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

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richtj99

Member
Jul 8, 2017
70
1
8
50
I have two management interfaces, VE1, VE5

VE1 IP = 192.168.1.25 (internet access)
VE5 IP = 192.168.5.25 (No internet)

I have SNMP running & a VM locked down on VE5. I have SSH turned on - is there a way that SSH would only work on VE1, but not on VE5 so that the switch is not accessible? Before I was playing with SNMP I had no VE5 IP.

Thanks,
Rich
 

1.44PB

New Member
Oct 13, 2021
3
1
3
where are you located? on US ebay there's one for $130 or best offer
I'm in the UK, and the last time I looked there wasn't any 6450-24 available (without importing). But I'm fine really with a 6450-48. My current switch is also 50w, and doesn't have 10gbe!
 

juju

New Member
Sep 29, 2021
29
1
3
Hello - first time post. Thanks for putting together this wonderful resource.

I got a new 7250 from ebay - everything looks new but seems box was opened because it was missing a few parts - like the included console cable.

Anyway, hooked everything up and followed the install guide. First off, there is no sign of life from the console port. The seller sent me a. new console cable (mini usb) after i inform him it was missing in the box. Also the install guide says:

to the serial/console port using a program like Putty (9600 8N1), then connect the management ethernet port to your network (do NOT use any of the regular switch ports yet). The management port is the one above the full size USB port.
Connecting the management port to my network assigns the switch an ip address - I am able to see the web interface of the switch but dont know the default username and password to login . Using super and sp-admin doesnt work.

So i am quite confused. I assumed connecting the management port to my network doesnt assign it an ip until i set in via the console? I did not connect it to the regular port on the switch - its connected to the port directly above the usb port.

Also not sure how to get the console working. completely dead. I am hoping its something I am doing wrong vs a bad switch or console cable. could use some pointers to get things up and running. Thanks.
 

deeceesth

New Member
Jul 30, 2021
17
4
3
Hello - first time post. Thanks for putting together this wonderful resource.

I got a new 7250 from ebay - everything looks new but seems box was opened because it was missing a few parts - like the included console cable.

Anyway, hooked everything up and followed the install guide. First off, there is no sign of life from the console port. The seller sent me a. new console cable (mini usb) after i inform him it was missing in the box. Also the install guide says:



Connecting the management port to my network assigns the switch an ip address - I am able to see the web interface of the switch but dont know the default username and password to login . Using super and sp-admin doesnt work.

So i am quite confused. I assumed connecting the management port to my network doesnt assign it an ip until i set in via the console? I did not connect it to the regular port on the switch - its connected to the port directly above the usb port.

Also not sure how to get the console working. completely dead. I am hoping its something I am doing wrong vs a bad switch or console cable. could use some pointers to get things up and running. Thanks.
What does the physical connection look like for the console cable. Are you certain it is a serial cable and not just a normal mini USB B cable?
 

juju

New Member
Sep 29, 2021
29
1
3
What does the physical connection look like for the console cable. Are you certain it is a serial cable and not just a normal mini USB B cable?
well - not sure i can even tell the difference between the two! I assumed the seller had sent me the correct cable. He sent me the console cable and a db9 adapter, which seems to be what comes with the new switch ? What do you mean by what the physical connection looks like? you mean how its connected? I am connected to my laptops ethernet port on one end and the mini usb on the switch.

also am I supposed to connect the management port to my network at the same time ? wont that get an ip assigned?
 

deeceesth

New Member
Jul 30, 2021
17
4
3
well - not sure i can even tell the difference between the two! I assumed the seller had sent me the correct cable. He sent me the console cable and a db9 adapter, which seems to be what comes with the new switch ? What do you mean by what the physical connection looks like? you mean how its connected? I am connected to my laptops ethernet port on one end and the mini usb on the switch.

also am I supposed to connect the management port to my network at the same time ? wont that get an ip assigned?
so you have a cable with RJ45 on one end and Mini USB B on the other? And then you have that RJ45 connected to your laptop and USB on the switch? If so that doesn't seem correct.

You need a serial interface on your laptop to connect to the mini USB B port. You might have to adapt the RJ45 to a DB9. Does your laptop have a DB9 connector or do you have a USB to Serial adapter?

It would help if you posted a picture of everything you have
 

juju

New Member
Sep 29, 2021
29
1
3
so you have a cable with RJ45 on one end and Mini USB B on the other? And then you have that RJ45 connected to your laptop and USB on the switch? If so that doesn't seem correct.

