Brocade ICX Series (cheap & powerful 10gbE/40gbE switching)

[dontwanna]

You will be fine, just follow the guide.

Thank you so much for the quick reply, much appreciated!

 

[richtj99]

Is there a way to find out fiber cable length on either a 6450 or 7250? I am thinking about buying a premade 6 strand OM5 LC/LC to replace my OM3 cable - for no other reason than 'because' - only thing is i am not sure what size fiber cable I have now & it is the same route for the new one.

I tried :

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#show cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/1
No TDR data on port 1/2/1
SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#

 UNIT 1: compiled on Apr  9 2019 at 03:20:17 labeled as SPR08080e
      (29826604 bytes) from Primary SPR08080e.bin
        SW: Version 08.0.80eT213
      Compressed Boot-Monitor Image size = 786944, Version:10.1.14T215 (spz10114)

Is there something else I can try?

 

[mimino]

Is there a way to find out fiber cable length on either a 6450 or 7250? I am thinking about buying a premade 6 strand OM5 LC/LC to replace my OM3 cable - for no other reason than 'because' - only thing is i am not sure what size fiber cable I have now & it is the same route for the new one.

I tried :

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#show cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/1
No TDR data on port 1/2/1
SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#

UNIT 1: compiled on Apr  9 2019 at 03:20:17 labeled as SPR08080e
      (29826604 bytes) from Primary SPR08080e.bin
        SW: Version 08.0.80eT213
      Compressed Boot-Monitor Image size = 786944, Version:10.1.14T215 (spz10114)

Is there something else I can try?

I think you should do "clear/phy/show" in this order.

 

[richtj99]

I did the clear:

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router(config)#clear cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/1

Then I went out of conf t

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#phy cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/1
        This feature is only supported when the interface is configured for Auto-Negotiation

I tried it with 1/2/8 (not part of a lag)

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#phy cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/8
        This feature is only supported when the interface is configured for Auto-Negotiation

I might be close?

1/2/1 is part of a lag, 1/2/8 is plugged into a unifi 1gb optic so its slowed to 1gb

next I turned off a part of my lag:

lag uplink
disable e 1/2/2

long story short, disabled a port from each lag, tried again, still didnt work.

Any other ideas?

 

[LodeRunner]

I can't execute that command on my 10G optics. Pretty sure the TDR test is only for Ethernet over UTP. When run against one of my copper ports, it shows the length on each pair and if any pairs are open. This is from the spliced up telephone line (all 4 lines in the house were run from a single CAT 5, so when we got fiber, we took the two lines that weren't used and terminated to RJ-45) that goes to my ONT:

SSH@core#sh cable-diagnostics tdr 1/1/48

Port    Speed   Local pair      Pair Length     Remote pair     Pair status
----    -----   ----------      -----------     -----------     -----------
1/1/48    100M  Pair A          50-80M          Pair B          terminated
                Pair B          50-80M          Pair A          terminated
                Pair C          <=3M                            open
                Pair D          <=3M                            open[/core]

And the ICX won't let you set "speed-duplex auto" on SFP+ (mine are all optics, do not have a RJ-45 SFP+ to test with):

SSH@core(config-if-e10000-1/2/2)#speed-duplex auto 
This speed setting is not applicable to port 1/2/2

 

[darthray]

Sorry if it's been already answered somewhere, tried to do some googling first, but still not clear. I've just won an auction for a couple of ICX 6610, and only after proceeding to the checkout, re-read the description again - and realized I somehow missed this:

"DEVICE IS FULLY WIPED AND WILL NEED REIMAGED/SOFTWARE,SET UP AND CONFIGURED!! DEVICE DOES TURN ON AND WAS WIPED!
"SWITCH CONTAINS NO BOOT IMAGE! A NEW BOOT IMAGE WILL NEED TO BE UPLOADED BEFORE CONFIGURATION!"

I've read the guides from the first post, but they seem to be about firmware upgrading, configuration etc, I couldn't find anything related to fully wiped switches with no boot image. Is this going to be a problem, or I'll be able to just upload new images / firmware by myself?

