Selecting Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) Switches For Colocation

When selecting gigabit Ethernet switches for colocation there are a few important points to consider.  If you are selecting a Gigabit Ethernet switch for colocation, then you are planning to push a significant amount of traffic over the connection, so a careful decision is wise.  Below are a few useful tips to consider.

Copper GigE or Fiber (multimode or singlemode)
Do you need Gigabit Ethernet for the ports or just for the uplink?  If you need it for the uplink, you will want to check with your colocation provider what their preferred Gigabit handoff is.  Often a colocation facility will have multimode fiber GigE as the standard.  Copper GigE costs less but is distance sensitive.  It is supposed to be able to go 300 meters without degradation and if you need longer links fiber is recommended.  Fiber costs more for the lines than copper but it is better quality and can go for miles.  Multimode fiber is supposed to be used for up to 3 miles, or if you need longer you would want to select singlemode.  The difference between single mode and multimode is that they use different laser types.  It used to be that single mode cost much more for the GBICs, but the cost has come down significantly so that both multimode and singlemode are now about the same price.  Because they are both now about the same price it is likely that singlemode will become the defacto standard and multimode Gigabit Ethernet will be phased out in the near future.

10/100/1000 Auto Sensing Gigabit Ethernet Switch or just the 1000 Gigabit Switch
There are different standards and options available for Gigabit Ethernet that you will choose based on your needs.  If you are reselling colocation to a variety of customers you may want to get a 10/100/1000 auto sensing Gigabit Ethernet switch to be compatible with the most customer requests depending on their various needs.  The auto sensing 10/100/1000 switches are usually for just the copper Gigabit Ethernet interface.  If this is for a switch that will just be used for GigE all the time, then that feature is not needed. 

Managed Gigabit Ethernet Or Non-Managed
Managed Gigabit Ethernet switches have more features that allow you to control the switch and thus they cost much more.  The managed gigabit Ethernet switch usually costs about a factor of 10 times the price of a non-managed GigE switch.  If you are looking to keep track of usage on a port by port basis, then the with something like MRTG or Cacti or RRTG, then you will need a managed switch that will keep SNMP statistics for each port.  Another popular feature that a managed Gigabit Ethernet switch will usually have is the ability to manage switch remotely.  Some of the remote management features include the ability to turn selected ports on or off remotely.  This can be useful when a customer has not paid their bill, or there is an attack that needs to be stopped at any cost.

Gigabit Ethernet Switch Ports: 8 Ports, 12 Ports, 16 Ports, 24 Ports or 48 Ports
Managed Gigabit Ethernet switches have come in a variety of sizes.  The most common are the 12 port and 24 port switches.  There are a few brands that offer other numbers of ports on the gigabit Ethernet switch.  The switches with less ports such as 8 ports will cost substantially less then the switch models with more ports such as 48 ports.  Choose a Gigabit Ethernet switch that meets your current and projected growth needs.

Choosing a Gigabit Ethernet Switch Manufacturer - Cisco, Dell, HP, 3Com, Other brands
The most popular brand of Gigabit Ethernet switches is Cisco, but Cisco Gigabit Ethernet switches are also the most expensive.  There are different criteria that you should consider when choosing brand.  First you should consider the features that you need.  Not all brands offer all of the features you may need.  If you are more technically advanced and have a CCNA you may be fine managing your switches without a GUI.  This is one thing to consider.  Cisco Gigabit Ethernet switches that are managed don't have a GUI interface.  Whereas Dell and HP offers managed Gigabit, Ethernet switches that do have the GUI interface for easy remote management.  The Cisco switches are considered to be the most robust and reliable.    Consider all the needs that you have, balancing cost, features and manageability carefully and select the model that best suits your needs.

Gigabit Ethernet Switch Vendor
Once you know what model you will need you will want to select a vendor to supply it.  This decision is usually based on factors such as; how warranty returns are handled, price, availability of different brands and models to that Gigabit Ethernet switch vendor.  Sometimes the decision of which vendor is best for you will be decided while you are researching the model you will use because one switch vendor was more helpful than another.  If this is the case, be sure to consider that each vendor may prefer different Gigabit Ethernet switch brands for other reasons than just features and reliability.  Sometimes a vendor will prefer a brand because they are one of the few companies authorized to sell it and thus they also get a large commission on the sale.  Factors like this are not in your benefit, so take all advise with a grain of salt.  I wish you good luck in your Gigabit Ethernet Switch selection!