Import substitution. Industrial switches RUGGNET Russian assembly
ALEXEY BEREZHNOY, independent consultant, system architect, virtualization systems specialist and Reserve copy, [email protected]
Russian network equipment:
How are things going on that front?
Network equipment for local networks from Russian manufacturers. Replace Cisco entirely with domestic products... Is this possible?
Compared to other domestic manufacturers in the IT industry, the number of companies and the total number of units launched on the market network equipment impressive. But there is no need to rush to rejoice, because not all “competition participants” produce truly competitive goods, and not “nomenclature items.”
Note. The basis is taken from the simplest and most popular elements of network equipment - switches. If you need information about other devices, such as routers, crypto gateways, and so on, you should contact the manufacturer’s website directly.
Modern network structure
Today it is customary to divide the network structure into three levels.
- First level– the “slowest”, used mainly for connecting workstations and auxiliary equipment such as print servers. At the moment de facto standard connection the end user at this level is Gigabit Ethernet.
- Second level– intermediate and serves for preliminary consolidation of access switches. At the same level, server connection is usually provided. The established connection standard is 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
- Third level– the core of the network. On at this stage The most high-performance equipment is used for high-speed transmission between individual segments. As a rule, network core level switches are duplicated to increase fault tolerance. Today, the preferred connection standard is 40 Gigabit Ethernet and higher.
Important note. A description of the architectural model is given in general outline, since it is impossible to place a tutorial on organizing local networks in one article. The differences between switches by management levels are not described; some important functions remain behind the scenes, such as VLAN separation ( virtual networks), but in order to read the price list and navigate the offered assortment, in principle it is enough.
Small IT infrastructures sometimes use a two-tier architecture. In this case, the network core is combined with the aggregation layer. Aggregation switches act as network core equipment.
You need to understand that such a scheme is transitional and allows, if necessary, restructuring with the addition of a third level of the classical core of the network. With this upgrade, existing aggregation switches will continue to operate in their normal intermediary role.
Advice. The prospect of migration and modernization must always be taken into account.
About 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet switches and the ability to keep up with the times
I’ll say right away: I was primarily interested in switching equipment for 10 and 40 Gigabit Ethernet networks. Today, the Gigabit Ethernet interface is quite good for connecting workstations, but for servers this channel width is no longer enough.
Therefore, data exchange between servers, storage systems, backup systems and other devices must occur over a channel of at least 10 GE, although the prospect of mass use of 40 Gigabit Ethernet and even 100 Gigabit Ethernet is already looming.
Below we will see that not all manufacturers are ready to keep up with the times. Apparently, they are waiting for a good wizard to come and release all the missing items for them, leaving domestic manufacturers with the exclusive right to focus on producing access level switches.
Alas! System architects who design networks, engineers who configure network equipment, and administrators who manage it - for some reason they all prefer to use solutions from a single vendor, both for better compatibility and to reduce maintenance costs, simplify administration, and so on. And manufacturers that produce a full line of equipment are happy to offer a wide range of ready-made turnkey solutions. Few people want to purchase access level equipment from one vendor, aggregation level switches from another, and network cores from a third.
When entering the market with aging Gigabit Ethernet devices, proudly called “aggregation switches” (!), you should remember that IT infrastructure is not only computers in the accounting department and a 1C server. Modern architecture is, first of all, powerful computing systems and data centers on which cloud solutions are deployed.
Training that doesn't exist
Managing computer networks and communications in general as such is not one of the sections computer technology, namely a separate area information technologies. Even in the pre-computer era, there were both analog and early digital communication lines, for example for monitoring sensors. This is a broad applied discipline, the development of which depends on electronics, optics, processing technologies transmitted information and so on.
Its isolation lies in the fact that, unlike, for example, a personal computer, you won’t be able to simply pick it up and figure it out from scratch using hints and built-in help called up by pressing the F1 key.
WITH operating system, for example, the MS Windows family or Apple Mac OS X at first you can get by with a “scientific poke”, without taking courses, reading thick books and practical classes. (Then, however, you will still have to read smart books and invite professionals, and sometimes you will clutch your head thinking “what have we done?!”.)
But when setting up a network, for example, based on L3 switches or enterprise-level routers, even this approach will no longer work.
