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Issue with FritzBox Mesh passing through two Netgear GS110TP switches connected via fiber
Hi everyone,
I’m experiencing an issue with my network setup involving two Netgear GS110TP switches (Boot Version B5.1.0.2, Software Version 5.4.2.36) connected via fiber. Here’s the setup:
1.On the first Netgear switch, the FritzBox is connected to port 1.
2.On the second Netgear switch, the FritzBox Mesh repeater is connected to port 1.
3.Both switches are connected to each other via fiber using port 9 on each.
The problem is that while the FritzBox and the repeater can “see” each other (there is connectivity), the Mesh symbol does not appear, which means the repeater is not functioning correctly as part of the Mesh network. However, when I connect the repeater directly to the FritzBox, bypassing the Netgear switches, everything works perfectly. This suggests the issue lies with the configuration of the Netgear switches.
Configurations applied on the Netgear switches:
1.Trust DSCP enabled:
•Set Trust Mode to DSCP globally and for ports 1 and 9 on both switches.
2.QoS DSCP to Queue Mapping:
•Mapped high-priority DSCP values (AF41, EF) to higher-priority queues (queues 3 and 4).
3.STP disabled on ports:
•Disabled Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) on ports 1 and 9, or marked them as “Edge” to avoid delays in Mesh detection.
4.IGMP Snooping disabled:
•Disabled IGMP Snooping on the VLAN used by the FritzBox and repeater.
5.QoS 802.1p to Queue Mapping:
•Set priorities 5 and 6 for the VLAN in the CoS configuration, avoiding low priorities (0 or 1).
Despite these changes, the Mesh symbol does not appear. It seems the Netgear switches are filtering or blocking critical multicast or discovery traffic required by the FritzBox Mesh, but I haven’t been able to identify the exact cause.
Questions:
1.What additional configurations should I check on the Netgear switches to ensure the necessary Mesh traffic passes without interference?
2.Could the switches be filtering multicast or broadcast traffic essential for the FritzBox Mesh? If so, how can I allow this traffic?
3.Are there any logs or tools on the Netgear switches to monitor traffic that might be getting blocked or filtered?
I would greatly appreciate any advice or suggestions to resolve this issue. Thank you in advance!
Hi everyone,
I’d like to share a solution I found after struggling with compatibility issues between my Netgear GS110TP switches and the FRITZ!Box/FRITZ!Repeater Mesh system.
Initial Problem
The FRITZ! Mesh system wasn’t properly detecting devices connected through the Netgear switches. Despite disabling STP, tweaking QoS, and making other adjustments on the switches, the connectivity issues persisted.
Solution
Thanks to the AVM support team (FRITZ!Box manufacturer), I discovered that the issue was related to the EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) feature. While designed to reduce power consumption, EEE can cause compatibility issues with certain network adapters and setups.
Steps to Disable EEE on the FRITZ!Repeater:
1.Access the FRITZ!Repeater interface by entering its address in your browser.
2.Navigate to Hilfe und Info (Help and Info) in the left menu.
3.Click on FRITZ!Repeater Support at the bottom of the page.
4.In the Ethernet Compatibility section, enable the option Disable EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet).
5.Save the changes by clicking Apply Settings.
Results
After disabling EEE, the Mesh system started working perfectly, and all devices were recognized without any issues.
Conclusion
If you’re using Netgear switches with FRITZ! devices and experiencing connectivity problems, I highly recommend trying this solution. While EEE is a useful feature for saving energy, disabling it can resolve certain compatibility problems in managed networks.
I hope this information is helpful for anyone facing similar challenges. Feel free to ask questions or request additional details if needed!
Best regards,vanhoteen
4 Replies
From running Orbi systems with managed switches, seems to be any kind of managed or smart switch causes problems with ethernet connected satellites.
Historically disabling Green Ethernet and IGMP protocols would help with NG Orbi MESH systems. Not sure if this holds up for other non NG mesh systems. Also VLAN configurations may help as well. Something you will need to ask FritzBox about.
Generally we recommend using non managed switches in between the MESH router unit and any satellite connected via ethernet. These seems to work best and avoids any issues seen with manages switches in the mix.
I have the GS110MX and XS505M non managed switches and works well with my Orbi MESH systems and satellites ethernet connected thru it.
Something you will need to ask FritzBox about and ask them about there products being used with managed switches.
Complete Response:
Thank you, FURRYe38, for your response and for taking the time to help! I really appreciate your suggestions.
I’ve been working on this issue for a week now and contacted FritzBox support for guidance. They confirmed that the problem is not with the FritzBox or the repeater, as everything works perfectly when connected directly. According to them, the issue lies with the Netgear switches, which are likely blocking or filtering essential traffic needed for Mesh synchronization. However, they couldn’t specify which type of traffic (multicast, broadcast, or other) is critical for this process.
