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high availability w/ redundant layer 2 switches causing loop on my test network

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  • J Offline
    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @se_marc
    last edited by johnpoz Apr 21, 2021, 7:58 PM Apr 21, 2021, 7:57 PM

    No you can not connected dumb switches like that.. Just pick up some smart 5 ports.. You can find them for like $25-40 for sure..

    Or juts replace all 3 of those with 1 smart switch ;)

    An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
    If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
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    SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

    S 2 Replies Last reply Apr 21, 2021, 8:23 PM Reply Quote 0
    • S Offline
      se_marc @johnpoz
      last edited by se_marc Apr 21, 2021, 8:25 PM Apr 21, 2021, 8:23 PM

      @johnpoz okay so, i probably should just ask what i actually need to know without the whole lab network. Can I set up HA with 2 ISPs and redundant switches? This is how I imagine it would need to be setup. Do you see any issues with this? Since I will be using the switches directly connected to the ISP modem, I feel like I can use dumb switches.

      According to this documentation: "When using multiple switches, the switches should be interconnected. As long as there is a single connection between the two switches, and no bridge on either of the firewalls, this is safe with any type of switch."

      alt text

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      • S Offline
        se_marc @johnpoz
        last edited by Apr 21, 2021, 8:31 PM

        @johnpoz im trying to combine THIS and THIS

        J 1 Reply Last reply Apr 21, 2021, 9:20 PM Reply Quote 0
        • J Offline
          johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @se_marc
          last edited by Apr 21, 2021, 9:20 PM

          that is not what you have.. You have dumb switch A..

          An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
          If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
          Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
          SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

          S 1 Reply Last reply Apr 21, 2021, 9:26 PM Reply Quote 0
          • S Offline
            se_marc @johnpoz
            last edited by Apr 21, 2021, 9:26 PM

            @johnpoz i don't have an actual second ISP to test with so I was using LANs as my two "ISPs". I will get some managed switches to test on my lab internally but would the most recent diagram I posted work if i actually have 2 ISPs and keep the dumb switches?

            J 1 Reply Last reply Apr 21, 2021, 9:27 PM Reply Quote 0
            • J Offline
              johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @se_marc
              last edited by Apr 21, 2021, 9:27 PM

              You can keep the dumb switches, but you have dumb switch A connecting them, and then you connect them together again with a cable = LOOP!

              An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
              If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
              Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
              SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

              S 1 Reply Last reply Apr 21, 2021, 9:32 PM Reply Quote 0
              • S Offline
                se_marc @johnpoz
                last edited by Apr 21, 2021, 9:32 PM

                @johnpoz sorry, i'm a bit confused. i didn't include dumb switch A in the most recent diagram.

                D 1 Reply Last reply Apr 21, 2021, 10:16 PM Reply Quote 0
                • D Offline
                  Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate @se_marc
                  last edited by Apr 21, 2021, 10:16 PM

                  @se_marc This is how you would do it.

                  This cannot be done with "cheap" gear.

                  Some gear that can do this that used to be expensive is now not very expensive on eBay, etc.

                  HA+LACP.png

                  Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                  A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                  DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                  Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

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                  • J Offline
                    johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator
                    last edited by johnpoz Apr 22, 2021, 6:13 PM Apr 21, 2021, 11:09 PM

                    @se_marc said in high availability w/ redundant layer 2 switches causing loop on my test network:

                    i didn't include dumb switch A in the most recent diagram.

                    My point was what you posted as how to set it up, what not what you had before.

                    A dumb switch is not a ISP device that would not bridge the connections together..

                    Your drawing showing 2 isp, you can not replace that isp device with a dumb switch - which becomes really a wire.. And now you have 2 wires connecting 2 dumb switches - big fat loop!

                    To derelicts point - what your trying to do with a HA setup is not meant to be done with cheap dumb home gear. If you want to play with a lab to do this sort of stuff, you need equipment that can do a min amount of enterprise level sort of stuff. Which stp is common on even the cheapest of smart switches.