A network administrator must know and be able to do a lot of things - from answering familiar questions from the series “what is the difference between a hub and a switch” and “how to calculate a subnet mask” to a deep understanding of the theoretical foundations of building a computer network architecture.
Leading world-class manufacturers have done a tremendous job of preparing a global knowledge base of computer network specialists. Suffice it to recall the famous books Cisco Press, courses for training specialists in network technologies, certification through the VUE control system.
There are quite a lot of free materials available, for example, on the Cisco website, videos on the corporate Youtube channel.
Volunteers are also not far behind, answering newcomers on numerous forums, running blogs, video channels and publishing private courses for those interested.
But here's the problem. The core tutorials and courses, as well as the participation of a large community, are almost entirely tailored to support these same vendors. That is, books on network technologies from Cisco Press tell you how to work with Cisco equipment, Juniper courses tell you how to configure Juniper devices, and so on. And even such recently announced vendors as HUAWEI or ZTE, for some reason, prefer to train specialists to work with their equipment, but not to train personnel to service competitors.
Of course, some theoretical knowledge is common to everyone, but without consolidation in practice, any information is not very useful and is quickly forgotten.
That is why, while analyzing the websites of domestic manufacturers, I looked for materials on training and knowledge control for network specialists.
Not only specialists in the field of sales and pre-sale, but primarily useful manuals for training network engineers and administrators from scratch, system architects, in short, all those who will work with this equipment. And, alas, I found very little.
At best, you can find instructions for the administrator, more or less understandable by a specialist who already has experience working with similar equipment.
I advise our readers to conduct a small experiment. Type the words “Cisco book” or, for example, “Eltex book” in your favorite search engine. Or the name of any other Russian network equipment manufacturer.
I'm sure the difference in results will be catastrophic. For example, when asked “Cisco book,” the search engine displays links to interesting books, including those on the theory of networking. A request with the name of a Russian manufacturer produces, at best, a fragment of a manual for some device, for example, “how to set up an address book.”
What about Cisco? Even for the combination “D-Link book” search engine will display a very decent selection of interesting literature. Moreover, D-Link materials are posted on the Intuit educational portal. Free for on-line training and for little money when downloading. Miracles, and that’s all! And here educational materials For some reason there are no Russian manufacturers listed in the article...
Let's imagine the situation. A senior student, imbued with the patriotic call “Buy Russian!”, will decide to connect his life with the development of network technologies in his homeland and, to begin with, become a qualified operating engineer for equipment as part of import substitution. Accordingly, the question is: “Where should he start? Where should I go to study?”
Today's learning process network engineer looks like this: first, a specialist undergoes training according to the Cisco program (less often Juniper, Huawei, D-Link, and so on), and often also passes a confirmatory exam and only then, by analogy with the knowledge and experience gained, masters the management of domestic systems.
Of course, if a rich client with a large budget suddenly comes, the employees of the Russian manufacturer, on special instructions from above, will write documentation “to order” and conduct introductory courses - but not for everyone, but exclusively, as an exception. That is, undergo training “from scratch” in well-known training centers, such as “Specialist”, SoftLine, Fast Lane, and then go to the nearest bookstore and buy a fresh textbook, while choosing not just one, but at least three – five presented – this is not discussed at all.
Sometimes on the Internet you can find some videos and printed materials that are presented as “educational”. But this is not training for beginners. This is just an advertisement for those same “ciskovites” so that they don’t forget that there is also something Russian. It is better to remain silent about the quality of preparation and readability of printed materials and the oratory skills of the speakers in such video lessons.
Some manufacturers on their websites in the “About the company” section proudly write something like “Established in 1992, (our) enterprise...”, and I have a question: “Is it really from 1992 to 2018 , that is, in more than 25 years, have not been able to write an accessible manual at the level of Cisco ICND1 and ICND2?
Undoubtedly, some issues can be resolved through the development of a community (or in Western terms, community). It would seem: “Look at how much patriotic pathos has been heard lately - attract enthusiasts!” But even here everything is not so simple. The community needs to be fed with information, we need to create online resources for it, and give it something interesting for creativity, like open-source firmware. In general, we need to engage with the community. But this is all troublesome, unclear and does not give immediate results in monetary terms.
