0

I have a Dell PowerConnect 2216 switch. When I plug one cable connected to LAN port #1 of my router it works fine:

_____________________________________________
| Router | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC |
|--------|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|
| None   | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC |
|________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|

But, when I connect two (Ports #1 and #2) it like this:

_____________________________________________
| Router | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC |
|--------|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|
| Router | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC | PC |
|________|____|____|____|____|____|____|____|

It runs very slowly (if at all). I want both for redundancy as well as (possibly) added speed. I'm unsure if I'm supposed to do something special to make it work.

Grammargeek
  • 130
  • 1
  • 1
  • 7
  • 1
    Link aggregation / LACP. Provides both redundancy and improved performance when both links are working. Exactly what it is called and how to configure it depends on the specific devices and it generally just works once both sides are configured the same. – Brian Dec 24 '15 at 06:56

1 Answers1

1

When plugging both cables between the same two devices you are effectively creating a loop in the network.

You should setup either spanning tree or some link aggregation between the devices. However, you would need a better switch since the PowerConnect does not support either of those technologies as far as I can see. It also depends on your router since that has to support LACP as well. In your case, I would just go for the single link solution as it seems to be the simplest.

Grammargeek
  • 130
  • 1
  • 1
  • 7
Frederik
  • 3,359
  • 3
  • 32
  • 46
  • Ok, thanks! But how do I do that? – Grammargeek Dec 24 '15 at 11:35
  • You would need a better switch since the PowerConnect does not support either of those technologies as far as I can see. It also depends on your router since that has to support LACP as well. In your case, I would just go for the single link solution as it seems to be the simplest. – Frederik Dec 24 '15 at 11:38
  • Ok, thanks :) If you add that to your answer, I'll mark it. – Grammargeek Dec 24 '15 at 11:39
  • Do you have any suggestions for switches and/or routers? – Grammargeek Dec 24 '15 at 11:41
  • Product recommendations are generally offtopic for StackExchange because such answers quickly gets outdated, but look for some of the bigger brands and look for a switch that supports LACP – Frederik Dec 24 '15 at 12:01
  • Ok, thanks :) what if we talked in the IRC thing. (Speaking of which where is the button for that) – Grammargeek Dec 24 '15 at 12:59