                    Or yeah get on ebay and get some enterprise gear for cheap..

                    An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                    If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                    Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                    SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

                    S 1 Reply Last reply Apr 22, 2021, 5:59 PM Reply Quote 0
                    • S Offline
                      se_marc @johnpoz
                      last edited by se_marc Apr 22, 2021, 6:01 PM Apr 22, 2021, 5:59 PM

                      @johnpoz @Derelict I haven't given up just yet lol. I took some time to think things over and I feel like I'm getting closer. The managed switches will be ubiquiti so RSTP will be enabled. To my understanding that means ports 3 & 4 on Managed Switches B and D will be blocked unless something happens the the either ports 5 & 6 on Managed Switch A or one of the WAN ports on pfSense Main. same would go for the second ISP. Would i need to connect Managed Switch A to Managed Switch B, and then C to D?

                      HA Fault Tolerance LAGG A (1).png

                      J 1 Reply Last reply Apr 22, 2021, 6:15 PM Reply Quote 0
                      • J Offline
                        johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @se_marc
                        last edited by johnpoz Apr 22, 2021, 6:16 PM Apr 22, 2021, 6:15 PM

                        Trying to lagg into 2 disconnected switches not something that is normally an option. When you lagg into multiple switches like you have it draw. The switches are part of stack.

                        Are your A and B, and then C,D stacked?

                        Notice the drawing Derelict posted.

                        An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                        If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                        Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                        SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

                        S 1 Reply Last reply Apr 22, 2021, 6:27 PM Reply Quote 0
                        • S Offline
                          se_marc @johnpoz
                          last edited by Apr 22, 2021, 6:27 PM

                          @johnpoz crud, to my knowledge unifi switches do not support official stacking but a common trend is to connect them together via SFP ports and then relying on RSTP. This causes half speed of the LAGG router ports.

                          J 1 Reply Last reply Apr 22, 2021, 7:03 PM Reply Quote 0
                          • J Offline
                            johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @se_marc
                            last edited by Apr 22, 2021, 7:03 PM

                            Then its not really a lagg now is it ;) hehehe

                            An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                            If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                            Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                            SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

                            D 1 Reply Last reply Apr 22, 2021, 7:18 PM Reply Quote 0
                            • D Offline
                              Derelict LAYER 8 Netgate @johnpoz
                              last edited by Apr 22, 2021, 7:18 PM

                              People call all sorts of things a "lagg."

                              I consider everything except proper LACP which generally requires either stacking or multi-chassis trunking, etc.

                              Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
                              A comprehensive network diagram is worth 10,000 words and 15 conference calls.
                              DO NOT set a source address/port in a port forward or firewall rule unless you KNOW you need it!
                              Do Not Chat For Help! NO_WAN_EGRESS(TM)

                              J 1 Reply Last reply Apr 22, 2021, 7:26 PM Reply Quote 0
                              • A Offline
                                AndyRH
                                last edited by AndyRH Apr 22, 2021, 7:22 PM Apr 22, 2021, 7:21 PM

                                I wanted to play a network guy on TV, so I bought one of these on eBay. It will do everything in your drawing in one switch. Great for play time.

                                Aruba S2500-48P-US <- has 10Gb SFP+ ports, POE, VLANs, semi-loud fans... All the enterprise features for under $200.

                                o||||o
                                7100-1u

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                                • J Offline
                                  johnpoz LAYER 8 Global Moderator @Derelict
                                  last edited by Apr 22, 2021, 7:26 PM

                                  @derelict said in high availability w/ redundant layer 2 switches causing loop on my test network:

                                  People call all sorts of things a "lagg."

                                  Very true - its a kind of a catch all.. I was thinking lacp, which yeah you need a stack..

                                  An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools
                                  If you get confused: Listen to the Music Play
                                  Please don't Chat/PM me for help, unless mod related
                                  SG-4860 25.07.1 | Lab VMs 2.8.1, 25.07.1

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