Add a Non-root Switch for the Catalyst Express 500 Switch

Introduction      Requirements      Connect to the New non-root Switch           Change the IP Address on the PC           Put the Non-root Switch in Express Setup Mode           Connect the PC to the Switch      Configure the New Switch           Connect to the Switch with CNA           Create a VLAN           Configure the Host Name           Configure Passwords           Set the System Time           Configure Port Settings           Configure the IP Address           Configure Smartports           Save your Current Configuration           Reconnect to the Switch           Configure the Remaining Ports           Configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)           Save your Completed Configuration      Connect the Non-root Switch to the Root Switch      Next Step      Troubleshoot the Procedure      Related Information

Download PDF   Add a Non-root Switch for the Catalyst Express 500 Switch

Introduction

This document explains how to add a non-root switch to your network after you have installed and configured Catalyst Express 500 as your root switch. The Catalyst Express 500 switch is the first switch in the network, the "root" switch in the network. All non-root switches are connected to the root switch.

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Requirements

To perform the steps described in this document, you need to have these items:

• A straight-through Ethernet cable to connect your PC to the switch

• A crossover Ethernet cable to connect the switch to the root switch

• A PC with CNA installed on it

  Note: If your PC does not have CNA installed, refer to Download and Install Cisco Network Assistant.

• A configured CE 500 as a root switch and a second switch with Cisco IOS® Software Release 12.0 - 12.2 that has been installed and powered on

  Note: If the switch is not installed, refer to Hardware Setup Procedure for the Catalyst Switch. If your CE 500 switch is not configured, refer to Configure the Catalyst Express 500 switch with CNA.

In addition you must:

• Complete the Worksheets as instructed in the Site Survey namely:

1. LAN Addressing Worksheet

2. Switch Port Assignments Worksheet

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Connect to the New non-root Switch

Follow these steps to connect your PC to the switch for configuration:

• Change the IP address on the PC

• Put the Non-root Switch in Express Setup Mode

• Connect the PC to the switch

Change the IP Address on the PC

Your PC must have a compatible IP address in order to communicate with the switch. Before you change your TCP/IP settings, make a note of your current settings.

To configure the IP address on your PC, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network and Dialup Connections.

2. Right-click on your network connection icon and choose Properties.

3. Select the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click Properties.

4. Enter the IP address 10.0.0.2 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.

   Note: For more instructions on how to configure the IP address on your PC, refer to Configure an IP Address on Your PC.

Put the Non-root Switch in Express Setup Mode

Follow these steps to put the switch in setup mode:

1. Press and hold the Mode button for approximately two seconds or until all the LEDs next to the Mode button except for the RPS LED turns green. On the 2940 switch, hold the Mode button until all the LEDs above the Mode button turns green. On the 2960 switch, hold the Mode button until all the LEDs except the RPS and SPEED turns green.

   

   Note: The model illustrated is a Catalyst 2950. Your switch may look slightly different.

2. When all the LEDs except the RPS LED turns green, release the Mode button. All the LEDs except the RPS LED must remain green. On the 2940 switch, all the LEDs must remain green. On the 2960 switch, all the LEDs except the RPS and SPEED must remain green.

   If the LEDs begin to blink after you have held the Mode button for two seconds or if you do not get the required LEDs to remain lit, then the switch which has an existing configuration does not enter the setup mode. Refer to Troubleshoot the Procedure for assistance.

Connect the PC to the Switch

Follow these steps to connect your PC to the switch:

Note: For configuration, the switch must be connected only to the PC. Verify that no other devices are connected to the switch.

1. Connect one end of a straight-through Ethernet cable to Ethernet port 20 on the front panel of the switch. If you have a 2940 switch, connect one end of a straight-through Ethernet cable to any Ethernet port on the front panel of the switch.

   Note: Port 1 is typically the management port. For VLAN configuration you must not use port 1 as the management port for setup.

2. Connect the other end of the Ethernet cable to the Ethernet port on your PC.

   

3. Verify that the port status LEDs turns green on both of the connected Ethernet ports.

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Configure the New Switch

Follow these steps to add a new switch to your network:

• Connect to the Switch with CNA

• Create a VLAN

• Configure the Host Name

• Configure Passwords

• Set the System Time

• Configure the IP Address

• Configure Smartports

• Save your Current Configuration

• Reconnect to the Switch

• Configure the Remaining Ports

• Configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

• Save your Completed Configuration

Connect to the Switch with CNA

Follow these steps to log in to the switch with CNA:

1. To launch CNA, go to Start > Programs > Cisco Network Assistant > Cisco Network Assistant.

2. When the Connect window opens, type 10.0.0.1 in the Connect To field, and click Connect.

   

   Note: If you are unable to connect to the switch with CNA, see Troubleshoot the Procedure for help.

