Any advice for a LAN setup?

[luke80]

As part of a new build to extend a church (yes slightly random), the parish office is being moved and networking services are being upgraded.

The layout I was thinking about was as follows:

Assuming the broadband connection comes in one corner of the site, a router going to an unmanaged switch for 3 PCs, a printer or 2 and maybe a wireless access point, with the remaining connection travelling 30-40m under the new build to the other end of the development with another switch for a further 3/4 PCs and a printer or 2. I was thinking that providing the extra expense wasn't excessive to suggest gigabit connections + CAT 6 ethernet cables to keep up with modern standards and not have to upgrade later on. It was thought fibres would be too expensive as the limit of copper cables is 100m, well above the limit we would need. Any advice - would one switch be better? Just have 5e instead?

I have no idea about the other telecommunications (i.e. telephones - capable of internal + external calls) although I have heard of a system which incorporates a phone with an ethernet cable coming out the back of the phone into a computer. Has anyone on here got any information about that?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[thiggins]

Your plan is basically sound. Compare the price of CAT 5e and 6, but don't forget that all connectors will also need to be the same category. Avoid sharp bends and kinks in cables and terminate to connectors carefully to get the full bandwidth of CAT 6.

If you are running connections "under" a building, I suggest putting in a conduit with two cables and a pull-string. Size the conduit to give you enough room to use the pull-string to bring more cables through if you later run into a bandwidth pinch due to the single cable between switches.

You can install a VoIP system that uses SIP phones and the network. But there are special considerations for getting satisfactory performance. Read:
A Beginners Guide To Successful VOIP Over DSL - Part 1
A Beginners Guide To Successful VOIP Over DSL - Part 2
Small Office VoIP On The Cheap

 

[luke80]

Thanks - glad to see I was going down the right track.

Unfamiliar with the term 'bandwidth pinch' - something to do with running parallel crossover cables to increase LAN bandwidth? (Sorry - I'm only volunteering to look into networking because I'm fairly 'with-it' in regards to technology and have plenty of time off - university student on summer holidays. I'm no expert!)

Only some phones would have to make external calls - to remaining few would just be to call different sections of the site. Would some sort of hybrid system be possible? (say: 3 phones on usual BT phone line and then the others VOIP) or would it have to be all VOIP or all standard?

One final question (for now): can VOIP phones be connected to normal ethernet switches or do they require specific fittings?