Help on cabling for network topology
Hi. I've been lurking in this group for a while and now need to ask for some help please. I work in a small primary school in the West Country and we are in the middle of a new building project. To date I have been running a SuSe 6.4 server on a 10-pc (Windoze unfortunately) network suite (all based in my small, mobile hut, classroom, shared with 27 strapping Year 6's!). I have been asked to spec up our new network and need to run my ideas through this wise and experienced forum (I'm an NQT with five years experience in ICT industry/Information sector). I'm planning to have a server connected to an 8 port switch (In a room to themselves). Each cable from the switch goes to a classroom where there is a hub. The cables then run from the hub to wall-mounted CAT-5 sockets. Cable runs from the CAT5 sockets to the PC. I'm confused about which of these links requirs standard cat5 UTP wiring and which require cross-over configured cable. I suspect that as the hubs have uplink buttons I only require cross-over cable for the final 2m run from wall-mounted socket to PC. Am I on the right lines or is there a far superior layout? Another matter. RUnnning SAMBA I have everything configured apart from the fact that the shares do not show up in network neighbourhood on the workstations. I can mount the sahres using 'net use' etc. Ant ideas? Many thanks Darren Garside
What is it you want to achieve with the new network Darren - to run at 10 or 100 Mbps?? If your cards and switch are 100 Mbps capable, then I would use CAT 5 cable throughout the network, as this can handle the bandwidth (all the way into the back of the workstation NIC). It would depend on the setup of your switch, but if you can use CAT 5 for every link from the server to the workstation then you are making life nice and easy for yourself! (and CAT 5 is quite cheap anyway). Regards, Martin Dart -----Original Message----- From: Darren Garside [mailto:darren.garside1@virgin.net] Sent: 31 October 2000 18:00 To: SuSE Linux Schools Subject: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Help on cabling for network topology Hi. I've been lurking in this group for a while and now need to ask for some help please. I work in a small primary school in the West Country and we are in the middle of a new building project. To date I have been running a SuSe 6.4 server on a 10-pc (Windoze unfortunately) network suite (all based in my small, mobile hut, classroom, shared with 27 strapping Year 6's!). I have been asked to spec up our new network and need to run my ideas through this wise and experienced forum (I'm an NQT with five years experience in ICT industry/Information sector). I'm planning to have a server connected to an 8 port switch (In a room to themselves). Each cable from the switch goes to a classroom where there is a hub. The cables then run from the hub to wall-mounted CAT-5 sockets. Cable runs from the CAT5 sockets to the PC. I'm confused about which of these links requirs standard cat5 UTP wiring and which require cross-over configured cable. I suspect that as the hubs have uplink buttons I only require cross-over cable for the final 2m run from wall-mounted socket to PC. Am I on the right lines or is there a far superior layout? Another matter. RUnnning SAMBA I have everything configured apart from the fact that the shares do not show up in network neighbourhood on the workstations. I can mount the sahres using 'net use' etc. Ant ideas? Many thanks Darren Garside
On Tue, 31 Oct 2000, Darren Garside wrote: snip . .
I'm planning to have a server connected to an 8 port switch (In a room to themselves). Each cable from the switch goes to a classroom where there is a hub. The cables then run from the hub to wall-mounted CAT-5 sockets. Cable runs from the CAT5 sockets to the PC. I'm confused about which of these links requirs standard cat5 UTP wiring and which require cross-over configured cable. I suspect that as the hubs have uplink buttons I only require cross-over cable for the final 2m run from wall-mounted socket to PC. Am I on the right lines or is there a far superior layout?
This sound fine in general. I would recommend you to stick to Cat 5 cabling with 100M hubs and switch if you can. There isn't that much difference in price now and you will need the bandwidth eventually. In general the patch leads should be normal straight-thru ones. Cross-over cables are only used to link hub-hub or hub-switch (if you don't use an uplink port) - or PC-PC in a minimal, hubless, scenario. The only other question is whether an 8-port switch is enoughHow many classrooms/hubs will you have; you could do with a few spare ports for future expansion. Just my thoughts, I hope you find this useful. ____________________________________ Giles Nunn - Network Manager Carms Schools ICT Development Centre Tel: +44 01239 710662 Fax: 710985 ____________________________________
participants (3)
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Darren Garside
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Giles Nunn
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Martin Dart