[tech] Re: UCC uplink network upgrade

[Nick Bannon]

On Mon, Jun 16, 2003 at 01:38:40PM +0800, David Cake wrote:
> 	4 core fibre will cost us roughly at least $650 extra 
> overall, 8 core about $2000 more.
[...]

That's to use it throughout, not just on the Cameron Hall link? Ouch.
How many cable runs are we talking? That's a nasty jump given that,
compared to 2 core, 4 core cable costs less than double and 8 core
cable costs less than triple.

Anyway, four core is really the minimum. If we had a single pair and
one broke, we'd be stuck... Contributing towards that wouldn't be a
problem.

The real comparison is to blown fibre. I've got a Page Data materials
quote for that now, assuming a 200m run from Cameron Hall to the new
Guild comms room:
Conventional 4 core loose tube gel filled fibres: $4.66/m =>	$ 932 total
2 duct blowable tube $2/m + 4x blown fibre bundle $3.38/m =>	$1076 total

That's for 62.5um MM fibres at trade prices - apparently UWA will get
slightly better prices than trade, not worse. It leaves one duct free
for expansion. Termination prices are the same, so the missing item is
still GR Services exact installation cost. GR Services does have the
equipment to do the blown fibre installs. Apparently UWA's mostly using
7 duct blowable tubes - John Lumsden would know. Grahame/Mark/James -
someone want to find out more?

Nobody's piped up on other switch options yet, but the Alloy switches
look like better bang for buck. Navada should supply them locally.

DLink 3xDES-3225GF (Managed, 24 x 10/100Base-T , 1 x 100Base-FX)
DLink 1xDES-362FM (2 x 100Base-FX module)
Total: ~$4180

Alloy 3xESS-24T02M (Smart, 24 x 10/100Base-T)	$594 ea
Alloy 3xEMG-02SC   (2 x 1000Base-SX module)	$493 ea
http://www.alloy.com.au/products/ESS-24T02M.htm
Alloy 1xFE-C120SC  (100Base-FX media converter)	$216 ea
http://www.alloy.com.au/products/fec120.htm
Total: $3477

Alloy 3xESM-24T02M (Managed, 24 x 10/100Base-T)	$709 ea
Alloy 3xEMG-02SC   (2 x 1000Base-SX module)	$493 ea
http://www.alloy.com.au/products/ESM24T02M.htm
Alloy 1xFE-C120SC  (100Base-FX media converter)	$216 ea
http://www.alloy.com.au/products/fec120.htm
Total: $3822

Alloy switches give us a 1000Base-SX gigabit backbone, consistency in
case of switch failure and a couple of spare 1000Base-SX ports. We
would be using a 100Base-FX UCS uplink until such time as UCS thinks
gigabit to departments is worthwhile.

Nick.

-- 
   Nick Bannon   | "I made this letter longer than usual because
nick-sig at rcpt.to | I lack the time to make it shorter." - Pascal