It turns out to be a funny situation. Our domestic manufacturers cannot develop normally while Western companies are leading in the Customs Union market, but they will not be able to sell if these same annoying competitors curtail their programs, including training ones.
Perhaps such an existence in second or third roles is beneficial for someone? Inevitably, the thought comes about priorities in the “successful development of budgets” rather than in the production and sale of products that are competitive in all respects.
As long as Russian manufacturers consider the work of technical writers, designers, compilers and course teachers to be of little use and are paid on a residual basis, we are guaranteed a place on the margins of the global industry.
Description of Russian manufacturers
It was said that at the moment quite a lot of Russian vendors supply their products to the domestic market.
It is impossible to describe all the characteristics and features of each model in one article. Therefore, we will leave this issue to the manufacturers themselves. If you need specific information, you should look it up on the vendor's website.
Qtech
Enough famous company. Located in Moscow, it has representative offices in several major cities of Russia, as well as Iran and South America.
The range of supplied equipment is quite wide. You can fill out an application for equipment testing. In my opinion, this provides an excellent chance to become familiar with and learn how to use the equipment, and also to understand whether this device is suitable for a given project or not.
There are also powerful data center switches with 48 10GE ports with Uplink 40GE and, finally, the QSW-6510-32Q switch with 32 40GE ports.
In addition to network equipment, the company produces a lot of other useful things, including its own servers.
In fact, based on proposals from Qtech, you can completely create a complete turnkey IT infrastructure. And you don’t need to “raise a zoo”, you don’t need to look somewhere for powerful switches for the network core, and so on.
It was not possible to find information about available training in the form of specialized courses or special manuals for studying network technologies from scratch.
From positive points It can be noted that the company has collected a fairly large collection of certificates for various products.
"Rusteletekh"
Located in Moscow. No other representative offices are listed.
The company’s website constantly mentions such indicators as the security and trustworthiness of their products. The main emphasis is on having proprietary solutions based on technologies from Marvell Technology Group with appropriate control during the development and production stages.
As usual, everything is fine with the access level switches.
For the aggregation level, there is already a promising model RTT-A420-24XG-4QXG with 24 10GE ports and 4 40GE Uplink ports.
In addition, the development of the RTT-A420-32QXG switch for 32 40GE ports was announced.
That is, it is already possible to build an infrastructure for a medium-sized network using products from Rusteletekh. And there is a prospect of turning it into an Enterprise-level network when the promised model RTT-A420-32QXG is released, adding a classic kernel layer on top (see Fig. 1 and 2).
The company has a set of certificates giving the right to work with state secrets and the appropriate level of information protection.
I accidentally found information about a partnership with the Nizhny Novgorod State technical university, Department of Informatics and Control Systems. Actually, not bad, but not enough. Publicly published books and publicly available professional training courses are still in short supply.
Eltex
Location: Novosibirsk. There are quite a lot of products. The assortment is wide.
10GE switches are being produced, although so far only at the aggregation level. The most luxurious model MES5448 with 48 10GE ports with 4x40GE as Uplink will serve as the central network structure for a medium-sized enterprise.
In general, good models are presented that even allow you to build a turnkey solution for a small infrastructure. Although in the future, as the company grows, it will not be possible to do without using equipment from another manufacturer (network core level switches).
There is a "Seminars" section, but not a single seminar is listed.
The site also has its own knowledge base, in which, if desired, you can delve and find something interesting for yourself. However, no serious manuals or proprietary courses are presented.
Elsicom
Location: Tomsk. The company produces a very narrow range, there is practically no information on the website, and in theory it could have ended there, but one thing caught my attention.
This is a switch model ELS020. Number of ports:
- 36 ports 1 Gbps (SFP);
- 12 ports 1/10 Gbps (SFP/SFP+);
- 2 ports 40 Gbps (QSFP);
- 1 console port (miniUSB);
- 1 Ethernet control interface 10/100/1000 Mbit/s.
This is such a “universal soldier”, which is suitable for the role of an access level and aggregation level switch. You can connect workstations to gigabit ports, servers to 10 gigabit ports, and connect 40 gigabit ports as an Uplink to another similar switch. In general, a kind of ideal solution for a small enterprise - I bought one or two pieces of equipment and closed all the questions. Quite a unique approach.
