Question : Problem: CAT6 or Fiber

I just want to get people's opinion on a wiring project that is going on.  I have a different opinion than a manager about how something should be wired.

Currently we have 2 Cisco 2950G switches in the server room.  We have a 2912XL wired out into the warehouse via a CAT5 (not CAT5e) cable.  Keep in mind the CAT5 was there before my company bought out the site. They had nothing but hubs before.  Since only 5 hosts (e.g.  couple printers and users) were so low of bandwidth it was determined that upgrading the CAT5 to CAT6 was a waste of money.  However now there is a reorganization going on.  There will be 3 APs, 15 printers, and 15 users that will be hooked into the new switch.  I have been told they are going with another 2950G.  This switch is 200 feet from the server room.  All of this is in the same building.  It is all a big warehouse.  Here is where me and the manager differ on opinions (don't care if I'm wrong here, just want to get some expert opinions as I'm not too awefully knowledgable on whats best for L1 wiring.

My opinion - replace the CAT5 with a bundle of CAT6.  Make the printers wireless to keep mobility and due to their low bandwidth requirement it shouldn't be a problem.  Wireless network was recently put in and every square foot of the buildling is hit by at least two APs.  Put the new switch in the server room so that we can hook the third switch into the other two via gigastack cards (like the other two already are).  Then we also have 3 Gig ports for servers between the switches.  Also, this keeps the switch in physical security in the server room which is what I prefer even though it requires more ethernet strands to the warehouse for the users.  Also, CAT6 is capable of 10Gbps so future growth should easily be taken care of.

Manager opinion - replace the CAT5 with a fiber link.  Make the printers wired to keep them in a specific place so users won't move them around.  Put the switch where the old 2912XL is (in the warehouse out in the open).  Then I believe he wants to run CAT5e from the switch to the users.  Going with fiber to account for future growth. Buy a managed gig switch (12 ports) for in the server room for the servers.

Other info - Wireless users is about 20 laptops and 25 RF Scanner Guns.  Users going thru that switch in near future would be 15.  Need anymore please ask as I can't think of anything else.

Now obviously I'm biased to my opinion and since I don't fully understand the manager's desire to go with fiber I wanted to get some opinions.  But here is what I see as the negatives of going with fiber.
1 - Either you go with a fiber gbic in each switch, in which case if the server room switch it was plugged into went dead, it loses connectivity to the other switch (and the internet), or you replace the two current gigastack cards in the server room with fiber cards, buy extra fiber cable and link them that way.
2 - puts a potential gig link (second gbic slot) in a switch that is now in an unusable area)
3 - Puts a switch in public accessible area.  Now they can put it in an enclosure, but that still doesn't make me feel the best personally.

I'll leave it at that.  I'd just like to know if there's anything I'm missing and that I should be happy to go with the fiber instead of CAT6.

Either

Answer : Problem: CAT6 or Fiber

Well, I'm old fashioned and also believe in a fiber backbone.  I didn't know about 10Gbps over copper, but I see that 802.3an was ratified in late '06 - more here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_gigabit_Ethernet.

It would be pretty bleeding edge - you'd want the best cabling you could put in, and then I don't think there's many 10Gbps copper interfaces around right now, so that will take a bit of time.

For fiber - put in multiple - either through the same cable, or preferably, different cables.  Then, you could use port channeling and bond them together, so that if one is cut or unplugged, they don't come down.  And you could also set up spanning tree, so you could have four interfaces providing say 2Gbps port channel and one of those being blocked with spanning tree in case it drops.  

From what you've described for usage, I don't know why you're talking about 10Gig - you certainly don't need it, so why design for it today?  And if you put in fiber, you could easily go to it whenever you want ;).

Also, although you have a point about the physical security of the switch, I also am old fashioned and believe in the three layer network design - core, distribution, and access.  The switch out on the floor, everyone would plug into, would be the access layer - and the switch in the computer room would be a collapsed core and distribution.  If you start with this design, and design in redundant switches and connections, then you can lose large parts of your network without affecting anything.

Why fiber backbone - distance, speed, security, eletromagnetic invulnerability.  Cons:  termination cost, interface cost, fragility.

Hope this helps.