VLAN problem between Dell Power Connect & HP Procurve Switch 5308xl

[Ashok K Gurung]

Hi

We have HP Procurve Switch 5308xl as our main switch and its basically divided into two vlan. We have HP, Dell and NetGear Switches around. Dell and NetGear Switches are also manage switches so we decided to make use of Same switch for both network and created simple two vlans in each switches and connect straight to HP switch(we are not doing any port trucking, we have straight connections between vlans i.e. vlan 1 in Dell switch connected to Vlan 1 in Hp switch)

But problem here is once we connect both vlans one of them doesn't work. We can see the light for the connection but communication can not be establish e.g. DHCP server not able to issue IP address

We will really appreciate if you could help us here.

Thank you

[Mohieddin Kharnoub]

Hi

You first check the port settings on both sides (Type, Mode, Flow ...).
Usually ProCurve switche's ports will be auto, so its easy to deploy.

Then be sure that your Dell, Netgear switches are using the Standard IEEE 802.1q Tagging for the links between each one of them and the ProCurve 5300 switch.

Be sure that you have a loop free topology, so spanning tree didn't block any one of these ports.

If all this didn;t work, attach the 5300 config here, and tell us what are the port numbers connecting to other switches, then attach also the output of the following commands on the 5300:

Show interfaces brief
show running
shpw span

Good Luck !!!
Good Luck !!!

[Ashok K Gurung]

Hi

Thank you for your reply

We checked the ports and your right most of hp ports are set to auto and Dell switch's ports are set to 100 or 1000mbps, flow control for both switches are disabled and mode is full in both..

Correct me if I am wrong, my understanding is it is not necessary to tag uplink if we are using separate link to connect different vlan.

What we are trying to do is we have HP Switch with two VLAN (1 & 2) and Dell switches in field with two VLAN (1 & 2). We have two uplinks (1000mbps) in dell switch and both of them in separate vlan (1 & 2). We are running cable directly from those uplink to HP switch to appropriate vlan(1 & 2).

if we use two different switch in field it works without any problem but as soon as we use Dell or netgear switch with vlan it doesn't work.

I have attached some outputs from both hp and dell switches. Currently I am just using one vlan as second one doesn't work.

Currently we are using (in dell switch) G3 for VLAN 1 and G4 for VLAN2 (we used fiber ports it gives same result) and in HP switch H16 for VLAN 1 and H6 for VLAN2 (we used with fiber ports it didn't work)

You need to help me how do i test loop. We haven't had other network problem till now so we never had to test.

[Mohieddin Kharnoub]

Hi

Your setup is correct, Vlan2 procurve to Vlan2 Dell, and Vlan1 procurve to VLan1 Dell.

And you are not doing tagging, and no problem with spanning tree since each link in a different Vlan (unless you have some other links).

You can see from the output show span on the Dell switch, G3 port connects to the root, but G4 Status is disable.

I have notice that you connected G6 on ProCurve to G4 on Dell.
if this is correct, then you should notice that G6 on ProCurve in Vlan1, and G4 on Dell in Vlan2, so you should untagg G6 on ProCurve to Vlan2.

If you can Draw a small diagram explaining how you connect all the switches, with port numbers, then i can suggest you a different solution with redundancy since you have 2 links from each field switch.

Good Luck !!!

[Ashok K Gurung]

Hi Thank you again

Yes G4 is disable because we had to disconnect cable to it even to get into switch to manage.

G4 from Dell is connected to H6 not G6 on Hp switch and H6 is VLAN 2 and we haven't taged any ports as such.

I have scatch some drowing for you and hope this will help you to understand better.

Thank you again

[Regnar Bang Lyngsø_2]

Probably you are having problems with spanning tree. You should only have tagged links when connecting multiple VLANs between switches running spanning tree.

Take a look at
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/networking/software/6400-5300-4200-3400-AdvTrafficMgmt-Oct2006-59906051-Chap06.pdf

(especially page 6-52)

Regards
Regnar

[Mohieddin Kharnoub]

Hi

Sorry for the delay, i saw the diagram, and you have a Loop-Free topology, and i was wondering why when you use other than Dell and netgear things work fine with you.