Morion Company
Location: Perm. There are representative offices in the Republic of Belarus and Kazakhstan.
The assortment is small. As I understand it, the company specializes in producing devices for narrow applications. For example, it produces “maritime aggregation level switches.” There are also regular ruler for server rooms - “aggregation level switches KRM-5960”.
The lineup is quite outdated; slow gigabit switches are positioned at the aggregation level.
I did not find any literature about their equipment. But within service center“Training of specialists” is carried out. But again, only for customer personnel. That is, in order to undergo training, you need to buy something, and in order to know what to buy, you need to draw up a project, and in order to draw up a project, you need to undergo training. This is such a vicious circle.
Zelax
Location: Zelenograd (Moscow region). Mainly focused on the Russian Federation and CIS countries.
In the “virtual library” section I found something similar to a freely available textbook, but not on network technologies in the usual sense of the word.
The company specializes in various solutions, including the supply of cables, connectors, equipment for fiber-optic communications. Traditional equipment for local networks: routers and switches are presented rather modestly. There are access level switches with a set of Gigabit Ethernet ports and several 10GE Uplink. The product range includes routers and crypto gateways, but in general the product line is not complete. Narrow application within small networks, for example a small enterprise, is possible, provided that it does not develop. Overall, it seems that local networks- this is not exactly what the Zelakh company is banking on.
NATEKS
Location: Moscow. Focused on the Russian market.
This company has a very wide range of manufactured devices and components. I admit, I didn’t even immediately find the section with traditional equipment for local networks.
WITH modern solutions They are already doing well, but in my opinion, not good enough. For example, there are switches with 8 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, but this is still not enough to completely build a network infrastructure even for a medium-sized enterprise based on equipment from NATEKS alone. In fact, these are access layer switches with additional 10GE ports. You will still need powerful switches at other levels.
It was not possible to find information about professional training and certification of specialists. Teaching aids– no analogues of Cisco Press have been found either.
Of course, within short review It is impossible to describe all the nuances of the network topic, especially when translating it to the domestic market. It is worth noting that things are not so bad, but global shortcomings are preventing Russian production from moving into an active state.
First of all, there is a lack of domestic curriculum, literature, courses, practical work and so on. All other problems can be solved as they arise. But if there are no people capable of getting things moving, or even if there are young smart heads, but there is no source of obtaining basic knowledge, Russian production So he will stagnate in one place.
- An example of Cisco Press books in Russian – http://www.ciscopress.ru/books.html.
- Page on the VUE website dedicated to Cisco certification - http://www.vue.com/cisco/.
- A selection of literature on network technologies from D-Link - http://www.dlink.ru/ru/arts/194.html.
- Baskakov I., Proletarsky A., Smirnova E., Fedotov R. Training course"Construction of switched computer networks» – https://www.intuit.ru/studies/courses/3591/833/info Official website of the Zelax company – https://www.zelax.ru/.
- The official website of the NATEKS company is http://www.nateks.ru/.
Keywords: network equipment, switches.
In contact with
About NSG
Network Systems Group (NSG, LLC "EN-ES-G") is a Russian developer and manufacturer of network equipment. Founded in 1992 and supplying equipment of its own design to the Russian market since 1995. Located in Moscow.
The basis of the modern NSG product line is routers for corporate IP and VPN networks. The product range covers applications from network cores with 10 Gbps ports to smart access devices. Special attention is given to the stable connection of user endpoints across all available channels communications, including cellular and Wi-Fi, in mission-critical applications and mass installations. For this purpose, both traditional data transmission technologies and original software developments are used. NSG is a pioneer and long-time leader in delivering M2M routers for the largest ATM networks in Russia.
Along with data transmission functions, the company has accumulated significant experience in the field of remote control at telecommunications hubs and other facilities, which has now developed in the form of the Internet of Things (IoT). NSG offers both dedicated LPWAN routers for the Industrial Internet of Things and additional features remote control in their traditional products.
Since its founding, NSG has been focused on achieving the highest possible degree of import substitution. The company's competencies provide full cycle network equipment design, including printed circuit board layout, development of your own software products and assembling open source software components directly from source code. Manufacturing and installation of printed circuit boards are carried out at radio-electronic industry enterprises in Moscow and the Moscow region. The products use high quality element base from the world's leading manufacturers, and domestic developments are also used to the maximum extent.
