Stacking Netgear switches

[Simcfc73]

Morning,

 

I am in the process of installing a new M5300 switch which I intend to stack with a GSM7328S. Has anyone done stacking with these models? I have attached the module and linked the cables but nothing has happened?

[mdrabble]

You can only stack the same model switches.

 

Mxxxx -> Mxxxx

XSMxxx -> XSM xxxx

 

You could use a direct attached cable and to they would link at 10Gb but they would be managed as separate switches.

[Simcfc73]

According to here I should be able to

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/wired-networks/139504-stacking-etgear-switches.html#post1200381

 

Actually just seen on this that the firmware needs to be 10.0.0.25 and my GSM is only running 8 so that might explain it.

[mdrabble]

We had a Netgear rep come into school as we were in the process of having a new 6th Block build and we wanted to to upgrade our core GSM7352S switches to include an XSM7224S and we were told cannot stack them due to different models but we can link aggregate them using 2 links to get a 20Gb Connection instead of a 10Gb connection from 1 cable.

[Simcfc73]

Ah okay, will look at the settings at changing the, to links then

[Tricky_Dicky]

THe M5300 is just the slightly newer version of the GSM7xxx series and yes they do stack and it works fine. We had a fault with one of our GSM7xxx series and it was swapped out for the M5300 and it's working perfectly fine.

 

Just enable stacking on both switches on the correct port before you connect them and then power them up in the order you want them to be stacked.

[Sephiroth]

I have a site full of M5300s. I've not tried stacking with another model, but I do know that they have to have exactly the same firmware version. Also, if you have PoE on one of them, make sure that it is the primary switch otehrwise you won't get the PoE management options

[Simcfc73]

Probably a dumb question but...I just use one stacking kit (one AX in each switch) if I only have 2 switches I want to stack or do I have to loop them back and have 2 cards in each switch?

[Sephiroth]

Probably a dumb question but...I just use one stacking kit (one AX in each switch) if I only have 2 switches I want to stack or do I have to loop them back and have 2 cards in each switch?

No, you only need one, though you can use 2 if you configure it properly (don't ask me how though )

 

I believe that each stacking kit is 12Gb/s throughput, so 2 together would be 24Gb/s

Edited July 14, 2014 by Sephiroth

[Simcfc73]

Got it working, using 1 card as the stack and the other as Ethernet.