Wired Intelligent Edge

I'm planning to have each building on a seperate l3 network but on the same ospf area.  However, with a couple buildings we have switch closets on different floors.  Would a centralized L3 router in say our basement (ground floor) then l2 switches on each floor be a good design or would L3 at each closet be recommended.  Keep in mind each floor only has a fiber connection down to the ground level and not to each closet to create a full mesh.

"Routed Access" with OSPF everywhere - of course, that´s nice: Search for "BRKCRS-3036.pdf". And of course, you don´t need Cisco to get it running...

Thanks, I figured I should go this way.  No Cisco, I'm not gonna rant about Cisco etc... I was thinking for new areas refurbed 5406/5412zl or going with the 5400R...which seem to be really nice.

Thanks again.

Take a look at the HP A5500-HI switches instead:

- 1U

- stackable (9 units == 9x 48x 1Gbe@RJ45, 9x 2x 10Gbe@SFP+,9x 4x 1Gbe@SFP, 9x 2x open slots), take some inexpensive CX4 modules/cables for stacking if you do not want to fill the inbuilt SFP+ slots) and you should get them as real "HP Renew" with HP´s lifetime  warranty.

- The hardware of the new 5400R looks interesting, but you do not have MPLS/VPLS, virtual routing instances (VRF)

I did "routed access" in 2010. Nowadays it would be "MPLS/VPLS(ed) access"...