CISCO Catalyst Express 500 CDP and STP question.

[NPMGbulgaria]

Hello!

We have two CISCO Catalyst Express 500 switches with some ports in "access" mode, and some ports in "trunk" mode. However, you cannot configure the switches directly ( i.e. IOS CLI ), you have to use the webUI or CISCO Configuration Assistant - the so-called smartports settings. When the ports are configured as connected to "switch", or "other", the switch automatically starts sending STP and CDP packets through them.

Is there any way we can disable the sending of such packets on an interface level (or as a last resort globally)? We found the setting for STP in the Configuration Assistant, but we cannot locate one for the CDP - which is maybe more important in terms of security.

Any ideas?

[Giuseppe Larosa]

Hello Biser,

if you have security concerns you should have bought true switches with CLI configurability.

CE 500 is thought for small business, so for example it does not support VTP mode client and so on.

I'm afraid that if it is not included in the provided templates smartports you cannot achieve this.

You might try to open a case to ask for this feature. ( = a modified switch port template that allows for CDP to be disabled with an additional flag)

Hope to help

Giuseppe