[c-nsp] cheap core switch for a "hacker space" (nonprofit association)

[Pierre Emeriaud]

2013/12/9 Eugeniu Patrascu <eugen at imacandi.net>:
>>
>> We just founded a hacker space [1] and are about to setup our home. For a
>> few rooms full of people making and creating things and working on nerdy
>> stuff you need a good networking infrastructure. So I have come to the
>> following requirements:
>>
>> Fully managed, layer 3 and IPv6 capable switch(es) with 48 ports in total,
>> at least 24 of them gigabit.
>>

>
> If you are not going to run all the ports at wire speed and also require
> high packet rates between two subnets, you can get HP gigabit switches
> (they have lifetime warranty) pretty cheap and a small Linux system with a
> few GigE interfaces and run that as a router. It's not the most nice
> looking solution but it will do the job on the cheap and also provide lots
> of options later one (firewall, packet capture etc).

+1.

As this is for a hackerspace, you should be able to source some
networking skills to set up and maintain a software router, that will
be much more flexible (read: anything your members want to implement)
than a L3 switch.


--
pierre