You need a serial interface on your laptop to connect to the mini USB B port. You might have to adapt the RJ45 to a DB9. Does your laptop have a DB9 connector or do you have a USB to Serial adapter?

It would help if you posted a picture of everything you have
I have an RJ45 /db9 adapter which came with the switch. Not a usb to serial. My laptop does not have a db9 connector. It has usb-c and usb-A, plus the usual hdmi and RJ45. ( Lenovo thinkpad x1 carbon )

So, I have the mini-usb connected to the switch and the ethernet connected to my laptop. Which is wrong ( now i know!)


So what do i need to make this work?

mini-usb from 7250 - > ethernet / db9 adapter - > ? -> laptop USB-A?
 

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cap

New Member
Sep 20, 2021
12
14
3
California
On the subject of interfacing the Brocade ICX to 2.5gbe equipment, I tried out two gadgets, both with successful results.

First is the new Qnap QSW-2104-2S, a very new product, which I purchased new from a large online retailer. This is a fanless consumer-oriented unit, with two 10Gbe SFP+ ports (there is a separate 10GBaseT version), and four 2.5Gbe RJ45 ports. I connected the Brocade to the Qnap with a DAC.

My second solution is that magic SFP+ RJ45 module, the Aquantia AQS-107-B0C2-CX. I paid a fortune for it, second hand, via ebay. This module goes directly into one of the SFP+ ports of my Brocade ICX 7250-24. The Brocade reports the link at 10G, but the RJ45 end is connected to 2.5Gbe equipment.

I did two sorts of tests on each device. First was iperf3 testing through the device under test, between a Solaris server with an Intel x520 card and a Macos laptop with a Plugable 2.5gbe USB dongle.The second test was just running speedtest.net through the device and out to the internet through my Comcast Xfinity XB7 (2.5gbe port, 1400Mbps reported throughput on a good day (maybe not even worth the effort but here we are)).

In the iperf3 testing, I was able to get performance as solid as I ever do through the Plugable dongles. I think they are the weak link. I have two of them, and in direct dongle–dongle testing between two laptops, I see mostly 2.3Gbps, but with occasional dips of a few seconds to under 1Gbps, possibly due to thermal throttling of something, I suspect the Plugable dongle or the laptop (the laptop fans spin up when I do this test -- something that does not happen on the same laptop when iperfing through my Sonnet Solo 10G interface at much higher speeds, so that is interesting in itself). I see about the same behavior between one dongle and the x520 card, passing through either the Aquantia module or the Qnap switch. If I run bidirectional iperf3, I occasionally see > 2Gbps for a few seconds, but then it decreases, and then increases (after cooling, I suppose). Unfortunately, neither of my endpoints (Macos and Solaris) show retransmits through iperf3, so I do not have that information to report.

In the speedtest.net testing, my speeds using either the Qnap switch or the Aquantia SFP+ module were on par with the speeds when I connect the Plugable dongle directly (via Cat6) to the Xfinity XB7 router.

This post is really not supposed to be a review of these other products, especially the dongle, but about how well the Qnap switch and the Aquantia module allow us to interface between our ICX switches at 10G and the 2.5gbe world. So I apologize about the limitations of my test setup, like the overheating whatevers. I hope there remains something of value.
aquantia-aqs-107-b0c2-cx.jpg
 

cap

New Member
Sep 20, 2021
12
14
3
California
When testing the Aquantia AQS-107-B0C2-CX SFP+ module, I noticed that show media reports the slot as empty, even though it is working.

Code:
SSH@b7250#show media e 1/2/7
Port   1/2/7: Type  : EMPTY
I remembered the post about the misformatted I2C EEPROM, so I thought I would read mine out of curiosity. I knew I would need to figure out the address of the slot containing my module, but I got stuck before that mattered. @fohdeesha can you teach me how this should be working on my 7250?
Code:
OS>i2c read 3f 0 256
Syntax error, 'read'

OS>i2c ?
reset            reset i2c bus
stats            statistics
recovery         toggle auto recovery
debug            toggle debug mode
Hexadecimal      bus

OS>show version
Kernel version - 4.4.0

OS>exit
OS>Back to Application console...
b7250>show version
  Copyright (c) Ruckus Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.
    UNIT 1: compiled on May 17 2021 at 06:42:41 labeled as SPR08095d
      (33554432 bytes) from Primary SPR08095d.bin (UFI)
        SW: Version 08.0.95dT213
      Compressed Primary Boot Code size = 786944, Version:10.1.19T215 (spz10119)
       Compiled on Tue Feb  2 03:21:35 2021

