It's easy to be critical. But business reality in some shops require more 
flexibility.  Spending thousands of dollars when $50 will take care of the 
problem seems like good business sense. 

Maybe I just don't understand IT's role in business. Making things less 
inconvenient for IT isn't always at the top of my list.  


-----Original Message-----
From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]] 
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2011 7:59 AM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: OT: desktop network switches

Required? Sometimes.

More expensive up front? Yes.

Valid or reasonable? I disagree.

IMHO, being forced to use these tiny unmanaged switches shows a decided lack of 
foresight on someone's part, and a lack of understanding of their larger costs.

Unless, perhaps, you're temporizing until a complete wireless solution is being 
readied. :)

Kurt

On Mon, Feb 7, 2011 at 02:59, Andrew S. Baker <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Install extra cabling" is a solution that has greater expense, and 
> requires far more permission that "install unmanaged switch" in most 
> circumstances.
> There are plenty of valid scenarios where you will not have the 
> opportunity to add more network drops to a location, and for which the 
> temporary or permanent deployment of unmanaged switches will be entirely 
> reasonable.
>
> ASB (Find me online via About.Me)
> Exploiting Technology for Business Advantage...
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Feb 6, 2011 at 10:49 PM, James Hill 
> <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>>
>> I'm with Kurt.  Unmanaged switches are just trouble.  Do it properly 
>> and install extra cabling.
>>
>> Unmanaged switches have a habit of multiplying.  I've been caught out 
>> one too many times by a hidden one under a desk somewhere, usually 
>> when imaging an entire floor with multicast or something when I don't 
>> have the time for trouble.
>>
>> I've even seen one of these switches go nuts and flood a core switch 
>> so much it brought the network to its knees.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]]
>> Sent: Sunday, 6 February 2011 5:19 AM
>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>> Subject: Re: OT: desktop network switches
>>
>> It's not just one mistake.
>>
>> I don't know what it is about my user population, but at least a 
>> couple of times a year, and sometimes more often, I have to go 
>> chasing down some idiot (usually a software developer or hardware 
>> engineer) who has connected a little switch to itself, or to another little 
>> switch.
>>
>> I'm really tired of it.
>>
>> Kurt
>>
>> On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 05:47, Ray <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > So because someone made a mistake you're condemning using them?
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]]
>> > Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 1:45 PM
>> > To: NT System Admin Issues
>> > Subject: Re: OT: desktop network switches
>> >
>> > Don't. Just don't.
>> >
>> > Pull another run of cable if you have to.
>> >
>> > Desktop switches are just wrong.
>> >
>> > I speak from much experience here.
>> >
>> >
>> > Just last month, we shuffled a bunch of folks around, and the 
>> > facilities guy was moving PCs and printers, and noticed that there 
>> > was a loose cable attached to a 5-port switch. So, not knowing what 
>> > else to do with it, he plugged it into the 5 port switch. Which 
>> > meant that both ends of the cable were in the same dumb, unmanaged, switch.
>> > That's your basic layer2 loop, right there.
>> >
>> > It killed performance for lots of people, until I tracked it down.
>> >
>> > I've had this happen so many times with stupid 5 and 8 port 
>> > switches that if I could rip them all out I would do so in less 
>> > time than it takes to write about it.
>> >
>> > But, we now have so many of them, because our wiring is so sparse, 
>> > that I can't. Yet. It's a major line item in the IT CAPEX budget for next 
>> > year.
>> >
>> > Kurt
>> >
>> > On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 11:00, John Aldrich 
>> > <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >> One of my users just claimed an unused laser printer for his 
>> >> office (Acct.
>> >> Manager) that has a network port on it as well as the usual USB. 
>> >> He'd like to be able to network it so he can print to it from the AS/400.
>> >> What do you guys recommend for a small (4-5 port) network switch?
>> >> To anyone who wants to know, this is for real, looking for 
>> >> recommendations for a RIGHT NOW purchase, not "next time." :-)
>> >>
>> >> Thanks!
>> >>
>
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