Tetchnikal Advice Needed

[cheshirenoir]

So our network is growing damned fast. STUFF is happening in there where I can't see it. The whole network is built up around basic switches connected by Gigabit in a linear topology.

I want to increase my control and management of this network. Now can I buy a "smart" switch to sit in the middle and connect all my Gigabit connections to it? What products would people suggest? I have some ideas but I don't want to have my preconceptions get in the way.

Clearly something simple to manage would be preferred, so there'd have to be a really good reason for someone to suggest something like "A Linux Box with magic doodad card X in it"

Anyone?

Comments

[cheshirenoir.livejournal.com]

Well, some idea of "thruput per port"'d be nice. Being able to mirror a port to another port so I can run Ethereal against the stream would be good (and useful on SO many grounds)

QoS down the track I suspect will be needed.

I'm really not too sure what exactly stuff out there can do these days.

[prk.livejournal.com]

I'd be pimping Cisco - but then that's what I'm familiar with.

Things to keep in mind are switch back plane capacity and port capacity (eg if it has 24 x 1Gbit ports, can it actually switch 24Gbps at any given time)

Adding QoS, etc can overtax a box, so check that those features are all done in hardware, not software.

prk.