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M5300 Virtual Chassis Stacking Technology--Full Mesh
I have seen and read a lot of the manuals and online articles about stacking M5300. They all are assuming and speak directly to a redundant ring topology. On page 19 of the Netgear product datasheet, Netgear announces a M5300 full mesh topology using the all 4 10/12GB ports (from and back) to establish a 8 unit fully meshed topology that is very different to the familiar redundant ring. Are there any articles that address a topology other than the ring? What are the rules?
Any chance you can properly interconnect up to 8 M5300 units via any and all stacking ports and stack will figure it out?
Bob
Hi Bob
Yes, you can properly interconnect up to 8 M5300 units via any and all stacking ports and stack will figure it out.
M5300 switches come with all 10G ports in Ethernet mode: the two front combo 10G ports, and the two rear I/O slots.
In System/Stacking/Advanced/Stack Port Configuration, you can enable Stacking mode on all four ports on your 8 switches. Then follow the Admin guide procedure for stacking (better to start with one switch up and all seven other switches connected, but off - and boot them one by one for the first stack creation, taking enough time for each switch joining the stack - each switch should join properly in full mesh topology this way.)
M4300 1G switches now have 4 ports 10G built-in, and present same capability. Also with M4300 series, there are pure 10G models that can stack with 1G models, this time in spine and leaf elegant topologies.
Regards,
3 Replies
Hi Bob
Yes, you can properly interconnect up to 8 M5300 units via any and all stacking ports and stack will figure it out.
M5300 switches come with all 10G ports in Ethernet mode: the two front combo 10G ports, and the two rear I/O slots.
In System/Stacking/Advanced/Stack Port Configuration, you can enable Stacking mode on all four ports on your 8 switches. Then follow the Admin guide procedure for stacking (better to start with one switch up and all seven other switches connected, but off - and boot them one by one for the first stack creation, taking enough time for each switch joining the stack - each switch should join properly in full mesh topology this way.)
M4300 1G switches now have 4 ports 10G built-in, and present same capability. Also with M4300 series, there are pure 10G models that can stack with 1G models, this time in spine and leaf elegant topologies.
Regards,
Thank you.
I would then surmise that any strict rank ordering of unit numbers within the mess is irrelevant?
I mostly have M530-52G-POE+ although I have an old GSM7328Sv2 in the stack to provide level 3 routing. I am running firmware 10.0.0.53. Would this be an issue for a mess topology?
Bob
- It is full mesh topology, not a mess 🙂
You are right, it doesn't matter if you have L3 and L2+ units. The Master will run the software for the entire stack so one L3 switch as a Master turns the entire stack into L3 mode. Obviously a second L3 switch would be good for redundancy. You can define your preference for redundant backup master unit in the stack.
At first stack creation, sequential boot is good since you can control your numbering. The first switch in my method above will be the master.
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