Reg: Stackable Switches

[Janardhan Meesala]

Dear Experts!!!

I planned to install stackable switches in my network. After stacking is we need to give uplinks between swithes or not????

Regards,

Janardhan

[tommyboay]

Hi Janardhan,

If you mean switches inside the same stack, the answer is no. The stack is built with specific cables and ports that offers high bandwitdh interswitch links. Depending on the switch model / generation, stacking may also offer the capability of configuring your devices as one logical unit.

Here is an example with a stack of two 3750E switches I have that is seen as one single logical device. (partial show ver)

Switch Ports Model              SW Version            SW Image

------ ----- -----              ----------            ----------

*    1 54    WS-C3750E-48TD     12.2(58)SE1           C3750E-UNIVERSALK9-M

     2 54    WS-C3750E-48TD     12.2(58)SE1           C3750E-UNIVERSALK9-M

In this case, do not forget to set priority to have fast and deterministic master election (show by the * in the ouput)

[ankugarg]

Purpose of stacking is just to help to increase the number of ports..You don't need any uplink between switches being stacked..Only stacking cables are sufficient.

[Latchum Naidu]

Hi Janardhan,

If you are planning to stack all switches in one stack then no need to have uplinks between switches as thse all switches will be connecting with stacking cable.

If you are planning to have two seperate stack switches say like 3 switches in one stack and another 3 switches in another stack then you need to have uplink between all switches like below figure.

Please rate the helpful posts.
Regards,
Naidu.

[Joseph W. Doherty]

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Posting

Not for the switches in the same stack, as also noted by the other posters.

The special stack cables usually provide additional features not available when using ordinary uplink/downlink connections, such as much more bandwidth and/or allowing all the switches in the stack operate as a single device.

For the latest 3750-X series, there's a second set of special stack cables that also shares power between switches in the same stack.