The creative core of NSG is a close-knit team of specialists who took part in the first projects in the USSR and CMEA to build networks and develop network equipment in the 1980s. Over several decades of operation, the company has accumulated extensive experience in various WAN technologies, starting with X.25 and Frame Relay. All founders and owners of the company since its founding - individuals, citizens of the Russian Federation; The company's assets do not depend on foreign capital.
The average annual supply is about 5 thousand devices. Consumers of the company's products are Internet service providers, telecom operators, banks, government agencies and organizations, industrial and commercial enterprises, system integrators. NSG equipment is fully compatible, within the stated functionality, with current international and Russian standards, as well as proprietary specifications of leading manufacturers. All products have declarations and certificates of conformity.
From the history of the company
One of the first Soviet models of network equipment.
Early 90s XX century A valid copy.
From the NSG Museum
Release of the most affordable access router NSG-1700 on the i.MX6 platform.
Transition to NSG Linux software version 2.1. A new version is backwards compatible with 2.0, but has a number of architectural differences. 2018 Release base station for LoRaWAN networks and the formation of a complete comprehensive solution for the Internet of Things.
Development of a system for automatic configuration and monitoring of devices in mass installations. 2019 MPLS support.
Start of serial production of routers based on the Russian Baikal processor.
03.25.2015, Wed, 19:03, Moscow time, Text: Vladislav Meshcheryakov
Research Institute "Scale", which develops trusted communication systems for special customers, begins supplying equipment to civilian consumers. The first products of the research institute addressed to civil organizations were the first “honestly domestic” MMSN router and IP-PBX “Alexandrite”.
The St. Petersburg Research Institute "Scale", which is part of the United Instrument-Making Corporation of the Rostec state corporation, has marked its entry into the civil telecommunications equipment market.
The first civilian development presented by “Scale” was the “Multiprotocol Special Purpose Router” (MMSN), which the company’s CEO Pavel Smirnov described it as the first serial “honestly domestic” Russian router.
As Smirnov explains, MMSN “was not produced by sticking its label on a Chinese router”; it is a device whose circuitry was developed by a domestic team and which is produced at Russian enterprises.
MMSN developers believe that they will be able to directly compete with analogues produced by Cisco. With the price of the router starting from i 435 thousand, it is approximately 15% cheaper than similar Cisco devices, the router developers say.
The main feature of MMSN is its readiness for use in trusted systems. “Scale” says that FSUE “ATS Smolny” (supplier of telecommunications services to government authorities and government agencies in St. Petersburg), at least one large domestic telecom operator, and several leading integrators, whose names have not yet been revealed, have already shown interest in acquiring MMSN. are revealed.
The pilot series of the router has so far sold 61 copies to third-party organizations. However, as Pavel Smirnov says, based on market needs, “Scale” is preparing capacity to produce 1-2 thousand routers per year.
In addition to the domestic router, Scale will offer telecom an IP-PBX of its own design, Alexandrite, a trusted system certified by the Ministry of Defense.
IP-PBX "Alexandrite", Director of the Department of Innovative Development of the Defense Industrial Complex Alexander Kalinin (left) and General Director of the Research Institute "Scale" Pavel Smirnov (right)
“Alexandrite” is built on foreign microprocessors, however, the developers’ plans for 2016 include the transition of the automatic telephone exchange to a domestically produced processor. As the general director of “Scale” told CNews, the company interacts with all Russian developers and is ready to create equipment on any decent mass-produced domestic chip: “It could be Baikal, Elbrus, or another Russian processor With modern characteristics, if one appears."
However, even with an imported chip on board, Alexandrite meets the requirements for class 4 protection of computer systems from unauthorized access (NSD) and level 3 control of undeclared capabilities (NDC).
"Alexandrite" is not the first trusted domestic telephone exchange supplied to civil organizations. For example, the products of the St. Petersburg Scientific and Technical Center “Proteus” have been known to the market for many years.
Speaking about the differences from the domestic competitor, Pavel Smirnov notes, in particular, the possibility of configuration via a web interface and the possibility of purchasing “Alexandrite” both in the form of a software and hardware complex, and in the form of software for use as a virtual PBX.
