Router / switch question

[Bruinator]

Hi,

 

Hopefully this is a very simple question and answer. If a person is working for a small business as a sysadmin and wanted to structure a network properly is the best way to do it like the following:

 

https://imgur.com/YnMA6xB

 

This is only an example. I know there are other rooms, equipment....etc that needs to be added. Feel free to let me know whatever hardware/software that would be needed without getting into too much detail. I am just a beginner in networking. 

[Bruinator]

Here is better pic

 

https://imgur.com/WmddGuy

[+BudMan]

So you want to segment those into different networks, ie server room stuff 192.168.0.0/24, accounting 192.168.1.0/24, other 192.168.3.0/24, etc.

 

Your drawing just shows devices connected to same network, via a daisy chained switches

 

I take it you want to isolate these different rooms/users etc into their own networks so you can firewall between them?

 

If so you will need at least 1 smart switch that can do vlans, and then a router that also supports vlans.  Best if all your switches supported vlans.  Then you could put devices no matter where they are at on whatever vlan/network you want.  So if someone is sitting say in the accounting area, but should be on the sales vlan.

 

Vlan capable switches don't have to be expensive, but what router do you have.  If its some soho thing - never seen them support vlans.. Unless you can run 3rd party firmware on them.

 

But yes this is a typical sort network.. Where you segment/isolate different types of devices/users based on need/use or location..

 

edit:  Your looking to do something like this

 

 

More than happy to help get there..  I take it you have some wifi as well - which you would want to isolate for guests, and also allow employees to access and access company resources, servers and printers and such.. You would need some AP that can do vlans as well.

 

All of which can be done with even the smallest of budgets... If need be..

[KaoDome]

For some reason this video came to my mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwwAXlE4OtU

 

This guy shows an overview of business networks, towards the end would be less relevant given the small business premise, but you can see how those networks are sometimes organized. Those layer 3 switches he showed are capable of VLANs and like @BudMan said they don't need to be expensive and they'd allow you to segment things properly.

 

Or do you want every device to be able to talk to the rest (e.g. Servers being able to use the printer in accounting) ?

[+BudMan]

You don't really need a L3 switch, unless you want to do routing at the switch or some sort of acls at the switch.

 

All that is really needed here is basic L2 switches that do vlans.. Entry level will not do L3 - but for a few $ more you can get switches that do L3, and then you could leverage that if need be along with just normal L2.. Depends on budget - but yeah for future growth.. You can get some L3 switches that are great for small business..  Or the home network even   My switches are L3, even though currently not doing any routing at them.. Just using L2 functionality.. I handle all routing at the router..   But I do some multicast filtering at the switch level.. Keeping noise off the network.