Solved switch not working when cascaded through a hub

I have a small network.  Our server is connected to a 24 port giga-bit switch and there are three or four hubs and switches throughout the shop.  I wanted to get better xfer times to some vital workstations that were operating through an old 10-100 hub.  When I swapped this hub with a newer gigabit switch I got no connections after the switch.  I believe the uplink to this hub goes through another 10-100 hub.  This brings me to my question.  Can a gigabit switch be cascaded through a 10-100 hub? 

Yes providing the gigabit switch has the ability to automatically fall back to 100 Mbs which negates the benefit ot of having a gigabit switch to begin with.  You wont force 1000 Mbs through a 100 Mbs hub. 

Mixing hubs and switches in the same netwrok is not a good idea because of the different way hubs and switches work.  Switches direct there data to particular ports.  Hubs broadcast to everyone which increases collisions and slows the netwrok down.  I would replace the hubs with switches and to will notice a dramatic improvement. 

This brings me to my question.  Can a gigabit switch be cascaded through a 10-100 hub? 

If the gigabit switch isn't capable of operating at 100 Mbps the answer is simply "No!"  A 1000 Mbps interface can't talk to a 100 or a 10.  If the gigabit switch is 1000/100 Mbps, then it will be able to. 

and there are three or four hubs and switches throughout the shop

If you really do have hubs, you need to get rid of them and put switches in there.  Hub's, due to the way they're built, are susceptible to broadcast storms and other issues which is why nobody uses them any more. 

If you're connecting switch to switch to switch that is called "daisychaining" not "cascading".  Whenever possible one should avoid daisychaining switches as bandwidth aggregates.  Lets say you have 3, 24 port switches daisychained.  Switch 2 into 1, 3 into 2 In this example, switch 2 carries all the load of clients connected directly to it as well as all of the load of switch 3.  Move down to switch 1 and it is carrying it's own load as well as the aggregate of 2 and 3.  Daisychain enough switches together and everything grinds to a halt as bandwidth is saturated and everybody suffers. 

Assuming you have some kind of central location (date center) for your external (internet) connection and servers, all edge switches should connect directly back to the switch/router in your data center (this is called a "star topology" ) In an ideal situation, this would be the same switch all your important servers connect to. 

One last thing.  When interconnecting switches the best practice is to use crossover cables for the uplinks.  Yes, with auto MDIX it isn't necessary but doing so eliminates one potential issue and makes troubleshooting issues that much easier in the long run. 

It matters not how straight the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,I am the master of my fate;I am the captain of my soul. 

Thank you all for great input.  I work in a small shop.  Our network hardware and implementation is often decided on by expedience and cost.  I will push for new switches where the hubs are and only 1 switch between our remote systems and the main switch.  This arrangement came about by the slow steady growth of the company and an inexperienced IT guy who is actually just a tech savvy toolmaker (that would be me). 

This arrangement came about by the slow steady growth of the company and an inexperienced IT guy who is actually just a tech savvy toolmaker (that would be me). 

LOL

You're not the first and you won't be the last "IT guy" who's role came about simply because he knew more about computers than anybody else. 

Overall, if everything has been working well up till now, you can be happy about the job you've done.  As for the future, you stumbled onto an excellent resource here at Computing.net.  We have an excellent group of knowledgeable helpers who would be more than happy to help you get things setup correctly.  So as you go through the process, if you need some advice, do come back.  I would suggest you open a new thread whenever you have a new question. 

Depending on size, a decent switch won't be too expensive.  So if (when) you find yourself pricing out equipment here's a couple things to keep in mind:

- Expensive doesn't necessarily mean better.  Whenever possible, read consumer reviews while comparing cost.  Another thing to check into is warranty.- When calculating how many ports your switches need to be, allow room for growth.  If you need 8 ports in one spot and 14 in another, I would recommend getting a 16 port switch where you need the 8 connections and a 24 port switch where you need 14.  This is just a basic guideline and is of course dependent on your budget.- It's well worth it to only get 1000 Mbps (gigabit) equipment.  If you're getting rid of the 10/100, get rid of it all.  When moving any amount of data, you'll notice a huge difference using gigabit. 

It matters not how straight the gate,How charged with punishments the scroll,I am the master of my fate;I am the captain of my soul. 

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