In the basic configuration (software only), Alexandrite PBX is offered at a price starting from i 275 thousand. Server in minimal configuration adds about i 150 thousand to the cost.
“Scale” refrains from assessing its chances of capturing Russian market telecom equipment. Director of the Department of Innovative Development of the United Instrument-Making Corporation Alexander Kalinin, speaking about the capacity of the Russian market, estimates it at approximately i 300 billion, where about 30% falls on the data transmission equipment segment.
The Research Institute "Scale", created in 1991 on the basis of the data transmission division of LNPO "Krasnaya Zarya", is mainly engaged in the development of devices for network transmission data.
The company employs about 150 employees, of which about 120 are developers. “Scale”’s revenue is generated from sales of its own devices and commissioned R&D projects. The company's plans for 2015 include revenues of approximately 400 million, compared to approximately 300 million in 2014. In 2016, Scale expects to earn approximately 1 billion.
Hello colleagues! Today I would like to talk about this current problem, as “Import substitution”. We will try to find replacements for the access level switches. In light of recent events, some organizations can no longer buy switches from manufacturers we already love, such as: Cisco, Juniper, HP, Extreme Networks, Brocade, Dell, etc.. Many people have a question: “What should I change it for?”. So I decided to look possible domestic analogues or switches from countries that do not support sanctions.
And we will consider access level switches. (describes the differences between access, distribution, and core switches). As a standard, let's take one of the most common switches from Cisco - WS-C2960S-24TS-L.
If you are interested in this topic, welcome to the cat...
Key Features WS-C2960S-24TS-L:
Location: USA, San Jose (California)
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 2500$
When selecting analogues, we will not delve into the comparison of all functionality, but will only take key parameters, such as:
- The switch must be managed
- Layer 2 switch (L2)
- Mounts into a 19" rack
- VLAN support
- Availability of security functions (Port Security, DHCP-snooping, IP source guard, ARP Inspection, etc.)
- Gigabit ports (it’s time to switch from Fast Ethernet)
- SFP uplinks
- Availability command line(cli)
- Availability of at least some certificates (compliance, FSTEC)
We will also try to compare prices. All figures were found freely available on the Internet and may be incorrect. Prices will be indicated at the rate of 1$=80 rubles.
First, let's take a look at the switches from the Middle Kingdom.
1) Huawei. If you need to replace Cisco, this is the first thing that comes to mind. This is a giant company that produces almost everything in the telecommunications industry. Switches, routers, firewalls, servers, storage systems, wifi points access, equipment for cellular communications, has its own virtualization system... The list can be continued for a very long time (and of course smartphones). The company is developing very dynamically. However, having read their model range, I discovered that they do not have gigabit layer 2 switches. Only L3 models have gigabit ports. As an analogue, I chose the following model: S2750-28TP-EI-AC
Production: China, Shenzhen
Port speed: 100 Mbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 500$
2) ZTE. It is also a very large company with a wide range of equipment (switches, routers, storage, wifi, etc.). I haven’t personally worked with this vendor, but according to information from the Internet, it’s practically the same Huawei, only a little cheaper. ZTE also does not have L2 switches with gigabit ports. As an analogue I picked ZXR10 2928E-AC
Production: China, Shenzhen
Port speed: 100 Mbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 250-300$
Unfortunately, we could not find information about the switching matrix.
3) D-Link. This company does not need to be introduced to anyone. It is almost a standard for Internet providers. A very large line of switches, you can choose for almost any task. For some reason, in the minds of most administrators, this equipment has a not very good reputation. However, from my own experience I can say that switches good quality and there are practically no problems with them. I think they have an ideal price-quality ratio. As an analogue I picked DGS-1210-28.
Production: Republic of China, Taipei
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 250-280$
4) Zyxel. This is the last vendor from China that we will consider in this article. The main activities of the company are ADSL, Ethernet, VoIP, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and other technologies. I also had experience working with this equipment. There were no global complaints. I consider it as an analogue GS2210-24.
Manufacture: Republic of China, Hsinchu
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: 380$
Declaration of conformity in the field of communications
Now let's look at a domestic manufacturer.
