Switch Config Options?

[rumpo]

In our current office enviro, we have a 24-port Linksys switch distributing our data throughout the offices. This week we just had 18 cubicles installed in the larger open area and I'm at a crossroads as to how to deal with wiring each cube. The number of cubes and offices exceeds the original 24-ports.

Should I:
a) Use an existing port on one of the posts and connect up another switch for the cubes.

b) Buy a 2-3 smaller size switches and distribute the bandwidth that way.

c) Some other solution.

I guess I'm concerned about bandwidth degradation once all the users get on the LAN at one time.

Thanks for the leg up.

 

[DelJo63]

A great solution is another downlink cable from the upstream device.
This new downlink can then supply 1/2 of the total load
to a new switch(SW2) and the original switch(SW1) can be redistributed as needed.

As a stop gap, chaining from SW1 to SW2 and thence to the new 18 cubes will
certainly work -- but may as you suggest get very busy on the Sw1-Sw2 connection. You can reduce that load by spliting off more lines from Sw1 to sw2,sw3... but you're just driving up switching costs.