Create a VLAN

CNA operates in two modes: Expert View and Guide View. The default view for CNA 3.0 is Expert View. To ensure that you are in Expert View, click the Expert button on the far right of the toolbar.

Follow these steps to create a VLAN on the switch:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Switching > VLANs.

   

2. In the VLANs window, click the Configure VLANs tab.

   

3. Click Create to open the Create VLAN window.

   

4. Enter the VLAN information for the new VLAN:

   • Enter 20 in the VLAN ID field.

   • Enter Default in the VLAN Name field.

   • Choose Active from the VLAN Status list.

   

   Click OK.

5. The two VLANs appear in the VLANs window.

   

   Click Apply, and click OK.

6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 to create multiple VLANs for your network like Guest VLAN, Secure-Server VLAN and Management VLAN.

   Note: The CE 500 switch works only in VTP transparent mode and hence all the VLANs configured in your non-root switch must be manually configured in your CE 500 switch. To configure VLANs on CE 500 switch, refer to Configure the Catalyst Express 500 switch with CNA.

Configure the Host Name

The host name identifies the switch. Follow these steps to configure or change the host name on the switch:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Device Properties > Hostname.

   

2. In the New Hostname field, type the Hostname. Select the name of your switch listed in field S1 of the Switch Port Assignments Worksheet. For example, switch 2 is named switch2.

   

   Click OK.

Configure Passwords

Follow these steps to create or change passwords on the switch:

Note: Refer to Password Security for guidelines on how to create secure passwords.

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Device Properties > Users and Passwords.

   

2. In the Users and Passwords window, click the Local Username/Password tab.

3. Click Create.

4. Enter the administrative user name and password information:

   • Enter admin in the Username field.

   • In the password fields, enter the password, and re-enter the password again to confirm. Use the admin password that you entered in field S64 of the Switch Port Assignments Worksheet.

   • Use the Privilege Level list to set the access level to 15. This level has read-write access; all user levels under 15 have read-only access.

   

   Click OK.

   

   Click Apply. The user information appears in the Username list.

5. Click the HTTP Authentication tab.

6. Click the Local Username/Password radio button, and click Apply.

   Note: If you receive an alert message that you have changed your authentication values, click Yes to continue. You need not relaunch the CNA.

7. Click the Enable Password tab.

8. Click Create.

9. In the password fields, enter the enable password, and enter the password again to confirm.

   

   Click OK. Use the enable password that you entered in field S64 of the Switch Port Assignments Worksheet.

10. Click OK in the Users and Passwords window.

    Note: If you receive an alert message that you have changed your authentication values, click Yes to continue.

11. Click OK. When the Network Authentication window appears, log back in to CNA as the admin user. Use the admin password that you entered in field S64 of the Switch Port Assignments Worksheet.

    

Set the System Time

Follow these steps to configure the clock time zone and the Network Time Protocol (NTP) server:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Device Properties > System Time.

   

2. In the System Time window, click Modify.

   

3. In the Modify System Time window, enter the system time information.

   • Use the Time Zone drop-down list to select the correct time zone for your location. Use the system time that you entered in field B13 in the Internet Worksheet.

   • In the Auto Daylight Saving Adjustment drop-down list, select enable.

   Note: You need not manually enter the current time because the switch uses the router as a time server.

   

4. Click OK.

5. In the System Time window, click NTP.

   

6. In the Network Time Server window, next to IP Address: field, enter the IP address of the router that you entered in field L6A of the LAN Addressing Worksheet, and click OK.

   

7. Click OK in the Info: Network Time Server window.

   

8. Click Apply and click OK in the System Time window.

Configure Port Settings

Follow these steps to configure Description, Duplex/Speed and Port Fast settings on your switch ports:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Ports > Port Settings.

   

2. Follow these steps to configure a descriptive name for the ports or interfaces of the switch:

   • Click on the Configuration Settings tab.

   • Click the Description field for Fa0/1 and enter the brief text description of the port. For example the first port of the switch Fa0/1 is connected to Router port hence, enter the text description for that port as Connected to Router.