5) Zelax- a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of solutions for data networks. The company produces optical multiplex systems, routers, switches, multiplexers, modems, TDM over IP gateways, converters, security devices and other communications equipment. As an analogue, you can consider the ZES-2028GS.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: unfortunately I couldn't find the price.
Declaration of conformity in the field of communications
6) Nateks- develops and produces a wide range of telecommunications equipment. The product line includes equipment for access networks (multiplexers, switches), zonal and local communication networks (SHDSL, SDH, radio relay systems, wimax), departmental and technological networks, GPON equipment. I have no experience working with switches from this company. Suggested analogue - NX-3424GW
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 64 Gbps
Approximate price: 800-900$
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
7) QTech- a Russian company specializing in the development and production of carrier-class access equipment based on various technologies: xDSL, MetroEthernet, PON, Wi-Fi; equipment for providing 3G wireless access, building digital communication lines based on PDH/SDH technologies, as well as wireless digital lines based on RRL. I also cannot comment on this equipment. As an analogue it is proposed QSW-3300-28T-AC.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: 28,000 rubles ($350)
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
8) RKSS- Russian Communications Corporation. Activities:
Network technologies, including for critical infrastructure;
Information security tools;
Integrated automated security systems;
Situational Analytical Centers (SAC).
I had no work experience, but I know that this equipment is actively promoting in the state. sector, oil and gas industry. As an analogue - RSOS6450.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 2-4 pcs
Switching matrix: No information
Approximate price: No information
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
9) Rusteletekh- developer and manufacturer of trusted telecommunications equipment. I can't say anything about the quality of this equipment. As an analogue it is proposed RTT-A220-24T-4G.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: From $1100
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
FSTEC Certificate: Level 3 RD NDV and TU
10) Eltex- one of the leading Russian developers and telecommunications equipment manufacturers. The main areas of development are GPON equipment, Ethernet switches, VoIP gateways, MSAN, Softswitch & IMS, media centers, thin clients etc. As an analogue - MES2124MV
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: 26,000 rubles ($325)
Declaration of conformity in the field of communications
If you put everything into one table, you get something like this: 
This is where we end our short review. To summarize, we can conclude that this moment There are a huge number of options on the market that you can consider as an alternative. This conclusion concerns only access level switches with a rather limited list key characteristics, which are sufficient for the average task when organizing a network.
It is also worth noting that Cisco is now actively moving part of the production of some equipment to Russia. It is not yet clear whether Cisco switches manufactured in Russia will be included in the import substitution program.
If in your opinion other vendors - manufacturers should be present here, then write in the comments
Hello colleagues! Today I would like to talk about such an urgent problem as “Import substitution”. We will try to find replacements for the access level switches. In light of recent events, some organizations can no longer buy switches from manufacturers we already love, such as: Cisco, Juniper, HP, Extreme Networks, Brocade, Dell, etc.. Many people have a question: “What should I change it for?”. So I decided to look possible domestic analogues or switches from countries that do not support sanctions.
And we will consider access level switches. (describes the differences between access, distribution, and core switches). As a standard, let's take one of the most common switches from Cisco - WS-C2960S-24TS-L.
If you are interested in this topic, welcome to the cat...
Key Features WS-C2960S-24TS-L:
Location: USA, San Jose (California)
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 2500$
When selecting analogues, we will not go deeper into comparing all the functionality, but will take only key parameters, such as:
- The switch must be managed
- Layer 2 switch (L2)
- Mounts into a 19" rack
- VLAN support
- Availability of security functions (Port Security, DHCP-snooping, IP source guard, ARP Inspection, etc.)
- Gigabit ports (it's time to switch from Fast Ethernet)
- SFP uplinks
- Availability of command line (cli)
- Availability of at least some certificates (compliance, FSTEC)
We will also try to compare prices. All figures were found freely available on the Internet and may be incorrect. Prices will be indicated at the rate of 1$=80 rubles.
First, let's take a look at the switches from the Middle Kingdom.
