Impossible to chain TL-SG108E switches in home network with no specific configuration
This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.Impossible to chain TL-SG108E switches in home network with no specific configuration
This thread has been locked for further replies. You can start a new thread to share your ideas or ask questions.
Hello,
Due to the architecture of my house, I have to chain switches. I bought 3 managed TP link on Amazon TL-SG108E switches to have a proper configuration in the future, but right now it does not work.
To add more info
- I have only managed switches TL-SG108E : two v3 and one V2.
- I have 3 because I have to connect basement to First floor; then to second floor.
- I have computer science background (15 years ago); so I get the basics but I have no applied experience here
- I bought managed because those were super cheap for 1G 8 ports, and plus eventually I want to setup QoS
- I bought them because In french there's an expression "who can do more can do less"
- At the moment, I dont need VLANs, nor QoS
To talk about configuration I did after I reset the switches to factory settings:
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ISP box is a Fritzbox 7490 with stock configuration -> this is normally the only DHCP server; IP address is 192.168.178.1
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Only 1 port is used of the ISP Box and goes to the 1st switch
- The Wifi is enabled and used
- I have recent cables - at least cat 5e cables, max length is 15 meters
- I made sure I used the latest available firmware for all 3 switches
- I assigned a static and unused IP addresses to each, gateway to the IP of the Box for all switches DHCP is deactivated for all switches
- I wrote down the MAC address to not make any mistakes
- I did a factory reset of my ISP box - just in case
- I did not want to activate VLAN ,but it seems in the interface that I have to leave one enabled at least: MTU / Port based / 802.1Q
This is looking like: ISP box ---> Switch "basement (v3) —> Switch "TV" (v2) —> Switch "Desktop" (v3)
About what’s connected:
- switch basement —> I have a NAS, and a computer
- Switch TV -> I have TV, playstation, TV box , Apple TV, and a laptop I can plug
- Switch desk -> two computers, Apple TV
Here are my findings / what I tried
- There’s internet at the switch basement. All is OK
- There’s not internet from switch TV (all devices connected to TV and Desktop)
- If I unplug the Desktop switch —> nothing changes
- if I reduce to the strict minimum the number of devices connected --> nothing changes
- If I switch the TV and Desktop; same results --> here I was suspecting a conflict with V2 and V3.
- If I replace the switch TV by an unmanaged switch -> I have internet everywhere
- If I add an unmanaged switch between the Basement and TV-> I have internet at the devices connected to the TV, but really really slow (1-2 Mbit)
- From the PC connected to switches TV and Desktop -> I never see the switch basement -- But I suspect this is because I am not connected to it directly although that's not the same bevavior as if I use the PC connected to desktop;
- I see both desktop and TV switches
Hope that makes sense to someone… I am quite lost; It seems like Switch basement is OK but somehow is not able to talk to another manager switch I have.
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And yes I did the upgrade to V3 firmware. It did not help.
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freddb wrote
Ok I made a new finding.
Until now I thought it was impossible to chain two managed switches but if I replace the “basement” switch by the unmanaged, I was able to chain two managed switches and at the end of the chain, I had a computer where I could access Internet.
this way I thought I had identified a faulty switch, but if I keep only the 2 managed switches and move up in the chain (removing the unmanaged), then again I have no internet.
so now I am puzzled.
I guess the fault is in your network config. Maybe an IP used by another device, maybe something other mis-configuration. Change the IPs of the switches to unique ones outside the FritzBox 192.168.178.0/24 network, e.g. assign them 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.0.2.
And get the network set up step-by-step, device for device. There is no other way to find out what's the fault. Let aside the check for "it gets or does not get Internet" until you can be 100% sure that the switches can be found by their IPs (i.e. use ping, web UI access, basic connectivity checks).
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Hi!
At last, it works. The error was one of the long cable that was not working if put between 2 managed switches, but as soon as there was the unmanaged switch this was working. Somehow the managed switches don’t tolerate some cable issues very well.
hard stuff (hard to replace a 15m cable going through walls) but now all is ok.
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freddb wrote
hard stuff (hard to replace a 15m cable going through walls) but now all is ok.
Great it works now. Please mark the thread as solved by choosing "best solution". For example, in post #8 I suggested to check cabling. Thanks!
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It does sound like a bad cable or something somewhere....since I used to have a chain of easy smart switches.
[ TL-SG105E v3 ] <=> [ TL-SG1016DE v2 ] <=> [ TL-SG108E v3 ] <=> [ TL-SG108E v2 ]
My router was connected to the TL-SG1016DE v2, but then I went to setting up vlans, and couldn't get vlan1 to move on the TL-SG1016DE v2, so its a doorstop now.... for the moment that spot has a DGS-1210-20 C1, but there's a 4200G-48 being prepped to replace it... since I need 21 ports...(and I can't use the TL-SG1016DE v2 to get more ports here.). Eventually, it'll be more of spokes of TL-SG108E's off of the big switch....instead of the current chain... and do LAGG on the spokes...so that network backups won't impeded my Internet fix.
Hopefully, I can get my AppleTV connected before the 12th ;)
LK
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