Upgrading Switches - What will be noticeable?

RumorConsumer
Head in the Cloud

Upgrading Switches - What will be noticeable?

Hello! I am going to be upgrading some switches soon. Right now my network is built on 3 Dell 10/100 PowerConnect 3324 switches from 2006 that connect Multimode fiber around my property through the SFP connectors. My fiber internet only goes up to 100mbit and I don't do much file transfer. I do run an 18 node Meraki mesh network with a bunch of MR74s, and 84, 52s and 42s. All three switches will be upgraded so Ill go from 100mbit to gigabit over the fiber. The Meraki gateways all connect to switch ports. My understanding is that if Im not doing much that requires gigabit speeds I won't really notice a difference. Has technology gotten better in any other ways Id notice? 
 
 

 

I can't afford all the Meraki switches so if you have alternate suggestions Im listening but it can't be too much more money. 

Networking geek since high school where I got half of a CCNA. Played Marathon II and Infinity over localtalk.
Made many a network over the years, now de facto admin of a retreat center with some of this fine Meraki hardware.
Fortune 100 Tech veteran/refugee.
7 REPLIES 7
BlakeRichardson
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

@RumorConsumer  throughput speeds really depend on what you are doing, if you are moving large files or streaming from local deivce then you will notice a difference, with your internet you won;t given your connection is only 100Mbps

 

One quick question with your switches do you require managed switches or can you get away with unmanaged switches?

 

I've never used Netgear switches so I can't comment on them sorry. 

kYutobi
Kind of a big deal

You won't really notice any difference unless you are using high intensive bandwidth on the daily and you need the speed. Not too sure about Netgear even though it is great from home use. I would recommend a Cisco switch that is at the same price range.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Systems-SG350-28-K9-NA-SG350-28-28-Port-Gigabit/dp/B01MAYENL6/ref=sr_1_13?key...

 

Enthusiast
AjitKumar
Head in the Cloud

Hi @RumorConsumer 

 

As@BlakeRichardson said "It all depends on your usage".

 

Having said that as we are looking for up gradation and your existing infrastructure supported you for closed to 15 Years Now.

 

I believe you may consider More POE Budgets (370W+) and 10G Uplink Interfaces on switches.

Who knows you may need more power or bandwidth in coming years. The technology is certainly evolving very fast recently. WIFI 6 , mGig Switches,AI - IOTs More and More POE based clients are getting introduced.

 

As @kYutobi suggested Cisco SG Series switches? You may give a thought on that too.

However Netgear switches are fine.

 

Regards,
Ajit
AjitsNW@gmail.com
www.ajit.network
PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

The thing that stands out the most to me is you'll be going from 802.3af to 802.3at for PoE.

 

APs like the MR52 require 802.3at power.  If you are powering it from 802.3af it will retard its performance to get down to 802.3af.

 

So you may find the reliability and stability of your WiFi improves.

@PhilipDAththank you for this, i have a feeling this may be the case with some of my APs. Does the same go for the MR74?

 

Oh jeez. This may be part of my problem here. Here's a glimpse of my network with the power source column added. I wonder if this is why my performance in certain conditions feels way way less powerful than it should. When I asked about this exact question a Meraki rep literally told me that it won't power on unless its getting enough juice. Now I know there are multiple power modes. Ugh. 

 

Can you or somebody paste a link here for the power adapter you like best for at over PoE and a standalone adapter? Ill go Cisco if I need to but if non OEM works fine Ill go there instead. 

 

According to this article low power mode doesn’t look so bad. Any thoughts on where you’d see the hit on 802.11ac or whatever your biggest concerns would be? 

https://documentation.meraki.com/MR/Monitoring_and_Reporting/Low_Power_Mode

Also, this power adapter - https://meraki.cisco.com/products/wireless/power#mr-ac-adapter

Is what I was using the MR42 AP with the 106.9mbit mesh speed. That thing should offer 30W as its 12v x 2.5a. I replaced it with a PoE+ adapter which now makes it show regular 802.3at. What gives with that?  

 

Screen Shot 2019-07-18 at 5.38.55 AM.png

Networking geek since high school where I got half of a CCNA. Played Marathon II and Infinity over localtalk.
Made many a network over the years, now de facto admin of a retreat center with some of this fine Meraki hardware.
Fortune 100 Tech veteran/refugee.

>Does the same go for the MR74?
 
No.  This model uses 802.3af.  It wont benefit from having an 802.3at port.
 
>When I asked about this exact question a Meraki rep literally told me that it won't power on unless its getting enough juice
 
Perhaps they were talking about a specific model.  But that is certainly not the case for models that need 802.3at power.
 
 
Also you can still get caught out with long cable runs.  You can have an 802.3af port supplying 15.4W of power, but due to the cable you might loose (for example) 2W of power over its length.  That makes the available power 13.4W.  If your device needs more than this then it is in trouble.

Thank you. This is very helpful. Im not doing any long cable runs that carry power so I think we're good. Thanks for your attention and wisdom.
Networking geek since high school where I got half of a CCNA. Played Marathon II and Infinity over localtalk.
Made many a network over the years, now de facto admin of a retreat center with some of this fine Meraki hardware.
Fortune 100 Tech veteran/refugee.
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