Network Help

[zipperman19]

Hey guys,

I just got my new network installed but am having a little trouble getting it and control4 to communicate. The problem that I am having is that the director isn't showing up automatically on the list. Also, none of the devices are showing up in the System Manager. However when I add them individually, I can connect to them. I disabled Spanning Tree on the switch because I read that control4 isn't compatible with it. Are there anyother things I should look at?

Thanks,

Harrison

[RyanE]

Are you using a wireless connection to the machine running Composer? I know that if I'm on my wi-fi connection, the director machine does't always show up.

RyanE

[alano]

Can you clarify 'new network'? What all is new? I assume you had a working system before?

Can you ping the ip of your controller?

Can you manually add your controller in composer and connect?

[zipperman19]

Sorry guys, I should have given more details. We used to have a sonicwall vpn router/switch, but were having trouble getting it, control4, and the tablets to connect. So we switched the network with a new linksys router, switch, and WAPs. Now we in system manager, none of the controllers, amps, or devices show up and they need to be manually added. The same happens when I open compser and look for director. I need to add the IP of the MC running director. This problem happens from a wired or wireless computer.

[alano]

What model is the switch? Is it a managed switch?

It sounds like it's blocking broadcasts. Some linksys switches have "broadcast storm control" that could be it.

If it's a managed switch, you should be able to disable broadcast control.

You don't have any vlans setup do you?

[zipperman19]

I'll take a look at that now, Thanks. The switch is a managed switch, but none of the C4 is directly connected to it. All of the Control4 is hooked up in a different closet through a Dell switch connected to the Linksys switch in the other room. I don't think its the Dell because we never changed that.

It is a managed switch. The only vlan that is setup is the defualt vlan. But it's completely blank and not doing anything.

I have tried disabling Multicasting and Spanning Tree because I think they need to be disabled. They do right?

The Switch is SRW224G4P. The Router is RV042 and the WAPs are WAP54GP.

Thanks for you help!

[alano]

I believe that's a layer 3 switch...which works just like a regular layer 2 switch but uses layer 3 information for forwarding packets. That is, instead of mac addresses it uses IP addresses. (Basically a router without a wan interface). Any reason for buying that switch and not a simple layer 2 switch?

I bet if you plug your notebook directly into the Dell switch, you can 'find' all of the control4 devices.

If that works, plug your computer back into the linksys switch, try setting up a vlan between the port your dell switch is connected to and the the port you just plugged into. This should create a broadcast domain between the 2 ports.

[zipperman19]

Thank you. I'll give that a try tomorrow. I need to make the vlan between the dell port, all the wap ports (we have 3 10.5s), and my main pc. Hope this works and I can put this issue behind. And there's no major reason I bought that switch. I made a post a few weeks ago asking which components (router, switch, WAPs) to buy and didn't get many responses, but someone said it should work so I went with it.

[zipperman19]

I tried setting up a VLAN but it still wasn't working. Is there anyone that has used a similar Linksys 24port Switch that had the same problem and fixed it. I even tried calling Linksys, but they didn't know what I was talking about or what I wanted to open up.

I'm thinking of returning this switch and buying an unmanged one and using like 6 POE injectors becuase I havent been able to find an unmanaged switch w/ POE.

Thanks

[alano]

I don't think the issue has to do with whether or not it's a managed switch, it's the fact that it's a layer switch (which is bascially a router).

This is what I use

http://www.netgear.com/Products/Switches/DesktopSwitches/FS116P.aspx

It works pefectly....and it's only $180.

[joed]

Alano,

Can you post something that explains what you mean by "forwarding based on IP addresses"?

If a switch forwarded packets in a VLAN based on something other than MAC address it would create BIG problems!

This switch appears to be layer 2 only. Layer 3 switches are switches that are routers, which allows you to route between vlans. There needs to be some type of virtual vlan interface to allow this. This Linksys switch does not posses this capablility.

Disclaimer: I work at Cisco, which owns Linksys

[danlevine]

Zipperman - Why would you want an unmanaged switch vs a managed switch if you have the option? Being able to manage the switch is a very powerful tool.

Checkout the dell switches, they have been very reliable for us. We made the switch to them a few months back and have had NO issues.

The only switches we currently support are Dell / Foundry / HP

[joed]

Zipperman19,

I would make sure all the port settings on the Linksys are set to ACCESS mode. The default is GENERAL, which means it can negotiate a trunk port with the Dell.

