My network is bigger than yours ;)

The video opens by establishing the scale of the current network, highlighting the impressive 48 ports of 25 gig networking for editors and ingest stations, plus 100 gig uplinks to servers. The hosts immediately frame the problem: a single failing switch could cascade outages across all three buildings, affecting the studio, lab, and Creator Warehouse. They outline the mission to remove this single point of failure by introducing a redundant, high availability core switching setup using Dell EMC S5232F-ON 100G switches, along with gear from FlexOptix, InfiniteCables, Ubiquiti, and Hammond Manufacturing. The tone blends technical enthusiasm with humor as they describe the plan to implement resiliency and redundancy to the network, including dual switches and redundant power supplies. As they prepare the physical upgrade, they move a large, custom-painted orange rack into the mix, debating fit and logistics and planning how to rehouse equipment for optimal airflow and maintenance. The team catalogs their approach to a staged migration, carefully documenting the physical rack installation, patch panels, and the decision to relocate some gear to the lab side to maximize efficiency and accessibility. The dialogue shifts toward the feature set of the Dell switches, emphasizing that they support rapid failover that keeps traffic flowing even if a component fails, and that they plan to use them as core routers in a two-building, multi-router architecture. The hosts reveal a broader long-term vision that includes redundant internet connections and synchronized routing between buildings via OSPF or BGP, leveraging open source firewall capabilities and enterprise-grade gear to achieve robust, multi-path networking. They discuss practical learning moments from past builds, celebrate the progress with tangible visible improvements, and acknowledge the ongoing work required to manage cabling spaghetti and ensure clean, maintainable setups. In the final section, they highlight the successful deployment of VLANs and patching, confirm Wi-Fi readiness with Ubiquiti gear, and reflect on how the new infrastructure will simplify management and upgrades going forward, while also joking about the occasional chaos that always accompanies major lab overhauls. The video closes with a celebratory tone about achieving significant progress, with the team outlining the next steps to complete the move, tighten cabling, and confirm that the network can handle core routing and redundancy, signaling a strong upgrade trajectory for the entire operation.

Topics · technology · infrastructure · networking · datacenter