Dell PowerConnect 2824 vs. Cisco Catalyst 2960

[Ringo]

Hi,

I just wanted to get everyone's opinion on Dell vs. Cisco switches. A
client currently has a Cisco Catalyst 2960...24 ports at only 10/100
speed (fast ethernet). I am thinking about upgrading them to a Dell
PowerConnect 2824...24 port at 10/1000 (gigabit speed). Both are
managed switches...but the difference in price is staggering...the
Cisco switch cost about $1,200. The Dell switch, about $300.00.

My recommendation for upgrading to gigabit speeds was of course met
with much debate about Dell vs. Cisco differences. To be honest, I
cant tell the difference between performance...except that the Dell
runs at 10/1000 gigabit speeds.

FYI, the LAN is only 6 computers, 4 network printers, 6 voip phones, 1
nas device, 1 sonicwall router, & 1 wireless access point. All this
is connected to Time Warner wideband internet (20 mbps down/2 mbps
up).

For a small lan that size, I would choose the Dell switch...and think
the existing Cisco switch (or even an upgrade) is clearly overkill in
terms of cost. In fact, as far as small business goes, in all my
research I've come to the conclusion that anything from Cisco is way
over priced for small business (except perhaps their Linksys brand
products).

Just curious on what everyone else's thoughts are. Thanks.

Ringo

[Cliff Galiher - MVP]

This really isn't an SBS question. Since this is a newsgroup focused on
SBS, you should probably take this question to a newsgroup or forum more
suited to networking/hardware related questions.

Thanks,

-Cliff

"Ringo" <ringoen...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:b665a054-8d36-4526...@q16g2000yqq.googlegroups.com...

[Leythos]

In article <b665a054-8d36-4526-93e8-394c96bd1485
@q16g2000yqq.googlegroups.com>, ringoen...@gmail.com says...

> Just curious on what everyone else's thoughts are. Thanks.
>

The 2960 does more than just act as a switch.

You mentioned VOIP - did you put the phones in their own VLAN?

In a LAN with under 50 users you might never see the benefit of a real
managed switch, but it's hard to say without understanding the need.

I have a managed switch for my office, which runs on SBS, and I have 8
VLANS on that switch (a 48 port 1GBS managed switch), and I have another
two 48 port managed 10/100 switches, none of them are CISCO.

I have a customer with several hundred workstations where the Phone
system uses IP based phones and provides 1GB network connections via the
phone to the PC.... We use HP Procurve switches, not that they need
them, but one of them does all the routing and is the master for the
VLAN's.

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