   

   Click Apply.

3. To enable or disable a switch port, click Status field for the respective port and select enable or disable from the drop-down list. For example to enable port Fa0/2 which is in administratively shut down mode, click on Status for Fa0/2 and select enable from drop-down list.

   

   Click Apply.

4. To configure Duplex/Speed setting for the port, click on Duplex or Speed field for the respective port and select the appropriate value form the drop-down list. For example, to configure a switch port duplex/speed settings for Fa 0/4 port connected to a 10 Mbps Hub, click the Speed field and select 10. Click on Duplex field for the same port and select half.

   

   Click Apply.

5. To enable Port Fast on a port, click Port Fast field for the respective port and select enable from the drop-down list. To disable Port Fast, select disable from the drop-down list. You can choose to enable it for only static-access ports or for both static-access ports and trunk ports.

   

   Click Apply and click OK.

   Note: Use the table to see information on various Switch Port settings that can be configured on your switch.

   Port Settings	Explanation
   Description	Text description of the port. Click Describe in the Port Settings window to describe multiple ports. You cannot use the ? and / characters. If you select more than one port, this field is not available.
   Status	Setting to enable or disable the port, which can be different from the runtime setting. For example, if no device is connected to a port, it can be administratively enabled with a runtime status of DOWN. If you change other settings on a disabled port, they do not take effect until you enable the port. When you disable a port, a linkdown trap is sent to the management station if you configure an SNMP manager.
   Duplex	Follow these steps to set for duplex: full duplex, half duplex, or auto The default setting for Gigabit Ethernet and GigaStack GBIC ports is auto. These ports automatically match the duplex capability of an attached device. To set a duplex value other than auto, the speed value must be other than auto. The duplex value must be auto if the port speed is set to auto and if the port can run at a speed of 1000 Mbps. GigaStack GBIC stack connections operate in half-duplex mode. Point-to-point GigaStack GBIC port connections operate in full-duplex mode.
   Speed	Settings for the 10/100-Mbps and 10/100/1000-Mbps ports: 10 (Ports run at a forced speed of 10 Mbps.) 100 (Ports run at a forced speed of 100 Mbps.) • 1000 (Ports run at a forced speed of 1000 Mbps.) auto (Ports autonegotiate and advertise all available speeds.) The default setting for 10/100- and 10/100/1000-Mbps ports is auto. Ethernet ports can automatically match the transmission speed of an attached device. The default setting for 10/100- and 10/100/1000-Mbps ports is auto. Ethernet ports can automatically match the transmission speed of an attached device.
   Port Fast	Immediately brings a port from the blocking state into the forwarding state by eliminating the forwarding delay (the amount of time a port waits before changing from its STP learning and listening states to the forwarding state).

Configure the IP Address

Configure VLAN 20 with the IP address that you entered in field L9 of the LAN Addressing Worksheet.

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Device Properties > IP Addresses.

   

2. On the Interface Configuration tab, enter the IP address information.

   • Click the IP Address field for VLAN 20, and enter the IP address of the switch that you entered in the LAN Addressing Worksheet (for example, the IP address for switch #2 is in field L9).

   • Choose 255.255.255.0 from the Subnet Mask list.

     

   • Click Apply.

   • Click the Device Configuration tab.

   • Enter the default gateway information for the switch:

     • In the Default Gateway field, enter the IP address for the router that you entered in field L6A of the LAN Addressing Worksheet.

     • In the Domain Name field, enter the domain name for the device that you entered in field B48 of Internet Worksheet.

     • Uncheck the Enable Domain Lookup check box.

   

   Click Apply, and click OK.

Configure Smartports

In order to connect your non-root switch to the CE 500 root switch, you must first configure port 1 as the switch port.

Follow these steps:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Smartports. A window displays with a graphic illustration of the switch.

   

2. Click port 1 to select the port, and click Modify.

3. In the Modify Port Roles window, configure the port role and attributes.

   • Use the Role list to set the port role to Switch.

   • Use the Access VLAN list to set the Access VLAN field to Default (20).

   

   Click OK.

   The port is assigned with the desktop macro, which appears on the switch illustration.

   

   Click Apply in the Smartports window.

   Note: If you receive a warning message that modified ports sets to factory default, click Yes to continue.

   Click OK in the Smartports window.

Save your Current Configuration

Follow these steps to save your configuration.

Note:  When you save your configuration, CNA disconnects from the switch.

