Connect 9200L switches without stack cable

[Bhardwajp]

Hi All,

Hope you are doing well

We have 2 9200L 24 port  switches and forget to order stack cables for them.

Is there any possibility by which we can make sure that users connected to switch A can communication to switch B incase Distribution switch goes down.

We are installing Application server 192.168.1.4(No internet or any outside connectivity required will be accessible by internal user only VLAN 5) which will be connected switch A and i want users connected to Switch B will be able to access it. Number of users access this server will to around 40 so not possible to connect all user in one switch.

Both the new 9200L switches are mounted in the same rack.

Thanks in advance

[rhallinan7387]

You could always connect the 2 access switches with a trunk and tune spanning tree appropriately so that link is blocking. Then if link to the distribution switch does go down (either because the switch is down or the link fails) - the link would transition to forwarding. 

[Bhardwajp]

Hi Rhallinan,

Thanks for promt response

What tuning in spanning tree you are referring to

[rhallinan7387]

Well - for STP - you first want to make sure you have defined the STP root bridge for the environment - here likely the L3 switch. That should ensure that the root port on each switch is the ones you're using currently to connect 'north' in your image. Once you create a link between the two 9200Ls it should just normally function - but to make sure - you can also set the cost higher on that cross-link - helping to ensure that the link between the 2 becomes the blocking link in the STP loop. Does that help?

Please be sure to mark helpful replies.

[Leo Laohoo]

Wait for the stacking modules to show up. 

This will make managing the switches easier and makes the network less complicated.