2920 switch replacement

HP will soon discontinue their 2920 line of switches.  These have been on the market for quite some time.  The 2920 switches are layer 2 gigabit switches that have modules in the back to make 10 gigabit uplinks and to stack together with special stacking cables.

They are being replaced by two new layer 2 edge switches–the 2930M, or Modular switch, and the 2930F, or Fixed switch.  Expect the 2930M switches to be the same type as the 2920M switches, with uplink and stacking modules in the back.  The 2930F switches don’t have modules in the back for stacking or uplinking, but have four SFP or SFP+ uplink ports in the front.

Which one to use?  It depends on the need.  If you still want to create stacks of switches in a wiring closet to support more than 96 copper ports, then the 2930M switches are the ticket.  If you plan to make most of your network connections wirelessly, then the 2930F switch is a lower-cost option for providing up to 96 copper ports (in two 48-port switches connected together with a DAC).  Uplink one of the two switches with a 10 gigabit fiber optic to the upstream switch.  Or, if you don’t need more than 48 local copper ports to support a smaller number of wired network connections and wireless access points, a single switch makes the most sense.  (BOB)