Here’s a summary of what I’ve tried so far without success:
1.Configured Trust DSCP:
I enabled Trust DSCP globally and on ports 1 (FritzBox and repeater) and 9 (fiber) on both switches to ensure that DSCP packets remain unaltered.
2.Adjusted QoS (DSCP to Queue Mapping):
I mapped DSCP values such as AF41 and EF to high-priority queues (queues 3 and 4) to prioritize critical traffic for Mesh synchronization.
3.Modified STP (Spanning Tree Protocol):
While RSTP is globally enabled, I disabled STP on ports 1 and 9 or configured them as Edge ports to avoid temporary blocking during the Mesh discovery process.
4.Disabled IGMP Snooping:
I disabled IGMP Snooping on the VLANs associated with the FritzBox and repeater to allow multicast traffic to pass through unrestricted.
5.Captured and analyzed traffic:
I used Wireshark to analyze multicast traffic and the ip.dsfield field but couldn’t find any clear evidence of what might be blocked.
Despite these configurations, the Mesh symbol still doesn’t appear when the connection passes through the Netgear switches. However, when the repeater is connected directly to the FritzBox, the Mesh works perfectly, confirming that the issue is with the switches.
As an alternative solution, I’m planning to add another Mesh repeater connected solely via Wi-Fi between the FritzBox and the current repeater to avoid passing through the Netgear switches. I hope this resolves the issue while I continue looking for a definitive solution to use the switches.
Once again, thank you so much for your help. If I make any progress or find a solution, I’ll share it here to help others facing similar issues. Best regards! 😊
Ya your running into same thing with NG Orbi MESH system when connected to managed switches.
Something you can try that someone helped me with on a GS105T and MS105E switch, they mentioned setting a VLAN configuration on the switch, VLAN ID 4091 and tag all ports. Once this was setup, the ethernet connected satellites started working and Guest Network started working at the satellites. This configuration seems only working for Orbi systems in router mode and satellites ethernet connected to the switch in between. Not sure if this will work for FritzBox as they might be using a different VLAN ID number or maybe non at all. Something to ask them about.
I think these are extreme use cases and in most home environments, you'll not be using a managed switch. And for ease of setup and configuration and reduce troubleshooting hassles and time, non managed switches should be used for MESH systems. Something you should try with your system and see if the remote units will work properly with. Try a GS105 or GS308 (No characters after the model#.) I bet this would work for you.
You might ask FritzBox what they tested there stuff with and or recommend using in between. If they support there satellites being connected to a LAN switch, they should have tested this and can make a recommendation.
Good Luck.
vanhoteen wrote:
Complete Response:
Thank you, FURRYe38, for your response and for taking the time to help! I really appreciate your suggestions.
I’ve been working on this issue for a week now and contacted FritzBox support for guidance. They confirmed that the problem is not with the FritzBox or the repeater, as everything works perfectly when connected directly. According to them, the issue lies with the Netgear switches, which are likely blocking or filtering essential traffic needed for Mesh synchronization. However, they couldn’t specify which type of traffic (multicast, broadcast, or other) is critical for this process.
Here’s a summary of what I’ve tried so far without success:
1.Configured Trust DSCP:
I enabled Trust DSCP globally and on ports 1 (FritzBox and repeater) and 9 (fiber) on both switches to ensure that DSCP packets remain unaltered.
2.Adjusted QoS (DSCP to Queue Mapping):
I mapped DSCP values such as AF41 and EF to high-priority queues (queues 3 and 4) to prioritize critical traffic for Mesh synchronization.
3.Modified STP (Spanning Tree Protocol):
While RSTP is globally enabled, I disabled STP on ports 1 and 9 or configured them as Edge ports to avoid temporary blocking during the Mesh discovery process.
4.Disabled IGMP Snooping:
I disabled IGMP Snooping on the VLANs associated with the FritzBox and repeater to allow multicast traffic to pass through unrestricted.
5.Captured and analyzed traffic:
I used Wireshark to analyze multicast traffic and the ip.dsfield field but couldn’t find any clear evidence of what might be blocked.
Despite these configurations, the Mesh symbol still doesn’t appear when the connection passes through the Netgear switches. However, when the repeater is connected directly to the FritzBox, the Mesh works perfectly, confirming that the issue is with the switches.
As an alternative solution, I’m planning to add another Mesh repeater connected solely via Wi-Fi between the FritzBox and the current repeater to avoid passing through the Netgear switches. I hope this resolves the issue while I continue looking for a definitive solution to use the switches.
Once again, thank you so much for your help. If I make any progress or find a solution, I’ll share it here to help others facing similar issues. Best regards! 😊
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