My company wants me to setup an intranet

[YeOldeStonecat]

May want to strongly encourage them to budget in some hardware for a new router. As much as we loved the original "RV" series from Linksys (small business branch)...the RV042, RV082, RV016...(sold/installed hundreds of those) the second generation models....RV110, RV180 RV220.....developed a dislike for those over time after installing many of 'em.

 

[Haroon92]

They both do vlan's.

I think you need to step back and build a plan first. You have no lab to work with, only production. So if you make a mistake it's in real life.

First draw a logical plan which will define network data flows. I understand the owner wants to do certain things but having all that for just 6 people is quite a bit of overkill. And there are actually 5 departments as you have to have a management vlan.

As I mentioned start with the 110. @trevm999 mentioned look at QoS. For a public internet cafe you will need to have metered connections to make sure everyone has a consistent experience. If you setup and turn on wireless guest and test it. There are some QoS setting but probably not very comprehensive.

The 500 will have much more robust controls but I'm not sure there is a way to send wireless through it because it is down stream of the router[/QU

I will certainly let them know. And the altenative would be the Ubiquiti X based on my research.

You could go unifi ap with a USG and a switch then toss in a NAS could pull it off for a few hundred

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Ok nerds2, I got the unifi AP. But I will have to get a matching switch or I could just use the CE 500? Thanks.

 

[Haroon92]

And can I use the same RV110w router? I've been doing some research to figure out if the RV1101w can be used with the unifi Ap. Thanks.

 

[fencepost]

You should be able to use the switch, and you can likely use the router with the AP, though I'd suggest turning off wireless on the router itself - let the AP handle wireless.

 

[Haroon92]

You should be able to use the switch, and you can likely use the router with the AP, though I'd suggest turning off wireless on the router itself - let the AP handle wireless.

Excellent, thanks.

 

[Haroon92]

I going to use a different switch (Linksys-srw224P)...Based on my research this is more cable as opposed to the Catalyst Express 500.

 

[Haroon92]

The network design poorly done...

 

[Markverhyden]

Personally I think the SRW224P is not as robust as as the 500. Cisco sold the Linksys line in 2013 so it's doubtful the buyer, Belkin as provider of consumer level equipment, is keeping up with things. Even though it's old the 500 is still part of the Cisco fleet. What version of IOS?

Is that diagram accurate in terms of the end points (workstations)? What about the specs of the other end points not previously mentioned.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

And can I use the same RV110w router? I've been doing some research to figure out if the RV1101w can be used with the unifi Ap. Thanks.

When you have the need for more than 1x access point.....(this includes a wireless router...a wireless router is just a router with a built in access point)...the best practice is to use access points of the same brand/family. A "managed" system that is designed to work together. And you disable any wireless feature of the router/ISP supplied gateway.

When you have a bunch of individual centrally managed access points, they are designed to work together, many features just work better, versus having several different wireless products from several different vendors...where certain features don't work as well or flat out don't work period.

Things like roaming, and fine tuning of power, and some "auto" features such as auto channel selection, and client isolation modes to name just a few of many points.

Also the ongoing cost of maintenance and management is MUCH lower with a good centrally managed system. easily pay for itself within a few years or less. Important things such as firmware updates, security updates, or globally changing settings such as SSID or password, creating new networks, etc. Trying to manage all of this with old/discontinued equipment mix matched with other brands...much more time consuming and frustrating.

 

[Haroon92]

Personally I think the SRW224P is not as robust as as the 500. Cisco sold the Linksys line in 2013 so it's doubtful the buyer, Belkin as provider of consumer level equipment, is keeping up with things. Even though it's old the 500 is still part of the Cisco fleet. What version of IOS?

Is that diagram accurate in terms of the end points (workstations)? What about the specs of the other end points not previously mentioned.

Thanks. So I will use the Cisco switch. "What about the specs of the other end points not previously mentioned?" Not sure what you're refering to, because all that I will be using is displayed in the diagram apart from the cisco switch.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Either switch is old IMO....Cats were great (we still have a 3500 running in part of our office)....but some of those old models (that model stopped being sold 10 years ago)...their web admin requires an old browser and ancient version of Javal

I know you were told you can't buy anything new...but if you spend >3 hours or so wasting time trying to do things with "mixed old hardware"...instead of taking just 15 minutes for example setting up something new and supported and easily managed...ya know...

