[tech] Re: UCC uplink network upgrade

[David Cake]

>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.

	That includes termination.

>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.

	I agree we should aim for 4 core - its just trying to fit it 
in under budget that is the problem.

>
>The real comparison is to blown fibre.

	Possibly. I don't know enough about blown fibre to know if it 
can be run across the same routes or not, which may be an issue for 
the fairly hairy Guild hall to cameron hall link.

>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.

	Anyone else have any comments? I am not very familiar with 
the Alloys, and reasonably happy with the DLinks.
	Cheers
		David