Switch/uplink question

Sorry for the newbie question, but I'm just getting into more networking at work so this should be an easy one. When it comes to 24 Cisco/3com... switches, what is the standard for when to use a crossover and which needs to be an uplink?

 

In a typical setup a cross over cable is not used at all. In fact it's possible the uplink port is unused as well, but it's fairly uncommon these days.

Computers would plug into the switch using patch (straight through) cables. Any modem or router would plug into it using the uplink port. Typically speaking you'd also use a patch cable for this connection, although sometimes (older models usually) will require a cross over cable to do this.

On a normal switch today a corss over cable is basicly only going to be needed if you are connecting the switch to another switch.

 

Thanks Coco, linking 2 or more switches is what I wasn't sure about. You go from a normal port in one to the uplink in the other correct? If, so does it matter which switch you use the uplink? Are those always crossover cables too?

 

When linking a switch to another switch (properly) you always use a cross over cable, and the cable would plug into the uplink port on both of them. Although this isn't seen much anymore since that creates a small self contained network which wouldn't really be used to go online.

You can just connect it using one uplink port. Ususally it would be the one at the end of the chain that has it plugged into the uplink port though. In other words you'd have your net (router/WAN) connection coming into one via the uplink port and then the other uplink port would have the switch plug into it.

 

What if there is only one uplink port? I'll mainly be dealing with small to mid size businesses with a fiber switch (link from other buildings) and other switches in the same rack but fed from the fiber switch.

 

I'm sorry, I think I wasn't clear in what I meant.

Each switch only has one uplink port. (We'll say the router is you're WAN) So the setup would be router plugs into the first switches uplink port and then that switch plugs into the second switches uplink port.

 

Ok, thanks a lot Coco.