4108gl and static IP routing

[Mark Landin]

Anyone using the new static IP routing functionality of the latest f/w for this switch? We are interested in this, but hate to be the guinea pigs.

We have two 4108s, populated w/100Base-T, 1000base-T, and gbit transceivers. We would probably like to host 3 or 4 IP networks on the 4108s, hopefully retiring (or partially de-loading) an old Nortal Baystack ASN router in the process ...

[Mark Landin]

*bump*

Nobody? :(

[Ron Kinner]

Well you did ask if anyone had tried it with a 4108. I can't say I have but since no one else has much to say I will throw in my 2 cents.

IP routing and static routes on a switch may be new to the 4108 but it's a pretty old concept. I've been using them for years on some 3COM switches.

It's pretty simple. You assign each VLAN an IP address in the subnet that lives on the VLAN. (If you have multiple subnets in a single VLAN then you usually need to break the VLAN up so there is only one subnet in each VLAN unless the switch will do secondary IP addresses which is unlikely). You turn on IP routing (or IP forwarding as 3COM calls it and they have several flavors for broadcast and unicast and maybe even directed broadcast and if I remember correctly it was a per VLAN thing on them). Now add a few static routes to the switch. You just need routes to subnets which are not on the switch. You probably want to give it a default route to the internet firewall while you are at it. Point your hosts' default routes to the switch's ip address for their VLAN, run a few pings and traceroutes (tracert if you are on a windows box) to be sure its working and then you can pull the Baystack.

Ron

[OLARU Dan]

Are 4108s performing L3 switching in software, or using ASICs?

[Ron Kinner]

All I really know about them for sure is what it says in the features page:

http://www.hp.com/rnd/products/switches/switch4100glseries/overview.htm

layer 3 static routes: enable VLAN-to-VLAN communications and up to 16 external routes - including one default route - in IP networks

Shouldn't really matter. Whatever it is it will be faster than your Nortel.

Ron

[Mark Landin]

It's done in software. The 5300 series does it in ASICs. They came out just after we had bought the 4108s (we couldn't wait).

I was just wondering if there were any "known issues" since this is the first release of the functionality for the 4108s.

[OLARU Dan]

Mark,

It seems you really are a guinea pioneer (with respect to both IP routing functionality and software-based L3 switching). If you discover bad or good things related to 4108s - please post them on this forum so we, the followers, learn from your mistakes :-).

My boss will buy me 4x4108GLs to join my army of 7x4000Ms. Plus a Cisco Catalyst that is equivalent to HP 5300.

I guess we'll move the tag switching from the Cisco 3640 router to GLs and the Catalyst pretty soon. I hope it will be faster.

[Mark Landin]

Why not just buy the 5300s instead of the Catalyst + 4100s?

[OLARU Dan]

My IT manager decides on what to buy, and he said "Cisco Catalyst 3550 48 EMI". My only job is to make them work together. Period.

I just don't know why we needed 1 Cisco catalyst switch amongst 11 HP procurves! I guess I have to re-learn IOS CLI commands for this 1 switch.

[OLARU Dan]

Ron, Mark

Is the Cisco Catalyst 3550 48 EMI performing L3 switching in software, or using ASICs?