1) Huawei. If you need to replace Cisco, this is the first thing that comes to mind. This is a giant company that produces almost everything in the telecommunications industry. Switches, routers, firewalls, servers, storage systems, wifi access points, equipment for cellular communications, there is a virtualization system... The list can be continued for a very long time (and of course smartphones). The company is developing very dynamically. However, after reviewing their lineup, I discovered that they do not have Gigabit Layer 2 switches. Only L3 models have gigabit ports. As an analogue, I chose the following model: S2750-28TP-EI-AC
Production: China, Shenzhen
Port speed: 100 Mbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 500$
2) ZTE. It is also a very large company with a wide range of equipment (switches, routers, storage, wifi, etc.). I haven’t personally worked with this vendor, but according to information from the Internet, it’s practically the same Huawei, only a little cheaper. ZTE also does not have L2 switches with gigabit ports. As an analogue I picked ZXR10 2928E-AC
Production: China, Shenzhen
Port speed: 100 Mbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 250-300$
Unfortunately, we could not find information about the switching matrix.
3) D-Link. This company does not need to be introduced to anyone. It is almost a standard for Internet providers. A very large line of switches, you can choose one for almost any task. For some reason, this equipment has a not very good reputation in the minds of most administrators. However, from my own experience I can say that the switches are of good quality and there are practically no problems with them. I think they have an ideal price-quality ratio. As an analogue I picked DGS-1210-28.
Production: Republic of China, Taipei
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Approximate price: 250-280$
4) Zyxel. This is the last vendor from China that we will consider in this article. The main activities of the company are ADSL, Ethernet, VoIP, Wi-Fi, WiMAX and other technologies. I also had experience working with this equipment. There were no global complaints. I consider it as an analogue GS2210-24.
Manufacture: Republic of China, Hsinchu
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: 380$
Declaration of conformity in the field of communications
Now let's look at a domestic manufacturer.
5) Zelax- a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of solutions for data networks. The company produces optical multiplex systems, routers, switches, multiplexers, modems, TDM over IP gateways, converters, security devices and other communications equipment. As an analogue, you can consider the ZES-2028GS.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: unfortunately I couldn't find the price.
Declaration of conformity in the field of communications
6) Nateks- develops and produces a wide range of telecommunications equipment. The product line includes equipment for access networks (multiplexers, switches), zonal and local communication networks (SHDSL, SDH, radio relay systems, wimax), departmental and technological networks, GPON equipment. I have no experience working with switches from this company. Suggested analogue - NX-3424GW
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 64 Gbps
Approximate price: 800-900$
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
7) QTech- a Russian company specializing in the development and production of carrier-class access equipment based on various technologies: xDSL, MetroEthernet, PON, Wi-Fi; equipment for providing 3G wireless access, building digital communication lines based on PDH/SDH technologies, as well as wireless digital lines based on RRL. I also cannot comment on this equipment. As an analogue it is proposed QSW-3300-28T-AC.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: 28,000 rubles ($350)
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
8) RKSS- Russian Communications Corporation. Activities:
Network technologies, including for critical infrastructure;
Information security tools;
Integrated automated security systems;
Situational Analytical Centers (SAC).
I had no work experience, but I know that this equipment is being actively promoted in the state. sector, oil and gas industry. As an analogue - RSOS6450.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 2-4 pcs
Switching matrix: No information
Approximate price: No information
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
9) Rusteletekh- developer and manufacturer of trusted telecommunications equipment. I can't say anything about the quality of this equipment. As an analogue it is proposed RTT-A220-24T-4G.
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: From $1100
Certificate of conformity in the field of communications
FSTEC Certificate: Level 3 RD NDV and TU
10) Eltex- one of the leading Russian developers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment. The main areas of development are GPON equipment, Ethernet switches, VoIP gateways, MSAN, Softswitch & IMS, media centers, thin clients, etc. As an analogue - MES2124MV
Production: Russia
Port speed: 1 Gbps
Quantity of Uplink (SFP): 4 pcs
Switch Fabric: 56 Gbps
Approximate price: 26,000 rubles ($325)
Declaration of conformity in the field of communications
If you put everything into one table, you get something like this:
This concludes our short review. To summarize, we can conclude that at the moment there are a huge number of options on the market that can be considered as an alternative. This conclusion applies only to access level switches with a rather limited list of key characteristics, which are sufficient for the average task when organizing a network.
It is also worth noting that Cisco is now actively moving part of the production of some equipment to Russia. It is not yet clear whether Cisco switches manufactured in Russia will be included in the import substitution program.
If in your opinion other vendors - manufacturers should be present here, then write in the comments