 

[Haroon92]

Either switch is old IMO....Cats were great (we still have a 3500 running in part of our office)....but some of those old models (that model stopped being sold 10 years ago)...their web admin requires an old browser and ancient version of Javal

I know you were told you can't buy anything new...but if you spend >3 hours or so wasting time trying to do things with "mixed old hardware"...instead of taking just 15 minutes for example setting up something new and supported and easily managed...ya know...

Yeah, I know...But it's out of my control. Thanks though.

 

[Haroon92]

Either switch is old IMO....Cats were great (we still have a 3500 running in part of our office)....but some of those old models (that model stopped being sold 10 years ago)...their web admin requires an old browser and ancient version of Javal

I know you were told you can't buy anything new...but if you spend >3 hours or so wasting time trying to do things with "mixed old hardware"...instead of taking just 15 minutes for example setting up something new and supported and easily managed...ya know...

Ok, both of them is old, but are you saying the Catalyst is better?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Cisco Catalysts were GREAT switches...much like HP ProCurves..put them in, they'd run for a decade or more without so much as a hiccup or a need to reboot.
The StinkSys SRW series of switches...cheap...and, (based on quite a few dozen installed at clients)...once in a while some snaggle with the network where a reboot of the SRW switch would fix the issue.

My issue would be ease of management for this switch. I am not sure you could even log in and get all of its web admin functionality...I'm not sure, I just recall in the past having to log into some clients old old Cisco gear and my current laptop with the latest browser and web players were not compatible with the web admin, had to dust off some old laptop from 7 years ago that hasn't run since then and had some ancient version of Internet Exploader or Firefox...to get to the web UI.

Will this switch even be happy with IPv6? I know 'in theory"...any hub or switch or router should work with IPv6. But I can tell you, in the real world...when Vista and Win7 and Server 08 started coming out...at clients with older network hardware we started seeing issues the very week we'd put new OS's (that had IPv6) on their network, and the issues went away after replacing old switches and old routers.

There is a "cost" to still using old stuff, extra time trying to get it setup, extra time spent maintaining it. And often tons of extra time trying to troubleshoot things that would not happen with new hardware.

 

[Haroon92]

Cisco Catalysts were GREAT switches...much like HP ProCurves..put them in, they'd run for a decade or more without so much as a hiccup or a need to reboot.
The StinkSys SRW series of switches...cheap...and, (based on quite a few dozen installed at clients)...once in a while some snaggle with the network where a reboot of the SRW switch would fix the issue.

My issue would be ease of management for this switch. I am not sure you could even log in and get all of its web admin functionality...I'm not sure, I just recall in the past having to log into some clients old old Cisco gear and my current laptop with the latest browser and web players were not compatible with the web admin, had to dust off some old laptop from 7 years ago that hasn't run since then and had some ancient version of Internet Exploader or Firefox...to get to the web UI.

Will this switch even be happy with IPv6? I know 'in theory"...any hub or switch or router should work with IPv6. But I can tell you, in the real world...when Vista and Win7 and Server 08 started coming out...at clients with older network hardware we started seeing issues the very week we'd put new OS's (that had IPv6) on their network, and the issues went away after replacing old switches and old routers.

There is a "cost" to still using old stuff, extra time trying to get it setup, extra time spent maintaining it. And often tons of extra time trying to troubleshoot things that would not happen with new hardware.

Any recommendations for a good, yet cheap switch?

 

[Haroon92]

YeOldStonecat, and does that mean I will have to change all the switches in the network design?

 

[Haroon92]

The physical Topology.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Could propose 2x solutions..
1-with existing equipment
2-with all new network equipment. For example:
*1x Ubiquiti USG (the router)
*1x Ubiquiti Unifi Switch 16-port for the TOR (top of the rack) ..router uplinks to it, your two servers, and the two upllinks to other servers
*1x Ubiquiti Unifi Switch 24-port 250 watt POE...for where your CNet switch is in the diagram now..the cafe area.
*1x Ubiquiti Unifi Switch 16-port for the point of sale/office area..where e Nexxt switch is.in the diagram.
*1x Ubiquiti Cloud Key Gen2 for management

 

[Haroon92]

Oh bwoy. Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[nerd2u]

Why 3 switches? Your 24 port looks like it could handle all your connections.

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