You will be fine, just follow the guide. It will likely power on directly to the bootloader prompt. Make sure to read the update guide carefully, and prepare for the steps in advance. Your 6610 will be in full howl mode until you get the OS booting, so it's in your best interest to move through the steps as quickly as possible.

Also, while waiting for your 6610s, go grab a console cable, if you don't already have one. You'll need it.

Take your pick: Amazon.com : console cable rj45

 

[dontwanna]

Also, while waiting for your 6610s, go grab a console cable, if you don't already have one. You'll need it.

Thanks, I don't have a console cable yet. I'm looking at the pictures of those 6610-48p switches, and can't see any weird ports on them (like usb, serial etc), does it mean that I'm gonna be plugging the console cable into one of those rj45 ports in the back? So the console cable is going to be rj45<=>rj45 then? Can't I just make one by myself then, with a crimp tool?

 

[darthray]

Thanks, I don't have a console cable yet. I'm looking at the pictures of those 6610-48p switches, and can't see any weird ports on them (like usb, serial etc), does it mean that I'm gonna be plugging the console cable into one of those rj45 ports in the back? So the console cable is going to be rj45<=>rj45 then? Can't I just make one by myself then, with a crimp tool?

That's right. You'll be plugging the cable onto the RJ45 port on the right (closest to the 40Gbps ports, the one with the ones-and-zeroes label under it). Those console cables are going USB <-> RJ45. The USB portion has a USB-to-serial chip embedded in them with the correct wiring going to the RJ45 end.

You can probably make one yourself but you'll need a serial port or USB-serial converter anyways. They are using the same RJ45 connector as network cables do, but the wiring and protocol running on that port is different from Ethernet.

 

[fohdeesha]

I did the clear:

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router(config)#clear cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/1

Then I went out of conf t

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#phy cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/1
        This feature is only supported when the interface is configured for Auto-Negotiation

I tried it with 1/2/8 (not part of a lag)

SSH@ICX7250-48P Router#phy cable-diagnostics tdr 1/2/8
        This feature is only supported when the interface is configured for Auto-Negotiation

I might be close?

1/2/1 is part of a lag, 1/2/8 is plugged into a unifi 1gb optic so its slowed to 1gb

next I turned off a part of my lag:

lag uplink
disable e 1/2/2

long story short, disabled a port from each lag, tried again, still didnt work.

Any other ideas?

TDR / cable phy is only for native copper ports

 

[dontwanna]

You'll be plugging the cable onto the RJ45 port on the right (closest to the 40Gbps ports, the one with the ones-and-zeroes label under it). Those console cables are going USB <-> RJ45. The USB portion has a USB-to-serial chip embedded in them with the correct wiring going to the RJ45 end.

Wait, do I need a "usb<=>rj45" console cable, or an "rj45<=>rj45" console cable? It's just from reading the fohdeesha's update guides I've got the impression that one end of the cable goes into the switch (and that's rj45, at least in case of icx6610), and the other end is connected to my network (so also rj45):

Connect to the switches serial/console port using a program like Putty (9600 8N1), and connect the dedicated management port to your network (do not use a "normal" port).

So I thought I'll just need to assemble the wires in some specific order and crimp a regular cat5 cable. Google found me this, which suggested it's as simple as swapping some pins and then crimping as usual:

What is the name of the cable (RJ45 to RJ45) that can be used to connect from a KVM to Cisco serial port?

As everybody knows Cisco's console ports are RJ45. However, the cable they come bundled with is DB9 to RJ45. We have a KVM that allows managing network devices via a serial port but the port on the...

serverfault.com

That amazon link in your post lists all kinds of cables, there are rj45<=>rj45 there, rj45<=>usb, rj45<=>db9, so that got me confused. Do I need an rj45<=>rj45 serial cable, like this one? https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Console-Rollover-Cable-RJ45/dp/B004Z9YG5W/
I don't see any chips embedded in the pictures.