Also I would check to make sure none of the ports are negotiating the wrong duplex or speed settings. If you see CRC errors or broadcasts there is a setting problem.

Looks like the broadcast filtering is disabled by default.

I would not disable spanning-tree or multicast.

In spanning-tree i would use MSTP (802.1s) and make sure "port fast" is enabled on the ports that connect to your end points.

Does anyone know how Composer finds a controller on the network. Does it use multicast?

- Joe

[joed]

Before you go off and buy another switch to only have the same issue. I would make sure the problem is with the Linksys first.

I would plug everything into the Linksys first and see if it works. If it doesn't then there is a problem with the switch.

My guess is there is an issue in the connection between the Linksys and Dell switch. In an effort to make our lives easier, all switch makers enable stuff by default.....but sometimes it can get you into trouble.

- Joe

[alano]

jdorman, I thought, by definition, a layer 3 switch is a device that forwards packets based on layer 3 information?

If Zippermans switch supports vlans does that not make it a layer 3 switch?

[joed]

Not by a long shot.

A switch can support multiple VLANs but not route them.

There are plenty of Layer 2 only switches on the market.

They require an external router to route between the VLANs.

- Joe

[zipperman19]

I'm positive the problem is the switch. I plugged my laptop directly into the dell, as alano suggested, and I was able to see all the C4 components except for the wireless touch screen which connect through the linksys. I also tried putting the dell into the router and I was able to see all the devices from my laptop plugged into another port on the router. But for some reason, nothing is able to get through the switch.

All the ports were originally set to "Access" but it wasn't working and I moved it "General" with ingress filtering not enabled. My thinking was that general would allow more traffic through. I disabled the "Global STP" and unchecked "IGMP Snooping Status." I looked and I don't see any CRC errors but all enabled ports are receiving broadcasts. "Port Broadcast Control" was checking and I unchecked it.

It wasn't working when I made these changes, and it still doesn't work even after I checked/unchecked those options. Thank you for you help jdorman and everyone else! Is there anything else you suggest I do besides what you suggested above?

-Harrison

[joed]

Does it work when you plug everything into the Linksys? This would prove the Linksys is at fault.

If so then the issue would be between the Linksys and the Dell.

I would put the ports back into access mode on the Linksys. The "general" setting looks like it could cause some problems if the other switch thinks it is a trunk port.

On the dell, what is the port configuration on the port connecting to the linksys. I would put that in access mode if possible too.

Bottom line is that there should be no reason why two switches connecting back to back should have an issue forwarding packets.

[zipperman19]

When everything is plugged into the Linksys, I can plug my laptop into the dell and see the C4 gear but I can't see anything if my laptop is plugged into the linksys. If I move the dell from the linksys switch to the router, a computer plugged into the router can see the equipment but a computer plugged into the switch can't. The dell isn't the problem because before I put the Linksys switch in, I didn't have this problem with my other switch. I called tech support once, but didn't get far because I didn't really know what Control4 was using that was getting blocked by the switch.

[joed]

The reason why I said check the Dell, is because it might take a different default behavior when you plugged it into the Linksys, from what it did with your previous switch.

When I said plug everything into your linksys switch I meant everything. Controller and endpoints. Then do you see everything? If you don't then the problem is the Linksys.

If your POE devices are off the linksys but your controller is still plugged into the Dell, if there is an issue between the switches, of course you would still see an issue even if your PC is plugged into the Linksys.

I truely believe that the issue is the port settings between your Dell and the Linksys.

I always see issues when connecting different switch manufacturers.

The other common issues are endpoint not negotiating speed and duplex correctly.

- Joe

[joed]

Can someone comment on the protocols used between the Composer software and the Controllers? And between the Controller and IP connected endpoints?

- Joe

[zipperman19]

Okay I understand what you mean. The C4 components and the linksys switch are in different closets. Tomorrow I'll put a HTC directly on the linksys and see if is visable in the system manager. I don't see anoy of the 10.5" TS which are powered from POE WAPs off the linksys, so I don't think I'll see the HTC. I had to manually put the MAC address of the 3 TSs's in composer for them to work, but I can't update them and composer doesn't really see them, but they work.

[zipperman19]

Thanks for all your help everybody. I ended up buying the Netgear FS116P that Alano recommended. It works great and all of the WAPs and LAN between C4 gear are communicating properly. I wasn't able to figure out why the Linksys Switch was causing a problem, but I left it in to use for my computer LAN. The FS116P was so easy to setup. It doesn't even have a web interface, its just plug and play.