How To: Configure the SFP+ ports of an AC-MXNET-SW12 for Stacking to One or More Network Switches

This article goes over how to configure the 10G SFP+ ports on an AC-MXNET-SW12 (Called “SW12” from here on) for stacking to one or more network switches, such as connecting the SW12 to an AC-MXNET-SW48 or AC-MXNET-SW24, or for daisy chaining multiple SW12s.

Requirements:

RS-232 (RJ45) -> DB9 (Included with the SW12), DB9 -> USB (Not included) Console Cable

Any form of terminal program, such as PuTTY, Tera Term, etc.

Personal Computer, such as a Laptop

Connecting to the SW12

1. Connect the RJ45-to-DB9 and DB9 cables together, then plug in the cable to a USB port on the Windows PC and the RJ45 connector to the CONSOLE port on the network switch.  

NOTE: The below image shows an AC-MXNET-SW48, but the connection method is identical for the SW12.

2. Right-click on the Windows Start button and select Device Manager, then select the Ports (COM & LPT) dropdown menu and locate the device labeled USB Serial Port (COMx), where “x” will be the COM port number. You’ll need this number for the next step. 

3. Open your terminal program and use the following information:

Connection Type: Serial

Baudrate: 115200

COM port: COMx, replace X with the COM port number noted in the previous step.

Below is an example screenshot from PuTTY:

4. Open the session using your terminal program, then press the Enter key. The server will respond with "User Access Verification" followed by a prompt for the "Username". This indicates that successful communication with the SW12 is now established.

A:  Configuring the SW12 to stack to ONE additional switch using SFP+ ports 11 and 12

For stacking to ONE additional switch, specify the SFP+ ports you wish to utilize for linking to the other switch.  In the following example, we will be assigning Port Group 1 to the SW12, and then configuring SPF+ ports 11 and 12 for stacking to a second switch.  SFP+ ports 9 and 10 will remain access ports which will accept 1G SFP MM/SM and SFP to RJ45 modules.  The access ports will automatically negotiate down from 10G to 1G.

NOTE: While one connection will provide full non-blocking bandwidth for stacking the SW12 to another switch, it is recommended for redundancy purposes to have at least two connections per switch uplink!  It is also recommended to either have 1, 2, or 4 connections established. Having three connections may cause load-balancing issues. 

Script – Copy / Paste below script following the “switch#” prompt:

config

port-group 1

ip igmp snooping vlan 1 mrouter-port interface port-channel 1

interface ethernet 1/0/11-12

port-group 1 mode on

end

write  

B:  Configuring the SW12 to stack MORE THAN TWO switches using SFP+ ports 9 thru 12.

When stacking more than two switches, you need to specify the port groups and physical switch ports to utilize for linking to the other switches.  In the below example script, we will be assigning two port groups, and configuring all four SFP+ switch ports.  Port Group 1 will be assigned to SFP+ ports 9 and 10, while Port Group 2 will be assigned to SFP+ ports 11 and 12.

 

Script – Copy / Paste below script following the “switch#” prompt:

config

port-group 1

port-group 2

ip igmp snooping vlan 1 mrouter-port interface port-channel 1-2

interface ethernet 1/0/9-10

port-group 1 mode on

interface ethernet 1/0/11-12

port-group 2 mode on

end

write  

C:  Setting the SFP+ port configuration(s) back to access status 

In this example, we will change SFP+ port 9, which is currently assigned to Port Group 1.  The configuration for SFP+ port 10 will not be changed.  First, we will specify the port, and then remove Port Group 1, then write the change.  Removing the Port Group will also remove any association with the mrouter-port assignment.  Apply this command guide to change any SFP+ port ( 9-12 ), its associated port group ( 1 or 2 ), and mrouter-port assignment.   

 

Script – Copy / Paste below script following the “switch#” prompt:

config

interface ethernet 1/0/9

no port-group

end

write

y

D:  Factory resetting the SW12

In some instances, it may become necessary to reset the SW12 to its factory configuration.  The following steps will reset the switch. 

 

Script – Copy / Paste below script following the “switch#” prompt:

boot startup-config null

reload

y