Lol, I'll probably have a hard time learning these switches if I'm so dumb that I can't even figure out the serial cable thing.

 

[infoMatt]

@dontwanna The serial cable is... well, serial You'd have to connect it to a serial port of you computer, not on the network (that's the management interface, a NIC essentially bound to the switch CPU); if you have a modern computer that doesn't have a serial port you can use a USB-DB9 adapter or you can buy some "console cable" that has the adapter chip inside the USB connector and on the other end has a "rollover" RJ45.

 

[darthray]

Wait, do I need a "usb<=>rj45" console cable, or an "rj45<=>rj45" console cable? It's just from reading the fohdeesha's update guides I've got the impression that one end of the cable goes into the switch (and that's rj45, at least in case of icx6610), and the other end is connected to my network (so also rj45):

So I thought I'll just need to assemble the wires in some specific order and crimp a regular cat5 cable. Google found me this, which suggested it's as simple as swapping some pins and then crimping as usual:

What is the name of the cable (RJ45 to RJ45) that can be used to connect from a KVM to Cisco serial port?

As everybody knows Cisco's console ports are RJ45. However, the cable they come bundled with is DB9 to RJ45. We have a KVM that allows managing network devices via a serial port but the port on the...

serverfault.com

That amazon link in your post lists all kinds of cables, there are rj45<=>rj45 there, rj45<=>usb, rj45<=>db9, so that got me confused. Do I need an rj45<=>rj45 serial cable, like this one? https://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Console-Rollover-Cable-RJ45/dp/B004Z9YG5W/
I don't see any chips embedded in the pictures.

Lol, I'll probably have a hard time learning these switches if I'm so dumb that I can't even figure out the serial cable thing.

Sorry for the confusion. I hadn't noticed that RJ45 <-> RJ45 cable was part of that list.

Here's an example of the cable you'll need (that's the one I have):

AmazonSmile: OIKWAN Console Cable,USB Console Cable, USB to RJ45 Console Cable with FTDI chip Compatible with Cisco, Huawei,HP,Arista,Opengear,Aruba，Juniper Routers/Switches for Laptops in Windows, Mac, Linux: Computers & Accessories

It's an USB <-> RJ45 cable. It has an embedded USB-to-serial chip on the USB side of the cable and it has the correct pinout on the RJ45 side. There exist many ways to connect to equipment over serial, but this is the one that will work with the 6610s.

 

[LodeRunner]

Sorry for the confusion. I hadn't noticed that RJ45 <-> RJ45 cable was part of that list.

Here's an example of the cable you'll need (that's the one I have):

AmazonSmile: OIKWAN Console Cable,USB Console Cable, USB to RJ45 Console Cable with FTDI chip Compatible with Cisco, Huawei,HP,Arista,Opengear,Aruba，Juniper Routers/Switches for Laptops in Windows, Mac, Linux: Computers & Accessories

It's an USB <-> RJ45 cable. It has an embedded USB-to-serial chip on the USB side of the cable and it has the correct pinout on the RJ45 side. There exist many ways to connect to equipment over serial, but this is the one that will work with the 6610s.

Oh, that's lovely, I might have to get one of those; I currently carry around a regular USB to DB9 dongle and my Cisco cable. I do have some switches that use different pin outs though, so have DB( as the common element is handy.

 

[Vesalius]

@itronin
i guess i didn't think it was relevant? my fw is Vyos.

and you are spot on. no, i don't have a NAT rule for 172, only 10.0.0.0/16.

added the nat rule and problem solved!

vyos@vyos# show nat
source {
     rule 1 {
         outbound-interface eth0
         source {
             address 10.0.0.0/16
         }
         translation {
             address masquerade
         }
     }
     rule 2 {
         outbound-interface eth0
         source {
             address 172.16.0.0/30
         }
         translation {
             address masquerade
         }
     }
}

Hey @jht3 I am interesting in testing out VyOS on the edge as a firewall with a transit vlan and my 6450 L3 switch hosting multiple Internal vlans. I've not found any howtoo's specifically for setting this up in the VyOS cli. Do you know of any or have some basic tips beyond the nat masquerade rule here?

