New managed switches not visable

[TMBS]

Hi

 

We just installed ZyXEL GS1900-48HP managed switches around school. I can log into the IP of the first switch okay but not any others, I just get a site cannot be reached error. If I try and ping them I get a destination host unreachable. They are obviously working as a switch as computers are connected and working.

 

We run an RM CC4.5 network which has also gone very slow, students are struggling opening Word documents from the shared area. We also have Smoothwall filtering onsite, not sure if that would affect anything?

 

I've never used managed switches before and really don't know where to go from here. Advice on what to try next would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Tracey

Edited April 27, 2017 by TMBS

[NB9457]

What do you run as the core? Have the switches been configured at all and are there any VLANs? Also are they in stacks and how many uplinks run to the new switches and at what speeds?

[andydis]

do you have any VLANS setup?

[TMBS]

The core switch is one of the new ZyXEL switches, is that what you mean? The company who provided the switches configured them with a static IP and our Gateway. We wanted to set up the VLANS which is why we've purchased the managed switches but at the moment can't get those set up. We have no VLANS currently in school, it was previously a flat network.

 

We have a 100mbps broadband connection with 9 switches around school, most with a fibre connection but some are Cat5.

 

I'm afraid that's about as technical I get when it comes to switches.

 

I've spoken to RM who have pretty much said it's an issue with the switches and not RM.

 

Thanks

Tracey

 

- - - Updated - - -

 

No not at present.

[NB9457]

Who installed the switches? It sounds like it could be a config issue

[hallb15]

If they are working as switches allowing the connected PCs to access the network, then it sounds like the IP addresses you have been given for the switches are not correct. You could try using the arp -a command to find the mac addr of the one working switch, then look for similar mac addresses (the first 6 digits should be the same) and see what IP addresses they have.

[jslate1980]

Zyxel have utility you can download called zon which will find out the ip addresses for your switches have been setup. Have a look on there website.

[TMBS]

I've downloaded the Zon utility which has picked up all the switches! It shows the IP as still being 192.168.1.1 though, even though the company who came in to set them up said he'd configured them all with static IPs and to be fair I did watch him set them up.

 

The problem I have now is how do I tell which switch is which? They've all been put up around the school...

 

Thanks for all your help, I feel at least I'm one step closer!

 

Tracey

[mukz]

Did they not provide you with a list of switches with serial numbers and locations? Maybe you could find the serial number or mac address from the utility and check the documentation?

[LytchettNM]

OK simple this to try, assuming you have a laptop you can use.

Install Zon software, angry IP scanner and then set a static IP address in the range the school uses on said laptop.

Go to each switch in turn, disconnect that switch from the rest of the schools network ( so you might need to do this out of normal hours) then plug in your laptop and fire up the Zon utility and see if it can find the switch you are plugged into!

If that does not work then change the static IP to something like 192.168.1.22 and then try the Zon thing again, if Zon can't find anything try angry IP and ping the whole range.

I would expect to find an IP on each switch that is different to the other switches on your network.

Sorry but I don't know the switch you are using but most managed switches come with a com's port and provided with a serial cable when should allow you to log directly into the switch via telnet take a look at the instructions for how to.

Hope this helps.