 2950 internally while the VH was designed in Taiwan, not internally at Cabletron. Check out the Tiger Switches from SMC and you'll see very familiar HW at lower prices. If you have specific questions, let me know. I've sold hundreds of the VH's and a few dozen of the 2950's. Jeffrey Reed Classic Networking, Inc. Cell 717-805-5536 Office 717-737-8586 FAX 717-737-0290 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Wright, Jeremy Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 3:26 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] We are primarily a Cabletron shop. We have a lot of vh2402's and I wanted to see if there was someone on the list that had both the vh2402's and the catalyst 2950-24's. I've read the specs on both of them but I wanted to hear the real world comparison. TIA. Jeremy Wright Network Analyst Archer Daniels Midland [EMAIL PROTECTED] (217)451-4063 Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7i=49904t=49812 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812]
On Sat, Jul 27, 2002 at 05:18:13PM +, Jeffrey Reed wrote: If you are swaying toward Cisco for any other reason, you can probably purchase the 2950-24's (without uplinks) as cheap as the VH2402SM and start working on your Cisco switching skill sets. I don't like the VH's very much either, but they are cheap. To make them run reasonably well, make sure you have the 2.05.00 firmware. In the Bridge Extension under VLAN learning, make sure you are running in IVL mode. SVL is evil and causes unpredictable results. Changing from SVL to IVL requires a reboot. Also make sure you enable IGMP on your VH's 2200's and 6000 to ensure the multicast traffic isn't broadcast everywhere. This setting is off by default on all your Cabletron products. Once you get all that set, they should behave pretty well. I've seen some weird spanning tree problems in poorly designed networks, but that may be getting better with the latest firmware. If you're looking for some good, inexpensive switches, check out the HP Procurves. I've had good results with them and they are a little less than the VH's. Yes, this Procurve is the better solution. In fact for all of distribution switches at USU, they are planning to stop using Cisco Switches. What they are going to use or have been using is HP Procurve 2524, and it performs way better than Cisco 2924-XL-EN they currently have, with a very low price, that is $650.00. The biggest concern with Cisco 2924-XL-EN is that whenever one or two of its ports start being utilized at 100 Mbps, the switch just can't handle it. The utilization of the switch jumps to a very high number, and the switch just dying after that. That's why USU doesn't use any desktop switches from Cisco anymore. With the HP Procurve 2524 they can hammer that switch by utilizing that switch at fully 100 Mbps, and the switch can support it without any problem. Besides according to this article it seems what HP 2524 outperforms even Cisco 3500 Series ... http://www.hp.com/rnd/pdfs/Tolly_Jan01.pdf I don't know whether other people have the same problem or not, but that is our experience at USU. I will be really happy to know what other's experience... PS: I don't want to be a troll, but it seems that HP product is better than Cisco product nowadays. For example for the core switch 4006, it can be beaten easily with HP 9304M (http://www.hp.com/rnd/products/routing_switches/switch9304m/overview.htm). It has 128 Gbps backplane with 48 Mpps forwarding speed, while 4006 only has 8 Gbps and 6 Mpps engine (http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/pd/si/casi/ca4000/prodlit/c4ksw_pl.htm). The only different is just Cisco 4006 does support IP Telephony with its inline power, but we don't need that. [this also happens for Cisco 6500 Series, but of course compared to HP 9308M] Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7i=49907t=49812 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812]
I think they are not in the same class of switches, so a direct comparison is tough. Here's some thoughts... - The 2950 is newer, therefore newer ASICs. The VH-2402, aka ELS100 has been around for about three years. -The VH is mostly ASIC based where the firmware is only 500k in size. The 2950's firmware image is over 4M. With a larger firmware base, I have to believe the 2950 will have the ability to change more drastically over time. I think the VH could be very close to end of life. - The 2950 is not very flexible when it comes to HW versions. If you want cheap, the lower cost model has 24 10/100 ports and no uplink or stacking capability. If you want 100M fiber, you have to buy the 2950C which has no GIG or stacking. If you want stacking, you have to move to the 2950G which has a list of twice the one without the GBICs. On the VH's, you have one common piece of HW and you purchase the uplinks, stacks etc. as you need them. - I think Cisco designed the 2950 internally while the VH was designed in Taiwan, not internally at Cabletron. Check out the Tiger Switches from SMC and you'll see very familiar HW at lower prices. If you have specific questions, let me know. I've sold hundreds of the VH's and a few dozen of the 2950's. Jeffrey Reed Classic Networking, Inc. Cell 717-805-5536 Office 717-737-8586 FAX 717-737-0290 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Wright, Jeremy Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 3:26 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] We are primarily a Cabletron shop. We have a lot of vh2402's and I wanted to see if there was someone on the list that had both the vh2402's and the catalyst 2950-24's. I've read the specs on both of them but I wanted to hear the real world comparison. TIA. Jeremy Wright Network Analyst Archer Daniels Midland [EMAIL PROTECTED] (217)451-4063 Confidential e-mail for addressee only. Access to this e-mail by anyone else is unauthorized. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply e-mail and destroy the original communication. 2 Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7i=49851t=49812 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812]
I appreciate the response. Basicallly we buy the vh2402 for workgroup access layer connections. we use no stacking (i heard if you stack 7 vh2402's it takes 18 minutes to boot up..geeze!) or fiber/gig uplinks. we usually have the 2402's uplinked (over copper) to a 2h252 thats linked to our 6000 core. i wanted to get a feel for if im only needing access ports with no gig/fiber modules, would the 2950 be a better fit. i think it is based on some of the specs ive read and the experience ive had with the 2402's. i also heard that enterasys is looking at purchasing a different brand of 24-48 port work groups switches because the 2402's suck and havent had much luck. i personally hate them and would prefer to use cisco. thanks again for your input. -Original Message- From: Jeffrey Reed To: Wright, Jeremy; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 7/26/02 8:54 PM Subject: RE: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] I think they are not in the same class of switches, so a direct comparison is tough. Here's some thoughts... - The 2950 is newer, therefore newer ASICs. The VH-2402, aka ELS100 has been around for about three years. -The VH is mostly ASIC based where the firmware is only 500k in size. The 2950's firmware image is over 4M. With a larger firmware base, I have to believe the 2950 will have the ability to change more drastically over time. I think the VH could be very close to end of life. - The 2950 is not very flexible when it comes to HW versions. If you want cheap, the lower cost model has 24 10/100 ports and no uplink or stacking capability. If you want 100M fiber, you have to buy the 2950C which has no GIG or stacking. If you want stacking, you have to move to the 2950G which has a list of twice the one without the GBICs. On the VH's, you have one common piece of HW and you purchase the uplinks, stacks etc. as you need them. - I think Cisco designed the 2950 internally while the VH was designed in Taiwan, not internally at Cabletron. Check out the Tiger Switches from SMC and you'll see very familiar HW at lower prices. If you have specific questions, let me know. I've sold hundreds of the VH's and a few dozen of the 2950's. Jeffrey Reed Classic Networking, Inc. Cell 717-805-5536 Office 717-737-8586 FAX 717-737-0290 -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Wright, Jeremy Sent: Friday, July 26, 2002 3:26 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Cabletron vs Cisco Switches [7:49812] We are primarily a Cabletron shop. We have a lot of vh2402's and I wanted to see if there was someone on the list that had both the vh2402's and the catalyst 2950-24's. I've read the specs on both of them but I wanted to hear the real world comparison. TIA. Jeremy Wright Network Analyst Archer Daniels Midland [EMAIL PROTECTED] (217)451-4063 Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7i=49854t=49812 -- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
