We've been integrating and verifying some RSTP-capable hardware and have discovered what appears to be a minor bug in the SRW2008 RSTP protocol implementation. We've discovered that the SRW2008 switch fails to become the root bridge in spite of having a lower MAC address. In our testbench, we have an SRW2008 and another OEM's Ethernet module with RSTP (call it the equipment under test). The SRW2008 has a lower MAC address than the EUT and both devices have the default priority setting of 32768; yet the EUT becomes root bridge. Changing the RSTP priority from the defaults (by increasing the numerical value on the EUT or decreasing the value on the SRW2008) will result in the SRW2008 becoming the root bridge. The OEM hardware manufacturer has verified that it is a SRW2008 problem; while they didn't have any SRW2008 switches available, they simulated one by assigning the SRW2008's MAC address to a representative switch. In their set up, their simulated SRW2008 assumed the role of root bridge (without any change to the priority settings) over the same EUT hardware we're using in our lab. This demonstrates the problem is a failure of the real SRW2008 hardware and not the EUT.
Has anyone else noticed this behavior in the SRW2008? I do have the latest firmware v1.0.4 installed.
I realize that this is a discontinued product from the Linksys line.
