SG200-26P Issues

[mgriffith1]

This is my first time posting here. I have been assigned the unfortunate task of upgrading a poorly designed and barely (mis!)managed network of 40 PCs.Bear in mind that I am basically a PC hardware/software guy with experience on smaller SOHO networks only. I just replaced the existing switches with four SG200-26P switches connected to a RV180 router. I also have two WAP200 wireless access points.

The switches are configured on the default VLAN1 as is the router and APs. Firmware for all devices are the latest. All devices sync time with NIST servers.

We are experiencing slow internet/network performance intermittently and what seems to be random. I installed Solarwinds on a PC for monitoring. It reports that machines are dropping and experiencing high packet loss but the next polling interval it will be normal. There is no specific switch where this is occurring. Pages will load lightning fast then clicking a link will fail to load.Nodes are constantly dropping and coming back up even though they never lose network or internet connection.

DNS is properly configured and working. The lights on all switches blink in unison and there doesn't seem to be any excessive traffic on any given port that's in use.

As I gain experience I will implement SNMP and work on monitoring the network the right way. Right now I need some serious help identifying and fixing the current issue, which is driving me nuts. Thanks in advance for any help... 

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[Tom Watts]

Hi Michael. First thing I'd say to do is upgrade software on every unit and factory default them. Let every device run on the default configuration (including the router, only minimal config to make the internet work).

See how things work out like this first. If there's no problems then you know the router isn't the problem. Then I'd start tinkering with only one switch making whatever changes you did, 1 change at a time and monitor the network to see if any problems, then if no problems, change all the switches how you like (without introducing new variables that you didn't initially configure on the first switch).

-Tom
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[Brandon Svec]

Michael, I concur with Tom's suggestion but can also suggest another way you may get lucky and not need to go through so much effort.  Do you think packet loss is only with internet access? You may have a duplex mismatch between the switch port that connects to the internet router.  Try to look at settings for those ports on both devices and consider trying to hard code them 100/Full instead of auto to see if you get good results.

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[mgriffith1]

Thanks guys. I am using Cat 6 cross-overs for uplink to switches, set to auto-negotiate and currently connected at 1000mbps. I've reset to factory defaults (except for the router - I can't take it down right now) and replaced 5 cables after running copper tests on all ports. I also removed an iffy 5-port edge switch on someone's desk. Progress, I think.

A funny thing with the router is that it now suggests that almost all IP's in the DHCP range are seen as static. I have never sseen that until after the switches reset. My DHCP range in xxx.11 to xxx.150, with the rest reserved for static IPs. It always reported the IP allocation correctly. I did reboot it and the status remains.

It's starting to look like an infrastructure/cabling issue as response times have improved across the board but five or six nodes are still funky in regards to packet loss and dropping off.

[mgriffith1]

And no, it isn't an issue with just the internet. Quickbooks users are getting booted off the server as well.

[Tom Watts]

Michael, as quirky as it may, it may  be a firmware issue on the switches. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt you had a functional/operation network beforehand without these problems (or may be these problems existed and it was concluded the old network was the problem)

The SB switches, especially the 200 series, I've seen quite a lot of times it's just the old software not playing nice out of the box. 1.1.2.0 is the most stable release as far as I'm concerned but the newest stuff gives more features and is pretty decent for stability. Once we can rule out the network, we can help rule out any other problems even for a lot of stuff that is non-Cisco or at the minimum help get in to the right direction.

-Tom
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[mgriffith1]

I'm running 1.3.2 as of yesterday. I downloaded it for SNMP support, but the problems existed since I installed the switches on Monday. We have had network problems recently, but not on this scale, and it was decided (not by me) to replace all of our switches.

I have taken out two edge switches in order to take them out of the equation. As time progresses things get worse in terms of machines dropping off. There doesn't seeem to be any rhyme or reason to the dropoffs. Traffic stats through the switch ports doesn't seem to be out of the ordinary.