I have a Suggestion for you,
if your Dell and Netgear switches support MSTP kind of Spanning-Tree, then for more redundancy you can do the following:

From Dell switches side:
Ports G1, G2 on Switch1, Tag both to Vlan2 and untag to Vlan1.

Ports G3, G4 on Switch2, Tag both to Vlan2 and untag to Vlan1.

From ProCurve Side:
Tagg A1, H16, B1, H6 to Vlan2, and untagg to Vlan1.

Additional:
If its possible to connect one resilient link between the 2 dell switches that will be fantastic (or trunk of at least 2 ports).

Now enable MSTP on all the switches, and configure 2 MSTP instances for the 2 Vlans, and make Dell switch1 is root for instance 1, and Dell switch2 is root for instance 2.

In this case you will be having a full redundant solution, and if one port been blocked for an instance, it will passing traffic for the other instance.

On the Prourve i can help you for the configuration:

spanning-tree
spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP
spanning-tree config-name "Field"
spanning-tree config-revision 8
spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1
spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2

Now on the Dell side, is your work :)
don't forget to rate posts that hepled you with points.

Good Luck !!!

[Mohieddin Kharnoub · Accepted solution]

Hi

Sorry for the delay, i saw the diagram, and you have a Loop-Free topology, and i was wondering why when you use other than Dell and netgear things work fine with you.

I have a Suggestion for you,
if your Dell and Netgear switches support MSTP kind of Spanning-Tree, then for more redundancy you can do the following:

From Dell switches side:
Ports G1, G2 on Switch1, Tag both to Vlan2 and untag to Vlan1.

Ports G3, G4 on Switch2, Tag both to Vlan2 and untag to Vlan1.

From ProCurve Side:
Tagg A1, H16, B1, H6 to Vlan2, and untagg to Vlan1.

Additional:
If its possible to connect one resilient link between the 2 dell switches that will be fantastic (or trunk of at least 2 ports).

Now enable MSTP on all the switches, and configure 2 MSTP instances for the 2 Vlans, and make Dell switch1 is root for instance 1, and Dell switch2 is root for instance 2.

In this case you will be having a full redundant solution, and if one port been blocked for an instance, it will passing traffic for the other instance.

On the Prourve i can help you for the configuration:

spanning-tree
spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP
spanning-tree config-name "Field"
spanning-tree config-revision 8
spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1
spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2

See attached file

Now on the Dell side, is your work :)
don't forget to rate posts that hepled you with points.

Good Luck !!!

[Ashok K Gurung]

Hi

Sorry for the delay in reply, I was updating firmware to all dell switches yesterday to see if that helps but didn't.

Previously i was thinking to keep everything simple with straight connection but seems like not always simple thing works

Now i am trying to work according to your suggestion and seems like working without performing following task and also didn't quit undestand what doesn following means

->Additional:
->If its possible to connect one resilient
->link between the 2 dell switches that
->will be fantastic (or trunk of at least 2
->ports).

->Now enable MSTP on all the switches, and
->configure 2 MSTP instances for the 2
->Vlans, and make Dell switch1 is root for
->instance 1, and Dell switch2 is root for
->instance 2.

->In this case you will be having a full
->redundant solution, and if one port been
->blocked for an instance, it will passing
->traffic for the other instance.

->On the Prourve i can help you for the
->configuration:

Where do i go to setup following. I couldn't see any place in gui and i tried telneting and running following command it game me invalid input

->spanning-tree
->spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP
->spanning-tree config-name "Field"
->spanning-tree config-revision 8
->spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1
->spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2

Sorry I am bit new with all these so i will appreciate if you could go bit in details

Also quickly, What can i do here if we have more than two VLAN's say 4 vlans


Thank you

[Mohieddin Kharnoub]

Hi Regnar

The following commands:
->spanning-tree
->spanning-tree protocol-version MSTP
->spanning-tree config-name "Field"
->spanning-tree config-revision 8
->spanning-tree instance 1 vlan 1
->spanning-tree instance 2 vlan 2

Can be entered in the configuration prompt on the 5300 switch.
I thought you are aware of the MSTP version, but anyway the following link shall give you good information about this:

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/networking/software/6400-5300-4200-3400-AdvTrafficMgmt-Oct2006-59906051-Chap06.pdf

Good Luck !!!