× NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Orbi WiFi 7 RBE973

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

spinifex
Aspirant

GS748T trunking togethers

We have a pair of GS748T. One is recent the other is about 2 years old.

From what I have read it should be possible to port trunk our 2 xserves to each of these switches. But is it also possible to have port trunks set up between the two switches effectively creating a dual channel between them?
Message 1 of 9
spinifex
Aspirant

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

Both Switches are running the latest firmware.

I have tried to trunk two ethernet connections from my Intel xServe (10.4.10) to the switch but it does not work.

Has anyone gotten these damn switches to trunk successfully?
Message 2 of 9
fordem
Mentor

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

Link Aggregation
Trunking

I take it you realise that your two posts deal with different issues.

Yes - you can configure trunks between the switches - I haven't personally done it with that model - but it shouldn't require more than just checking a few boxes in the web interface (it might be called LAG - Link Aggregate Group - rather than trunk).

I've never worked with the xServe so I can't comment on what's required, but in a Microsoft environment whether or not this can be done is dependent more on the network cards and their associated drivers than anything else.
Message 3 of 9
rhwalker
Aspirant

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

spinifex wrote:
Both Switches are running the latest firmware.

I have tried to trunk two ethernet connections from my Intel xServe (10.4.10) to the switch but it does not work.

Has anyone gotten these damn switches to trunk successfully?

This has been discussed at length on the macos-x-server mailing list. See, for example, this response from the archives:
http://lists.apple.com/archives/macos-x-server/2007/Mar/msg00405.html

You can search the macos-x-server list archives here:
http://search.lists.apple.com/

Russ
Message 4 of 9
spinifex
Aspirant

Re: GS748T trunking together

Thanks for the replies. Originally I just wanted to trunk the switches together (which I still haven't tried) but the more pressing issue was increasing bandwidth for my users on the xServe. From the sounds of it this is a problem with the intel xServes so the switches are off the hook.

I'll keep an eye on that mailing list.
Message 5 of 9
spinifex
Aspirant

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

Ok the Lights Out Management feature of the xServe is not being used so Port Trunking should work. I have confirmed my software settings as correct and by all accounts the problem is with the switch.

I have been told to set one of the trunk ports as an LACP master port but there is no option anywhere in the Netgear admin software to designate a master port.

Does anyone have any ideas?
Message 6 of 9
spinifex
Aspirant

Re: GS748T trunking together

Can anyone tell me if they have successfully used LACP to connect a server to a Netgear Smart Switch. From the sounds of the manual the port trunking is only supported to connect two switches together.

The section in the manual on Trunking lists:
“Port Trunking (otherwise known as Port Aggregation) enables multiple links between switches”
this is correct as a “Trunk” is generally a proprietary method for increasing the bandwidth between 2 switches from the same vendor.
It cannot be used to connect to switches of different brands, or to hosts running link aggregation.

LACP-based 802.3ad link aggregation is generally only found in high-end switches and has a number of different options, such as LACP mode or Static mode, setting Master ports, etc.
Message 7 of 9
bridgesint
Aspirant

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

fyi peeps, trunk ports are used to transfer vlan data from one switch to another switch or trunk capable devices such as wireless APs.

therefore, if Switch A port 1 is set to trunk for Vlan 3.. and port 20 is set to Untagged or otherwise known to set to VLAN 3, then if port 1 of switch A is connected to port 1 of Switch B that is set with the same config of Vlan 3 (tagged or trunk), then VLAN 3 data will be transfered from Switch A to Switch B.

so a PC connected to port 20 in SwitchA, can deliver data to another PC connected to port..24 in SwitchB if the port 24 in switch B is configured as Untagged VLAN3.
Message 8 of 9
fordem
Mentor

Re: GS748T trunking togethers

bridgesint wrote:
fyi peeps, trunk ports are used to transfer vlan data from one switch to another switch or trunk capable devices such as wireless APs.


FYI person - whilst that is one of application of trunking, there are others.
Message 9 of 9
Discussion stats
  • 8 replies
  • 10904 views
  • 0 kudos
  • 4 in conversation
Announcements

To post a question to this Ask Me Anything AMA board, click here or the "Create A New Discussion" button and be sure it's written in the form of a question. Click the Pinned instructions thread to lean more.