  HW: Stackable ICX7250-24
I tried i2c debug to toggle debug mode. That spams the console with some stuff and doesn't make i2c read work.
 

cap

New Member
Sep 20, 2021
12
14
3
California
@zanechua It seems that the modules with the real Aquantia chipset have special capabilities for allowing the intermediate speeds of NBase-T on switches like the Brocade ICX that do not clock at those intermediate speeds. See https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...t-marvell-88x3300-v-s-aquantia-aqs-107.30004/ for a more thorough explanation. Also https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/mix-10g-2-5g-slow-speed-high-retr.33217/.

Using your HiFiber tranceiver, do you get full 2.xGbps throughput in BOTH directions between a 10Gbe endpoint and a 2.5Gbe endpoint?
 
Last edited:

zanechua

Member
May 6, 2016
78
12
8
30
@zanechua It seems that the modules with the real Aquantia chipset have special capabilities for allowing the intermediate speeds of NBase-T on switches like the Brocade ICX that do not clock at those intermediate speeds. See https://forums.servethehome.com/ind...t-marvell-88x3300-v-s-aquantia-aqs-107.30004/ for a more thorough explanation. Also https://forums.servethehome.com/index.php?threads/mix-10g-2-5g-slow-speed-high-retr.33217/.

Using your HiFiber tranceiver, do you get full 2.xGbps throughput in BOTH directions between a 10Gbe endpoint and a 2.5Gbe endpoint?
I can try it out, need to find where the only 2.5G device I have is.
 

tommybackeast

Active Member
Jun 10, 2018
286
105
43
I have been testing the 09000 release on my personal 7450s. Like @fohdeesha said, the new web GUI is the most visible change. Did not run into any noticeable bugs but I am planning to return my gear to the 0809x codetrain for now.

Earlier today, I stumbled across this notice regarding 08090m:

2 September 2021: RUCKUS has found a defect # FI-247944 due to which we have removed the software image for 08.0.90m from the Support Portal. For more information, please read TSB-2021-005.

I do not have access to the detailed TSB, but it is unusual for a vendor to completely pull a GA release before the patch is available. I would consider downgrading if you deployed the 'm' firmware.

Terry Henry showing the new ICX 9.0 Web GUI
 

tommybackeast

Active Member
Jun 10, 2018
286
105
43
the "hw pid-prom" commands that set the correct license ID, if ran on a stack, will only apply to the master switch, there's no way to make them run on the secondary. it sounds like you ran it on the master, then imported the matching licenses on both switches? that would certainly make the second one go invalid as it no longer has a matching LID

I think you'd have to now unstack the second 6450 and wipe it, then follow the license guide on it to get the LID changed and licenses imported. then once its all valid, and your master is too, re-add it to the stack. this is why it's highly recommended to license all your stuff before stacking it :)

(theoretically, in a stack, you can jump to the console of secondary units by using the "rconsole 2" command, but I've tested this and it won't let you run the "hw pid" commands from that remote console)
---------------------
Also I suppose instead of unstacking it, you could also just use the other hidden method of changing the serial and LID, from the bootloader. console cable to your secondary 6450, reboot it and stop it in the u-boot bootloader, then run:

eeprom clear
eeprom sn 2ax5o2jk68e
reset

it'll reboot and let it boot fully and rejoin the stack like usual. I think you might have to reboot it twice with this method as the first boot after clearing the LID from u-boot has it re-generate one, but not take effect. second reboot has it come up fully changed. then ssh to the stack and import licenses to it, by specifying unit 2:


copy tftp license 192.168.1.8 ICX64xx/1-6450-prem.xml unit 2
copy tftp license 192.168.1.8 ICX64xx/2-6450-ports.xml unit 2



Seeing the Clarkson video - I can now picture you in some DataCenter NOC screaming for more power while taking a large hammer to "bad" Network gear.
 
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Reactions: fohdeesha

ZFSZealot

New Member
Aug 16, 2021
26
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@cap

Sorry but why did you have to get that specific Aquantia transceiver?

Aren't the Brocade switches not picky at all and actually will run most transceivers?


I bought the HiFiber Transceiver listed in the above article and it worked fine.
This is a guess but I'm betting it's because that transceiver plugs into a SFP+ port and provides 2.5Gbit/sec connectivity instead of 10Gbit/sec.