X440-G2 10GB Uplink - bad snare if you miss 10GB LIC

[M_Nees]

Today we have a very painful and time-killing problem. Be careful NOT to run into the same issue.

We using X440-G2 with 10GB GBICs on the Uplink ports (51-52 - with Dual 10GB LIC) linked to 2x X670-G2 also with 10GB GBICs.
Some of my collegues configured the X440-G2 BUT do NOT install the 10GB License.

If you connect that Switch to the CORE you does not get a link. But light comes out of the fibre cable and seemed to be OK. If you check transceiver information on CORE switch you can see that you have excellent signal - but the link on the CORE Switch does not come up! Damn!

If you have a look at the X440-G2 the log tells you that the 10GB Port have a 10GB GBIC but you do NOT have a 10GB license, so the speed is reduced to 1GB!
Does this make sense ?

The result is that the 10GBIC sending out a signal but a 10GB GBIC cannot never run in 1GB mode. So there will never ever be a link. Talking with some other network guys telling me that a very usual mistake a lot of people running into this pitfall.

From my point of view it was better if the developers disable the 10GB GBIC completely to avoid such tricky problems!

Regards,
Matthias

[Ian_Broadway]

as an additional query to the licensing of the 10Gb uplinks. they come in two flavours. A dual and a quad license.

16542 Dual 10GbE Upgrade License
License that converts the two non-stack 1GbE SFP ports to be 10GbE SFP+
16543 Quad 10GbE Upgrade License
License that converts four 1GbE SFP ports to be 10GbE SFP+

So the quad is to enable the 4 SFP ports on the front for 10Gb? and the dual for the back ports? but there are 4 of them on the back? can you also use the 10GBase-T for uplinks with this license? as interconnects to other switches in the same rack for example?

[Ian_Broadway]

Great thank you

[Drew_C]

The license enables the four 10G ports on the back of the 24 and 48 port models.
http://documentation.extremenetworks.com/summit/Summit_Family_HW_Install/Switch_ovrvu/c_x440-g2-48t-...
Regarding the 10GBase-T on the 48 port models, they share a port number with the last two 10G SFP+ ports (combo-ports).

On the 12 port models, the 10G ports are on the front of the switch.
http://documentation.extremenetworks.com/summit/Summit_Family_HW_Install/Switch_ovrvu/c_x440-g2-12p-...

[M_Nees]

Hi,

one more "field experience" - in germay we have a lot of IT racks / closets that are only accessable from front side (NOT from back side).

So placing the Uplink at rear not sometimes a little bit cumbersome. But i understand the space on a switch circuit board / fron panel is very limited.

But if the designers put the port indicator LEDs are also on the front panel is is easier to check is link is up or activity. (i mean that there are LEDs at rear beside that ports and additionally at front to have all port in view if you stand in front of that switch).

Regards

[M_Nees]

Additional note - during a current customer installation project, i realize that X440-G2 Switches does have LEDs of rear ports (49-52) at front !!
That is nice.
(it seem that i was blind last time!)