 

[richtj99]

So I am using a 6 strand OM3 fiber cable & am looking for another strand. I was looking at:

Indoor/Outdoor, Non Armored (OM4)

Pre-terminated OM4 fiber cables will speed up installations by as much as 75 percent and save money and labor.Pre-terminated indoor/outdoor OM4 MM 50/125 fiber optic cables are available with fast shipping from Discount Low Voltage. We offer low wholesale prices on these quality cables and can...

www.discount-low-voltage.com

preterminated OM4 - they have 12 & 24 strand. I think 12 would be fine (though I thought 6 was fine in 2012). He said a 24 strand should fit OK in a 1" conduit but the conduit has been in the ground for 30 or so years & I have no idea if it will be OK.

I had my OM3 unused due to cost for termination until 3 years ago so this is appealing.

He did say that singlemode is more popular though.

Its a home network so I dont even really have a good reason on why I want to get my 30gb lag to 40gb beyond I dont have enough strands.

So the question is:

1. Any thoughts on a pretermintated 12 strand LC to LC?
2. As I am buying a new cable, should i consider other formats? SC, singlemode, etc?

I think my distance is less than 250 feet'ish.

 

[LodeRunner]

At that distance, I can't think of any reason to do SM rather than MM. You can do up to 100 Gb (with a bidi) over a single pair of MM OM4 up to 100 meters.

 

[NateS]

So the question is:

1. Any thoughts on a pretermintated 12 strand LC to LC?
2. As I am buying a new cable, should i consider other formats? SC, singlemode, etc?

If your main concern is fitting it down an existing conduit, I'd go with MPT/MPO terminated cables, and get fanouts that plug into them, rather than trying to stuff the full 12xLC fanout down the conduit.

 

[BecauseScience]

Why is 7250-48P so much more desirable than 6610-48P?

I'm trying to score a 7250-48P to run as the core switch from my home but I'm encountering ridiculous prices even using offers. Meanwhile, there are loads of (relatively) cheap 6610's available. It's kind of hard to believe a multi-hundred dollar difference is down to power usage and noise. Is there some other advantage I'm missing?

Wondering if I should buy a 6610 instead and save $$$...

 

[NateS]

Why is 7250-48P so much more desirable than 6610-48P?

I'm trying to score a 7250-48P to run as the core switch from my home but I'm encountering ridiculous prices even using offers. Meanwhile, there are loads of (relatively) cheap 6610's available. It's kind of hard to believe a multi-hundred dollar difference is down to power usage and noise. Is there some other advantage I'm missing?

Wondering if I should buy a 6610 instead and save $$$...

There are some other differences too: the 7250 runs newer FW, is linux-based instead of a custom OS, possibly more compatible with newer brocade/ruckus gear, and probably most importantly for Ebay, the licensing is honor-based rather than enforced, so people who are not on this forum can use all the 10g ports without having to track down and pay for an additional license.

The 6610 also has more ports (including some 40g), so if the added noise and power consumption can be tolerated it's definitely the better buy. For my network, I'm using 6610s as the core switches in a closet where I don't care about noise, and 6450s anywhere noise is a concern.

 

[richtj99]

I have a cat6 following my existing fiber - results are:

Port    Speed   Local pair      Pair Length     Remote pair     Pair status
----    -----   ----------      -----------     -----------     -----------
1/1/14    1G    Pair A          50-80M          Pair B          terminated
                Pair B          50-80M          Pair A          terminated
                Pair C          50-80M          Pair D          terminated
                Pair D          50-80M          Pair C          terminated

- still not sure what size cable to get as a replacement - 150 feet or 240 feet?

I am also seeing this message repeating every few seconds & I am not sure how to shut it off?

port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.
port 1/2/8 is not capable of digital optical monitoring.