Alternative to DLDP on wireless connections?

[DarrenBravo]

Hello!

We have two 5130 switches in IRF mode, connecting to another two 5130 switches in IRF mode (in another building).  These switches are using two wireless connections in a smart-link (from each member for resilience), a Unifi UBB and a NanoBeam.

I recently had an issue with these switches in that when I connected a laptop over a different VLAN (ports are trunked and VLAN's are permitted on the ports), DLDP would (somehow) detect a unidirectional connection and would block the port.  Once DLDP was disabled on these interfaces, I can connect via that VLAN.  I don't understand why!?

Anyway, now DLDP is disabled, the smart-link now doesn't work.  If the primary connection on SwitchA goes down, the smart-link correctly displays that the primary is down, and the backup one is active, but on SwitchB the primary is still active (as it can still ping the actual WIFI device).  

Apart from DLDP, is there anything else I can use to automatically down the port?  DLDP worked amazing for this, but for reason I can't use it and have different VLAN's!

[-Alex-]

Hello  DarrenBravo,

You may check BFD and CFD technologies which may help with the link detection.

BFD explanation:

https://techhub.hpe.com/eginfolib/networking/docs/switches/5130ei/5200-3941_l2-lan_cg/content/483580749.htm 

Hope this helps!

[Ivan_B]

Hi @DarrenBravo !

I'd also go with BFD in this case. 

Regarding your question

I recently had an issue with these switches in that when I connected a laptop over a different VLAN (ports are trunked and VLAN's are permitted on the ports), DLDP would (somehow) detect a unidirectional connection and would block the port.  Once DLDP was disabled on these interfaces, I can connect via that VLAN.  I don't understand why!?

Keep in mind that if STP blocked the link between IRF stacks, DLDP also stops working on such blocked link. Try to check the logs on both IRF stacks ('display logbuffer') and search for events that happened just before and after that link loss. Hopefully the log will help to shed a light on what's happened when you connected the laptop.