Configuring 3com 5500 with 3com 2250

hi there..
recently i've configured distribution switch 3com 5500 with access switch 3com 2250.. The diagram look like this ::

Configuration 1

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3com5500---tag

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tag--3com2250


uplink 3com5500 = vlan1 + tag
uplink 3com2250 = vlan1 + tag
port 1-48 = vlan1 + untag

Result ::
-All pc connected to port 1 to 48 can grab ip but user cannot ping/telnet/http to the access switch.

Configuration 2

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3com5500---untag

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untag--3com2250

uplink 3com5500 = vlan1 + untag
uplink 3com2250 = vlan1 + untag
port 1-48 = vlan1 + untag

Result::
-All pc connected to port 1 to 48 cannot grab ip. Fail ping to 3com 5500 and 3com2250

Configuration 3

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3com5500---tag

---

tag--3com2250

uplink 3com5500 = vlan1 + tag
uplink 3com2250 = vlan1 + tag
port 1-48 = vlan1 + tag

Result::
-All pc connected to port 1 to 48 cannot grab ip. Fail ping to 3com 5500 and 3com2250

Configuration 4

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3com5500

---

3com2250

uplink 3com5500 = Factory Default setting
uplink 3com2250 = Factory Default setting
port 1-48 = Factory default setting

Result::
-All pc connected to port 1 to 48 cannot grab ip. Fail ping to 3com 5500 and 3com2250

My aim is to make sure the switch connected each other and the users can grab ip and surf to the intranet/internet. Administrator also can ping, telnet and http to the 3com switch. Each access switch just have one vlan. I think no need to configure the tagging but if fail to do that, user unable to grab the ip.

There are no ACL or others configuration have been done to the switches. Just configure the vlan and port trunk/tag.

Quoestion

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1- How to solve this problem?
2- Do i need to configure vlan tag if plan to use just 1 vlan per switch?
3- Why i cannot ping to the switch?

Tq

apit,

Any chance replacing those 3com switches with Cisco switches ?

While I've got very limited experience with 3Com switches, I'm assuming the 'Tag' feature you mentioned is the 802.1q VLAN Tag we all know of;

In this case, Configuration 1 & 3 is using VLAN trunking between your two switches, while configuration 2 and possibly 4 seems to be a flat network with one VLAN.

My opinion is to work on Configuration No.2 as you won't necessarily require VLANs according to what I've understood. Not to mention, its going to be more troublesome to get it working with VLANs!

Assuming Configuration No.2, can you ensure someway that both switches are in the same vlan as the PC ports ? It is possible that the switches are creating their own 'management vlan' and automatically isolating it from the vlan your creating for your PC's;

Secondly, to see if your got correct connectivity between the switches, place a static IP address on one PC connecting to the 5500 and another on the 2250. Can these two PC's ping each other ? They should be able to.

If you still can't ping the switches IP address, don't worry about it too much, as long as you've got all PC ports 'seeing' each other, you'll be able to do your work for now, and then spend more time trying to figure out why the switches are inaccessible.

Keep us up to date with your findings/testing.

Cheers,