Stuart_C Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I'm just installing some new HP Provcurve kit. However I wasn't given enough money to replace all the current kit on sit so I'm trying to get it to communicate with some old Nortel 450 switches. When I link up the fibre connections between the Nortel and the HP GBIC modules there is no connection. However there is a connection down the fibre when the Nortel switches talk to each other and then the HP switches I have replaced talk to each other. Is it normal for differnet manufatures to not to work together? I've had some netgear switches working with the HP modules. Or is it the case that the HP modules will only run at 1Gb and the Nortel stuff has a maximum speed of 100 Mb? Interestingly I can't see any light transmitted by the nortel fibre modules, yet I can with the HP.
CyberNerd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 port shutdown? - they often are on first config. Twisted transmit-receive fibres?
synaesthesia Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Different modules may not work in certain switches at all - HP are buggers for this. HP modules in HP kit only, can't even use 3com ones!
CyberNerd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 HP modules in HP kit only, can't even use 3com ones! There was a firmware that fixed this.
glennda Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I would have said it is most likely the data is being send down the same cable as each other. use a phone and point it at the cable and see which side the beeam is coming from then compare this to the beam which is coming from the gbic? I.e Nortel is sending data down a to a on the HP but the HP is trying to send data down a whereas it should be sending it down B. Its just a case of swapping over which way around the cables are in the pair (normallly quite easy depending on patch lead and style).
DMcCoy Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 What are the Gbics in each switch? Assuming they are both multimode or single mode the issue could be that 1Gb SFPs run at 1Gb or nothing.
Stuart_C Posted February 19, 2013 Author Posted February 19, 2013 What are the Gbics in each switch? Assuming they are both multimode or single mode the issue could be that 1Gb SFPs run at 1Gb or nothing. Cheers for the responses. I know its not the paring (transmit/receive) as I've tried swapping them round. And I'm using HP gbic's in HP kit. It's actual communication between the switches that's the issues. Having looked over the config the only option I have for the fibre on the HP switches is 1000Mb where as I know the Nortel switches only run at 100Mb so I'm leaning towards this suggestion. I wondered of there were any other ideas.
glennda Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 Cheers for the responses. I know its not the paring (transmit/receive) as I've tried swapping them round. And I'm using HP gbic's in HP kit. It's actual communication between the switches that's the issues. Having looked over the config the only option I have for the fibre on the HP switches is 1000Mb where as I know the Nortel switches only run at 100Mb so I'm leaning towards this suggestion. I wondered of there were any other ideas. I would try setting both switches to 100mb Full duplex and see if that makes a difference.
CyberNerd Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I would try setting both switches to 100mb Full duplex and see if that makes a difference. I don't think you can downgrade SFPs ? - as @DMcCoy said "1Gb SFPs run at 1Gb or nothing."
glennda Posted February 19, 2013 Posted February 19, 2013 I don't think you can downgrade SFPs ? - as @DMcCoy said "1Gb SFPs run at 1Gb or nothing." Depends on what switches you have and also gbics there are multiple types which are compatible with the HP switches. The HP E2610's you can set the speed at which the GBIC's run (to 100mb if required) I think it might just be you can only set the duplex mode.
DMcCoy Posted February 20, 2013 Posted February 20, 2013 Depends on what switches you have and also gbics there are multiple types which are compatible with the HP switches. The HP E2610's you can set the speed at which the GBIC's run (to 100mb if required) I think it might just be you can only set the duplex mode. You could replace it with a 100Mb gbic. If you check the spec sheets for 1Gb gbics you will notice the only standard they support is 1000M full duplex.
synaesthesia Posted March 4, 2013 Posted March 4, 2013 There was a firmware that fixed this. Where would one get hold of that? 5406zl switch. Google-fu fails me.
truebluesteve Posted March 24, 2013 Posted March 24, 2013 We've had issues before where some of our older Netgear switches won't auto negotiate with our Extreme core switch. The only option was to force the Netgear to connect at 1Gb I have also had the issue with some Gbics not working on our new Procurves
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