Operandi

Alright, first off a little background. I’m recent IT graduate (last spring) but not yet working in the field in any official capacitance. It’s been about a year and half since I had my last Cisco class so I may be a bit rusty. Right now I’m in the beginning process of helping a locally own retailer setup a network infrastructure for IP camera and in the future VoIP, about 45 – 50 total IP devices when the project is complete. Nothing has been purchased yet but I have some candidates and a network layout planned, thought this is the first time I’ve setup network of this type in the real world. Right now I’m looking at Netgear and LG/Ericsson (previously SMC, Nortel) switches. Haven’t gotten to the router yet and VoIP will come later. For either brand there would be one 1000MB 24 port switch and three 100MB switches, all of them 24 port and all will have PoE on all ports. Netgear switches. http://www.netgear.com/products/business/switches/smart-switches/GS724TP.aspx http://www.netgear.com/products/business/switches/smart-switches/FS728TP.aspx LG switches (on Newegg cause LG’s page is a mess). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833218005&Tpk=LG%20ES-2024GP http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833218007&Tpk=ES-2026P Here is rough layout of the network plan in Visio. I was planning on using the higher-end 1000MB switch to function as the backbone of the network to witch the three other 100MB switches would connect. Both the Netgear and LG switches have 1000MB uplink ports, and my understanding is that I can connect the 100MB switches to any of ports on the 1000MB switch correct? I was also planning on separating the cameras, VoIP phones and server/PCs on their own VLANs. The IP camera server would have two NICs one for the camera VLAN and one for the PCs VLAN. That way I could get the network up and running with VLANs without the need for router. The router would be added later to allow for remote access to the Camera server as well as function as the gateway to the internet, and VoIP functionality when that points comes. Thoughts, suggestions?

Ok, so I'm getting pretty close to the installation stage for my first IP camera system, first thing going in is the PoE switches of course. The site is retail grocery store and the electricians will be coming in the next couple of days to wire up the locations for the four switches. How concerned should I be with the power here? Should they be on their own "clean" circuit or is it ok to share with the lights, refrigeration, fans ect.? I can of course install rack mountable power filters in each location, would that be sufficient to protect the switches and more importantly the cameras?

Axis cameras mostly, software is in the final stages of selection. The goal is to have the software selected by the time the electrical is done. But what dose that have to do with the switches and power?

Yeah, he's will to run dedicated lines if its necessary, there will be a lot of money put into the cameras running off these switches. For two of the switch location its relatively non-issue but the other two will take a bit more work to get a dedicated line to the switch location so it will be fairly expensive having the electrical work done.

Thanks for the reply, lots to think about there... A 48 port switch would be idea but due to the building and wiring situation (open ceilings and very tall ceilings) making that many runs to a central location would be very problematic and time consuming. This system will also be phased in over time to replace an analog DVR system that has no upgrade path. The physical locations of the switches were chosen based device concentration and ease of access so it will be fairly easy to build up and expand the network over time. I kinda figured VLANs would probably be a bit overkill in terms of bandwidth control but I also figured it would be a good security practice. QoS is defiantly something I will be researching more going forward but there will be plenty of time for that. The first phase will be the server, two switches (the 1GB switch, and one 100MB switch) and a half dozen or so IP cameras.

A bit expensive but Lian Li make pretty much the best cases you can get in my opinion. This one might work for you. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112292