network design
pokesquid808
SO CAL
k here's the situation. My friends dad is looking at a new office and wants a network installed. there are going to be 60 employees expanding to 100 in 4 months. could be offsite not sure yet. but anyways he wants me to help him do the network install which is not very hard. network drops file servers what not. i'm just confused about how i'm going to get everything routed correctly. in the long run i want to have a PDC running using ldap and samba under freebsd. i was looking at networking books on how to to this. and the diagram basically said take the T1 line and run it to the router (me thats a cisco 2600) and run that to yoru switches (still deciding but i'm looking at cisco switches too). then connect the two switches using a fiber optic link, have the office split into two areas because of the limitation of cat 5e, or cat6 don't know which i'm going to use yet. then from the switch to the patch panel then to all the various network drops. does this make sense? is this the easiest way? do i need more then one router? if it's over 100m distance i know i'll have to use a repeater or somehow bridge it or somethign along those lines. some feedback would be greatly appreciated. thanks a lot guys!
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Comments
But yeah that sounds good, and I would def stick to Cisco switches. I've never done it but I"m sure mixing Cisco routers with another brands switches can cause problems.
I hate to be harsh but you are talking about an enterprise level network install, and you're going to buy a book for that? Jesus, hire a networking company. You are in way over your head. I really am not trying to be mean, but you are going to be hating life when you have to do all that work without any expert guidance.
I can tell your level of experience when you mention "cat 5e or 6" - being that there is no ratified cat 6 standard. Cat6 is a marketing term designed to sell expensive patch cords to home users at the local Office Depot.
A book will definitely NOT teach you all the intricacies and problems of installing a 100 node enterprise network, and neither will some forum posts.
300-400 is a bit high. We charge $200 - $300 depending on certain factors such as ceiling type, wall type, external or internal runs, etc. If it's a drop ceiling with drywall walls, it's 200 per 4 port drop.
Too bad we're not in SoCal
Thrax:
Cat6 has been controversial for years. There was a standards row about it. All of today's applications and even future apps such as 10GoE will work with a Cat5e compliant cable plant. Originally Siemens came out with a "cat6" connector scheme, stating that the old standard 4pair/RJ45 scheme couldn't possibly support high power/high bandwidth apps, and then different methods of multiplexing were developed which shot that idea down. I feel sorry for anybody who "early adopted" that form of Cat6.
Cat6 is still very controversial in the installer's community. There are many who believe (as I do) that Cat5E has a ton of life left in it, at least a 10 year future lifespan. When you are talking economics of installing miles of cable (my last install was 25,000 cable feet), a 30% premium for "cat6" is just not a smart decision. If 5E will support 100mb, 1000mb, and 10000mb, 6 is almost useless. By the time something comes along that 5E REALLY can't support (which is still up for debate since engineers are constantly finding ways to open up more bandwidth on the same wire). I really wasn't aware that the EIA/TIA ratified it. That surprises me, given the negativity with which Cat6 is viewed amongst cablejockeys. It's up there with "what a joke" status, or perhaps "how can they try to extort more money for nothing"?
I was just noting that it received ratification, not that it was worth a damn.
He has to learn one day, lol...on a serious side. It would be easier to hire someone to do it like prime said. But you are not going to be the network admin there are you? Just charge them a bunch and when it messes up make them hire someone else.....;)
BTW: You got PM.