help SMB Network

[Bainion]

Hello,

 

I don't know if it's the best place to ask for this but I hope some people can help me.

 

At my job we're refreshing/improving the network in the offices (they are being reconfigured) and I'm responsible to choose the setup.

 

Some context info

• We're a SMB and we're trying to do something not too janky (dare I say, somewhat pro) at a reasonable price.  
• We won't change everything in the network, only replace cables and add two switches (one for each area)
• The central switches (let's call them SW0) are two HPE Aruba CX 6100 (JL676A) trunked through optic fiber. To summarise it, it has
  • No 10Gb RJ45 ports
  • 4 SPF+ ports per switch (2 still free for a total of 4)
  • Doesn't seem to support 10G RJ45 transceiver module (from datasheet). My research told me that 10G RJ45 module only came with CX6200
• Each area will have a 24 ports (for now) switch (SW1 & 2).

What I want to do:

• Run two 10Gb connections (either copper or fiber) from SW0 to SW1/2 to do LAG or, if a problem occurs, redundancy.
• Add a POE switch (with 1Gb RJ45 downlink and 10Gb uplink) in each areas with patch panel to run cables in wall trunking and do proper ethernet plugs.
  • I know we could most likely change SW0 to newer models with POE and run cables directly from there but
    • We prefer to separate things. Less hassle if the main cabinet has to change of room. 
    • It's not in the plans nor budget to change them now
    • We may not have enough free ports on the two switches
  • Distance from SW0 to SW1/2 is between 40 and 50m (counting going up to ceiling and back down to SW1/2). They are in different rooms.
• I was thinking of using HPE Aruba IO 1930 (JL683B) for SW1/2 (datasheet).

The problem and questions I have

• What is the best way to connect those switches. At first I wanted to use RJ45 cat. 7 cables but SW0 doesn't have any 10Gb RJ45 port and the SPF+ doesn't support RJ45 module (that I know of).
  • SW1/2 has a compatibility with a RJ45 transceiver module (Cat 6a) but it says it's limited to 30m length (S0G18A).
  • DAC are too short and a DAC compatible for SW0 mostly likely won't be for SW1/2.
• The other alternative I thought of was using optic fiber modules (J9150D for SW0 and R9D18A for SW1/2) and connect them with two 40-50m OM3 LC-LC optic fiber cables (a bit like this one)
  • Is it too janky? Is there a better way to do this? Either other cabling method or switches that have RJ45 10Gb uplink (surprisingly hard to find at a reasonable price?) and find a way to downlink 10Gb from SW0 in RJ45. Or getting out with fiber on both ends and adding something to convert to RJ45? That seems even more janky to me.
  • Someone advised me to put a multi fiber setup (don't know the proper name, the cables that ends with multiple fiber plugs) but it seems way overkill and expensive and needs to add a ton of extra devices.

Any help, proposition, idea is welcome. I'm a bit new to this kind of tasks. And if you see an incompatibility that I missed don't hesitate to point it out.

Thanks

[Needfuldoer]

46 minutes ago, Bainion said:

Distance from SW0 to SW1/2 is between 40 and 50m (counting going up to ceiling and back down to SW1/2). They are in different rooms.

Pull a multi-strand single mode fiber trunk between closets and use that for your backbone. (Single mode in this case because it's forwards compatible with 10/25/40/100 gig; you won't have to re-run it.) Ideally you want to use that link to stack your switches.

 

Connect the server to whichever switch is closest using either DACs or whatever optics you want. (I don't mind using multimode within a rack.)

 

46 minutes ago, Bainion said:

Is it too janky? Is there a better way to do this?

Not janky at all!

 

Honestly, I don't like using copper for 10+ gig links that leave a room.

[Bainion]

19 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

Pull a multi-strand single mode fiber trunk between closets and use that for your backbone. (Single mode in this case because it's forwards compatible with 10/25/40/100 gig; you won't have to re-run it.) Ideally you want to use that link to stack your switches.

 

Connect the server to whichever switch is closest using either DACs or whatever optics you want. (I don't mind using multimode within a rack.)

 

Not janky at all!

 

Honestly, I don't like using copper for 10+ gig links that leave a room.

Thanks for your answer.
Some questions.
Isn't single mode fiber more used for long distances? I'm working on less than 100m here. Do you have a link to an example of cable?
Also you mentionned forwards compatibility but multi mode OM3 cables (like the one I mentioned) can run 40/100 when under 100m from what I searched. Or am I missing something?
Do you think the cable I mentioned is too janky to go from SW0 to SW1/2? Should those type of cable only be used to stay in the same room?

 

For now the server doesn't have ports for DAC but next servers will (in a year or two at most). I'm trying to future proof a bit. At this time I'll most likely change the main switches too but for now we can't.