Okay, so first off: The please for help: I'm looking at some new switches (budget not approved, just seeing whats out there). Currently, we have 4 stacked powerconnect 3348's serving our main core / workstation access, with other managed gigabit switches driving our backbone (server to server interconnects). I'm looking into pricing for stackable (for managability), gigabit ethernet switches. Oh, and decent reliability.
I'm looking down this road, as my manager has passed some "casual mentions" our way that imply some config changes that would REALLY be helped on a gig backbone (folder redirection, roaming profiles - basically everything stored server side).
I've looked at HP, Dell, Cisco, and even Brocade and Juniper....
Now for the rant - why in the blue blazes are these things so bloody pricey? Seriously, these things are beginning around the $1500 to $2000 range, and going up from there. My needs are simple - I need a switch core that can handle gigabit switching to workstations, a little bit of management for configuration, and that's about it - our network is flat, I don't need QoS or PoE...Need a bloody switch, not a freaking device that can run the international space station, forward packets, AND make me breakfast in the morning...we do NOT need to spend $6000 - $8000 on core switching.
Yes, stacking is less of a "need", and more of a "nice to have", but dear sweet jeebus. At least give me an application to manage all the bloody things then - if I have to push ACL's to these switches, I'm NOT going be happy if we have to do it 10 times over.
And vendors - if you're going to try to sell me your switches for that price tag, please, I ask two things: A) be up front about pricing, and B) for the love of all that is holy in this world, please take me out for breakfast in the morning after having your way with me.