Connecting Netgear GS728TXPv3 to Cisco CBS350-48P-4X

evit wrote: 

Connectivity is working but it takes forever for some devices to reconnect when either switch reboots. 

Whatever "forever" is for you. 

Take full control of your network Spanning Tree configuration. This includes the Sophos XGS, the CBS350-48P-4X you name as core switch, and the GS728TXPv3. 

What is Spanning Tree Protocol STP and how does it work with a fully managed switch - all this does apply to the smart switches like your Cisco, Netgear, and finally the Sophos (and it's integrated switch).

Some references in the Internet state the CBS350 Series is defaulting to the classic Spanning Tree (Cisco tend to talk of CSP for Classic), while newer ressources state it's defaulting to RSTP.

The classic Spanning Tree does bring a convergence time of ~30 ... 50 seconds (what certainly feels like forever),  and then most switches STP or RSTP does default to the common medium default bridge priority of 32768.

1. Set -all- switches (including the security appliance!)  to use RSTP.

2. Possible plan is to use 4096 for the core switch, and then for example 16284 for the Netgear, and eg. 32768 to the Sophos integrated switch. 

evit wrote:

Can I switch the uplink to the SPF uplink between the 2?

Well, as I don't know about the exact Sophos XGS model in place, at least the GS728TXPv3 does come, beside of the SFP+ ports, only with 1 GbE copper ports.

Does not make much sense, interconnecting two such power horses (the Cisco is all 10 GbE when my wally grey cells have it right) on just a 1 Gigabit Ethernet link.

I would tend to go even higher, and configure a LAG between multiple SFP+ ports of both switches, combining at least two 10 GbE  links.

evit wrote:

Is there any interoperability documentation on this? 

evit wrote:

Is there any documentation on setting this up?

There is not much vendor specific information required, as we talk of industry standards here. Think you should have got some pointers what kind of know-how you have to built up for yourself.

Regards,

-Kurt