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Save Configuration.

2. In the Save Configuration window, use the Hostname list to select the name of your switch listed in field S1 of the Switch Port Assignments Worksheet. For example, switch 2 is named switch2.

   

3. Click Save. This causes the switch to exit setup mode and disconnect from your PC. All the LEDs on the switch are made to shut off except the SYS and STAT LEDs, which remains green.

   Close the CNA application.

Reconnect to the Switch

Follow these steps to reconnect to the switch on a different port:

1. Unplug the Ethernet cable from port 20, and insert the cable into port 1.

2. Change the TCP/IP setting on your PC to match the switch (for example, 192.168.10.50). Right-click on the network connection icon in your system tray and open the network connections window. Right-click on the Local Area Connection icon and choose Properties. Select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), click Properties, and enter the new IP address.

   Note: You need to restart your computer after you change the IP address.

3. Launch CNA. When the Connect window appears, enter the switch IP address from the LAN Addressing Worksheet (for example, field L9 for switch #2), and click Connect.

   

4. When the Network Authentication window appears, log into the switch with the admin user ID and password.

Configure the Remaining Ports

Follow these steps to configure the rest of the ports on the switch:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Smartports. A window displays with a graphic illustration of the switch.

   

2. Drag the slider over ports 10 through 24 (or 48) to highlight the ports with a yellow outline.

3. Click Modify.

4. In the Modify Port Roles window, configure the port type and attributes.

   • Use the Role list to set the macro type to Desktop.

   • Use the Access VLAN list to set the Access VLAN field to Default (20).

     Click OK.

5. Click Apply in the Smartports Setup window.

   Note: If you receive a warning message that modified ports will be set to factory default, click Yes to continue.

6. Click OK in the Smartports Setup window.

   Note: If you receive a warning message that modified ports will be set to factory default, click Yes to continue. The remaining ports are now configured.

Configure Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP) prevents loops from being formed when switches are interconnected via multiple paths. To make the CE 500 switch as your root switch you must configure the non-root switch as follows:

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Switching > STP.

   

2. In the STP window, click Bridge Parameters.

   

3. Click the Priority field of VLAN 20 and from the Priority list choose the value as 40960.

   

4. Repeat the step 3 to increase the priority value as 40960 for all the VLANs configured in the non-root switch.

   Click Apply and click OK.

   Note: If you have CE 500 switch as a non-root switch then you are not allowed to change or configure STP parameters. The CE 500 switch having the lowest MAC address identifier becomes the root switch.

Save your Completed Configuration

Follow these steps to save your configuration:

Note: When you save your configuration, CNA will disconnect from the switch.

1. On the Features tab, click Configure > Save Configuration.

2. In the Save Configuration window, use the Hostname list to select the name of your switch listed in field S1 of the Switch Port Assignments Worksheet. For example, switch 2 is named switch2.

   

3. Click Save. You can now close the CNA application.

4. To disconnect your PC from the switch, remove the Ethernet cable from the ports on the PC and the switch. You need to restore the TCP/IP settings on your PC to the original values. Refer to Configure an IP Address on Your PC for instructions.

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Connect the Non-root Switch to the Root Switch

You need a crossover cable to connect the new switch to the root switch. Refer to Cable Descriptions for more information on cable types.

• To connect your switch to a repeater or another switch, use a crossover Ethernet cable.

• To connect your switch to a server, workstation, or router, use a straight-through Ethernet cable.

Follow these steps to connect the new switch to the root switch:

1. Connect one end of the crossover Ethernet cable to port 6 on the root switch.

2. Insert the other end of the crossover Ethernet cable to port 1 on the new switch.

3. Wait for approximately thirty seconds, and verify whether the port status LED on the switch turns green. If the LED is off and does not turn green, see Troubleshoot the Procedure for help.

   Note: To add additional switches, use ports 7, 8, and 9 on the root switch.

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Next Step

You have completed the setup of your non-root switch.

To make further changes to your switch, refer to the Switch Support Page.

To configure other devices in your network, refer to the Configuration Overview Page.

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Troubleshoot the Procedure

This section provides information about the common problems that you may encounter. If this information does not solve your problem, contact the SMB Technical Assistance Center (SMB TAC) for assistance.

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Related Information

• Site Survey
• Download and Install Cisco Network Assistant
• Configure the Catalyst Switch with Cisco Network Assistant
• Configure an IP Address on Your PC
• Cable Descriptions
• Password Security