Hey everybody, here is what I have. A small business that I do some work for is thinking about redoing their server and network in early 2008. They have asked me to design for them a new network using gigabit technology.

Since they will be unable to get gigabit speeds from the internet, I was planning on keeping the internal network between the work stations and the server on gigabit and the connection to the internet on a normal 100mbps router.

Here is the layout I have designed.

DSL Modem ---> Router (100mbps Lan, 54mbps WAN) ---> Netgear gigabit switch (4 work stations connect to this switch) --------> Netgear gigabit switch (4 work stations connect to this switch) --------> Netgear gigabit switch (two work stations and the server connect to this switch)


Based on that primitive drawing i hope you can see what i am talking about. All the workstations have gigabit network adaptors except for two stations on the wirless connection. All I am looking for is gigabit speeds between the 10 main work stations and the server. Using the layout I have above, will that work or will the router keep everything set back to 100mbps?

are you plugging the switches into each other? or into seperate ports on the router?

Al the switches are plugged into each other with ony the first switch being plugged into the router.

why? not enough ports on the router?

...i would imagine you're not going to be going past the 100 meter mark in this network right?

i'd actually suggest getting a single switch with enough ports to connect all your machines...you've got 10 workstations and a server...plust the router connection....a 12 port switch would fit exactly....but a 24 port would allow for expansion and would probably be cheaper than buying multiple switches.....

daisy chaining switches the way you're suggesting is doable...and functional....but...it can cause certain problems (i.e. you're basically building a bus network..so if the first switch breaks...then any computer connected to the 3rd switch now loses connections)

I considered that. However I am going to be using the gigabit switches to replace the exsisting switches on the network. I was going to run all new cables to the different work stations, but the business is on a tight budget and doesn't want to pay for the new cable and the hours i would be working to accomplish that task.

I assumed that since all internal computers were connected to nothing but the gigabit switches that they would get the gigabit connection and only run into a slower connection at the router when connecting to the internet.

This post has been edited by RjBass: Sep 11 2007, 10:11 AM

yer as dsenette said plugging switches in to each other isnt a great idea so either plug them in to the router of y a big switch

all of that is correct...like i said...you can in fact go the way you're wanting...it's just not suggested...

you're basically adding more points of failure in the system than are required....you might be able to convince them to shell out the extra cash if you can give them the proper info on the options...but...whatever the customer wants right?

Thanks for the feedback.