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Network Switch recommendations for VOIP & Data


Charlie

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We are currently in growth mode, and I'm looking to purchase a network switch (or two). We have agents who use soft phones on their computers, so inherently we have some of our network traffic we can not physically segregate.

 

I've read mixed opinions on fully managed vs. VLAN vs. QoS...most seeming to argue that the more management the switch is doing the more latency is being added to the process, which is obviously harmful to VOIP traffic.

 

So, based upon what I've found, I'm leaning toward QoS on a "smart" switch. But I haven't yet gathered enough information to be fully confident that this is the best balance.

 

Granted that running voice & data over the same network fabric is never a "best practice," what is the recommended setup for situations necessitating voice & data mixing? What do most people run?

 

To quantify size, we're looking for a setup to support 75-100 users, with about 70% of those users on soft phones, and frequently hovering around 60-70% of all extensions in use concurrently...the bulk of those being the users on soft phones.

 

I'm not looking to needlessly spend money for the "top of the line" gear, but I'm willing to spend for what I need to have a reliable setup.

 

I haven't searched the forums a whole lot just yet, so if this has been discussed ad nauseam elsewhere, please just guide me there.

 

Any thoughts/feedback/recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance!

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We are currently in growth mode, and I'm looking to purchase a network switch (or two)... Any thoughts/feedback/recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

The Linksys SRW series, w/PoE, has worked well for us. Its reached its EOL and, unfortunately, I don't know if Cisco has replaced it w/a comparable series.

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