• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Enough about my stupid blunder... now post pics of your network! (if you are allowed)

M

Mucman

Diamond Member
My boss (the head sys admin) was out on a ski trip and we had some colo clients moving their servers to our new network room. Right now we just have a 24-port Cisco Catalyst switch with only two ports occupied (1 for net connection, the other for this colo). We have only setup their VLAN so they should plug it in and it should work... well it does! The problem is that in their track they have 3 other machines that we colo and it is on another VLAN. I had setup VLANs before when my boss told me exactly everything to type but I was on my own this time...

So I tried playing with the switch (telnet) and attempted to configure it...

I am trying to configure VLAN 33 to go through FastEthernet0/6. I have entered the following when in conf mode :

C2924XL-1(config-if)#switchport ?
access Set access mode characteristics of the interface
mode Set trunking mode of the interface
multi Set characteristics when in multi-VLAN mode
priority Set 802.1p priorities
trunk Set trunking characteristics of the interface
voice Voice appliance attributes

C2924XL-1(config-if)#switchport multi ?
vlan Set multi-VLAN mode VLANs

C2924XL-1(config-if)#switchport multi vlan ?
LINE VLAN IDs of VLANs to be used in multi-VLAN mode
add add VLANs to the current list
remove remove VLANs from the current list

C2924XL-1(config-if)#switchport multi vlan add ?
LINE VLAN IDs of VLANs to be used in multi-VLAN mode

C2924XL-1(config-if)#switchport multi vlan add 33

the following I got from some website

conf t
interface FastEthernet0/6 (it doesnt have to be 0/24)
duplex full
speed 100
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk allowed vlan 33
switchport mode trunk

It removed the interface when I did "show vlan". For some dumb reason I went to conf the VLAN and I typed "manage" without a question mark so it executed the command. I can't telnet to the switch anymore, does this mean that I have to be on VLAN 33 in order to correct this?

I have already notified my boss, but he is skiing and his phone doesn't work (I left a message). I am not trying to fix this under his nose, I expect a reprimand from him anyways. Is this colo now disconnected? They confirmed it was working, but I am not sure they tried it after I did this.

Thanks for any help you can give! 😱
 
LOL, I just talked to my boss... he says it's no big deal, and says he will show me the ropes since I have shown that I am interested 🙂. I better be a little more careful next time when I venture to the unknown 🙂

We are just going to re-configure it with a laptop and a console connect cable and everything should be good...
 
You're lucky you have such an understanding boss, even though you didn't break anything touching production equipment without a clue (no offense intended) is grounds for a lot more than lessons in most places =)
 
He's the one that gave the the username/pass and the enabled mode password 🙂. My job was just to reset the MAC cache so they could be up an running right away. Don't laugh but I am to be the system admin of the company eventually 🙂. My boss wants to leave the network to me so he can deal with more business stuff!

Believe me, I would have never done something like that with our fully configured 24 and 48 port switchs!!!

PS - He just left a book about VLANs on my desk 🙂
 
He actually sounds like a good boss, for the following reasons:

* Wants to delegate to you
* Gives you "safe" opportunities to learn (read: fail sometimes) on your own
* Recognizes that you need certain resources to be successful
* Understands that your success is also his success
 
Yeah he is a great boss... friendly as well. We are a small company though (5 people), but I think we are starting to make a fairly decent network going. We just got our OC-3 installed, but ATT still hasn't delivered our Cisco 7100 🙁.
 
if the CLI is too hard, try starting out with the java web management software for the Catalyst. That will help you learn some of the basics [VLANs/ports/fastE/STP] etc.. and then you can conceptually associate those to the CLI equivalent as you go.
 
I was able to configure the VLANs today 🙂. I also learned the valuable command "show running-config". We just finished up our new network room! I will try to get you guys some pics when it is complete!

In fact, would it be out of line to ask you guys for some pics of your network rooms? I find network rooms to be cool for some reason.

If I took out the big switch my boss wouldn't say anything... he would just make me explain what happened to every pissed off customer 🙂
 
Touching production equipment without a clue of what you're doing is very risky indeed. Be thankful your boss was so kind to you. Many would not be, given the same situation. Some will just freak out on you. Some will even say buh-bie to you.

True enough, you can't fix it if you don't break it 🙂

I wish I had a boss just like yours 🙂 Lets clone him 🙂 hehe

Plucky



 
I just happened to have a few pics of one of the two DC's I built at my last job.. Also a good before-and-after pic of a wiring closet. This one is about 3,500 square feet, the other was about 5,000. The 2nd (which I don't have pictures of) is a "telco class" with about 1500 KVA UPS, redundant chillers w/ 8 air handlers, redundant generators, etc.. Fun stuf to design and build, and a good way to spend a few million of someone elses' money. *grin*

Looking down the length of the DC
Looking down the width, on one of the Compaq rows
Looking down the width, one of the rows of network gear

A wiring closet, before we put in the 6509's
A wiring closet AFTER we put in our 6509's. (6 in this closet, about 40 total)

Anyhow.. The DC's at my current job are larger, but not as organized. Can't post pics of those!

I toured a Qwest Cybercenter here in Seattle - Quite impressive. About 500'x200'. Now THAT'S a data center!

- G
 
/me picks up my tongue from the ground.

That is pretty sweet Garion!

Learned something new today! To fix my management VLAN flub, I never issued the command "write". Re-booting the switch brought back the old setup and
it works just fine.

That network room makes ours look like a joke!
 
bump so everyone can see Garions kick ass cabling! The wiring closet after the 6509's looks like it could be considered modern art! Wow.
 
I can't take THAT much credit for it - One of my guys did the design and a cabling company did the wiring job.. That's the joy of using switches in the wiring closet - You don't ever have to re-wire a port to move it to another network segment - Just change the VLAN on the switch and you're done. We actually had a developer write a web-based tool to allow the PC/Unix techs change port VLAN membership without anyone on my team getting involved. Worked very nicely.

- G
 
That is very cool! I have inherited the wiring job here 🙂. That's why I want to post pics, so you guys can critique so I can do a better job for other installations 🙂.

Also... how long did that wiring job take? What did you guys do to minimize downtown of your client?
 
Each closet took 4-8 hours, depending on the size. We did most of them during the night and weekends, to minimize the impact. We didn't have a "client" per se - It was a corporate network, so we could take the downtime to get it done.

Minimizing downtime is a bit more challenging. That wasn't really our concern - We ripped out old hubs and installed new switches, so it took longer than it would have to just re-cable. But if you are trying to re-cable existing, the best way to do it is one wire at a time. Clear out as much old cabling as you can, do a port-to-VLAN map of the existing stuff, then dig in - Open up some ports at the TOP of your switch and start re-wiring from the top of your patch panel down. It goes better if you can move the existing cables out of your wire mamangement before you start running new ones, assuming they are long enough.

Be sure to keep very close track of what patch panel ports are connected to what switch ports - Without that, you're toast.

Doing this is a huge project, but it's very rewarding. Makes management easier and you can even change VLANS from home - A good thing when it's 8 PM and somebody wants to move a server to a new network.

- G
 
[in honor of the last pic of gogeeta13's "server room"]

Guard: Emperor Ming, we've targeted Flash Gordon's ship with the Inferna-Beam as you commanded.

Ming: OBLITERATE HIM! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top