UC540 with Allied Telesis 8000S Switches

[HarryBoy7]

Hi All,

This is my first post - so please be gentle!

One of the sites I look after uses Allied Telesis switches and routers (and this is what I trained on) with a UC540. I see that the UC540 is attached to the AT8000S switches via the expansion port. Can someone recommend the optimum configuration in this scenario? Should the UC540 be trunking through one of the switch ports or the expansion port? I know that the UC540 can configure the Catalyst switches via the expansion port so should the AT switch be connected here? Also, since they are using non-Cisco switches I think I should enable LLDP-MED and disable CDP - what are your thoughts?

Regards, Shayne Harris - New Zealand

[paolo bevilacqua]

Any switch should be connected to EXP as preference. However alsoPoE ports will work.

Note when using non-cisco switches, non-CDP etc, results are not guaranteed.

[HarryBoy7]

Hi Paolo,

Thanks for your input.

I will have to make do with the AT-8000S swtiches as we won't change brands - so I need to make this work.

From what I have noted I need to turn off CDP and turn on LLDP-MED. I also need to ensure the FX port is set to Trunk and Vlan1/Vlan100-Tagged. Is the EXP port ethernet 0/1/8 ? I think I should also enable spanning tree port-fast on the switch also. Currently, the UC540 is sitting on a totally different wired infrastructure, the customer is moving to a new building and I want to take the opportunity to re-configure the UC.

Thanks for your help

Shayne

[Dennis Bigelow]

Hi Shayne,

The only down fall to using LLDP is you will have to enable LLDP on every phone. You will have to tag the switchports with  the voice VLAN then this should work for you.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Chris

[HarryBoy7]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your advice.

Upon checking the phones at the client premise I see that LLDP-MED is already enabled on them by default. I did'nt enable LLDP-MED either so, I'm not sure why it is already enabled... CDP is off BTW ( I did that)

I figure once I configure LLDP-MED on the switch the phones should then pickup Vlan1 Data and Vlan100 Tagged.

Cheers

Shayne

[Dennis Bigelow]

For optimum performance with the UC, I would have to recommend SG300 or SG500 series. But what you have should work for you.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps10898/data_sheet_c78-610061.html

Regards,

Chris

[HarryBoy7]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your input.

Sorry if I tread on toes here but, the Telco who sold me this UC package assured me it would work with our current infrastructure. I have trained exclusively with Allied Telesis routers and switches (it's what I know) - so am reluctant to add a differnet brand in the networks I look after. I hear what you are saying though. I think if the Telco had said to me that I must use Cisco switches I would have gone with NEC.

Thanks!

Shayne