Consider telecommuters with DSL or cable-modem connections of 1 Mbps or less, or workers on the road getting by with 56-Kbps modem connections. Not that we would wish 56K on anybody, and we're all for speed, but if applications run fine on 1 Mbps and get by on 56K, it's difficult to imagine how gigabit bandwidth will provide ROI (return on investment) of any kind. Truth is, the need for gigabit at the edge remains the exception, not the rule. Before your vendors convince you your network is obsolete, ask them to name one application that will run any faster with Gigabit Ethernet switches at the edge. Then have them explain how this technology will improve employees' productivity.
Of course, there are a few legitimate reasons to upgrade your network, particularly if you're thinking ahead. You may have old 10-Mbps switches that the vendor no longer supports. Or perhaps your hardware-maintenance costs would drop with new equipment. Maybe your apps really are taxing the existing 10 Mbps. If you're moving around large CAD/CAM drawings or videos, for example, gigabit connectivity may give you a boost, especially if you have a newer PC that can process more than 100 Mbps of bandwidth. Don't forget to factor in PC bottlenecks from bus, CPU and especially hard disk I/O.
If you're already running at 100 Mbps, you shouldn't think about upgrading to gigabit unless you have a clearly defined, demonstrated need. If you've already decided to upgrade your switches for other reasons we've discussed, and you have 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps will probably suffice. However, it's worth at least getting pricing on gigabit as well. Hewlett-Packard's ProCurve switches, for example, run about $30 per port for 100 Mbps and $100 per port for gigabit.
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