Link Aggregation for GS308E

[fabriks]

Any chance that LAG will be available on the GS308E in future firmware updates?

[schumaku]

@YeZ - odd sitiation here, please clarify

[NerdBit]

@schumaku

I have found myself digging through several forums, articles, and exhaustive Google searches to finally find my way here! This has driven me to my wit's end.

Context:
I parallel imported NETGEAR GS308EPP-100NAS Smart Smart Managed Plus Gigabit Ethernet PoE+ Switches from states to NZ and have been stuck with getting LAG configured correctly after much back and forth with network engineers in my circle turns out that it does not support Dynamic LACP! which is pointless now as it does not work with OPNsense/ pf sense which is vital as I'm trying to make it all work in tandem with Netgear's own devices.

FYI: OPNsense/ pf sense both support LACP. Clearly, GS308EPP does not.

Other products purchased at the same time:
NETGEAR Cloud Managed Wireless Access Point (WAX630E) | Mesh

Dear Netgear, I was really hoping to get this all up and working in no time considering the ease of use of the new GUI on the access point, switch, and most importantly being insight managed and considering the 2.5gbe switch from you - but this feels more like a concrete wall. 

Would be great if you could point me in the right direction or provide a firmware update that enables LACP (Dynamic) mode, please.

Thanks

[NerdBit]

@stevenckw @comstar_3068  better yet, their entire 305 and 308 series! high time now 🙄 https://www.netgear.com/business/wired/switches/plus/gs308epp/ 

[comstar_3068]

@NerdBit Save yourself the effort.  The device does not support LAG and never will.  It was a total bait and switch.  I'm sorry you went through all the effort to import the piece of **bleep** based off false advertising.  After more research a year after my first comment, it looks like the device was never capable of supporting LAG due to its internal hardware in the first place.

[NerdBit]

@comstar_3068 hey comstar! thanks for the prompt response/reaction. It's extremely sad and disappointing that this seems to have been a case of false advertising-based sales, while other manufacturers explicitly state on the switches that it's a "static aggeration" only which makes decision making much easier. 

[schumaku]

@NerdBit 

Afraid, I don't understand why you start arguing about LACP LAGs with me here - I'm just yet another user, not Netgear in any aspect (beyond of getting the opportunity to beta test some Netgear hardware every now and then in my spare time.

All the GS305E and GS308E Data Sheet show "Number of Static Manual LAGs and # of members: GS305E N/A  GS308E N/A". 

All the GS305EP GS305EPP GS308EP GS308EPP GS316E GS316EPP Data Sheet does show "Number of Static Manual LAGs and # of members: GS305EP 2/4  GS305EPP 2/4  GS308EP 2/4  GS308EPP 2/4  GS316EP 8/8  GS316EPP 8/8"

All the GS305E and GS308E Data Sheet show "Number of Static Manual LAGs and # of members: GS305E N/A  GS308E N/A". 

This is what confused me, because I know from the chip set specs (as reflected in the GS305EPP and GS308WP/EPP) the five and eight port do support static LAG - and how ever, this is missing or went lost in the product spec and definition process. his is why I tried to bring some attention to NTGR

Slightly different is the situation on the WAX6xx, like the WAX630E. Technically equipped with a 2.5Gbps Power-over Ethernet and a 1Gbps Ethernet ports,  one additional 1GbE port for network redundancy or link aggregation to enhance reliability or throughput.

A short excursion to RT*M unveils (bold text for clarification)

Enable link aggregation for the LAN 2 port
You can set up a static link aggregation connection between the access point and a switch by doing the following:
1. On the switch, configure static link aggregation on the two Ethernet ports that you intend to use for the LAG connection to the access point.
CAUTION: To prevent a network loop, configure the switch ports before connecting them to the access point ports.
2. Connect the two Ethernet ports on the switch to the LAN 1 port and the LAN 2 port on the access point.

LACP link aggregation is neither a holy grail nor a necessity for such a configuration. Nice your security appliances have it, it does not help in this context. A basic static LAG support would be sufficient. 

Hint: Balance-XOR mode, where the bonding of slave interfaces are static and all slave interfaces are active for load balancing and fault tolerance purposes is the way to go.

[schumaku]

@comstar_3068 Reading specs and data sheets can be cumbersome. Can't see much false advertising. The data sheet can be considered as a basic legal framework - for evaluating and buying hardware. The equation LAG == LACP is definitively wrong.

[NerdBit]

@schumaku my bad! apologies, didn't have any wrong intention to start an argument. It was my sheer frustration with false advertising of "product spec and definition process".

As a well-known and respected brand, it wouldn't hurt to look at the competition and reflect on how explicitly they make mention on their lower-mid-end switches supporting static aggregation only.

As I'm trying to get this set up for a volunteer-run not-for-profit company, the time, and troubleshooting it has taken has done my head in. 

The goal was straightforward:

DIY Router/Firewall appliance ---> Setup LAGG on x2 ports ---- SWTCH ----> Access Point.

All works well from either end, except for the Link aggregation bit as the switch does not support LACP protocol.

Would you be willing to help in setting LAG correctly on this switch, suppose it would be Static Aggregation now. To be fair, there isn't much available option-wise in the GUI. Just LAG1 (Choose from 1,2,3,4 port) LAG2 (Choose from 5,6,7,8).

and a toggle bar to choose which one. In my case I had chosen LAG2 (Port 7 and Port 8 ) and toggled the little button to "green".

From your exp, is there anything I may have overlooked?

[schumaku]

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@fabriks wrote:

To be fair, there isn't much available option-wise in the GUI. Just LAG1 (Choose from 1,2,3,4 port) LAG2 (Choose from 5,6,7,8). and a toggle bar to choose which one. In my case I had chosen LAG2 (Port 7 and Port 8 ) and toggled the little button to "green".

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This does reflect the two LAGs which can be defined, For LAG1 from the ports 1..4, and for the LAG2 from the ports 5..8.  The green indicators just show the enabled state.

[comstar_3068]

My mistake.  I read GS308 and not the EPP part of NerdBit's post which caused confusion.  I incorrectly just assumed we were still discussing the GS305/8E specifically.

That said, assuming the datasheet didn't change at some point as well, you're also right.  I should have read it.  Instead I just relied on the marketing material for a not exactly essential piece of hardware to use in the home.  Live and learn, I suppose.