Redundancy and Stacked Switches

[GFrazier]

I think this is simple, but its bothering me:

SCENARIO 1:   4 stacked Switches, 1 firewall

- Since stacked switches operate as one single switch - for redundant connectivity, should:

A) Sw1 have 2 uplinks to the firewall or

B) should Sw1 & Sw4 have have one uplink each to the firewall.

SCENARIO 2:  4 stacked Switches,  2 firewalls. 

- Again...Since stacked switches operate as one single switch - for redundant connectivity, should:

A) Sw1 have 2 uplinks to each firewall or

B) Sw1 have an uplink to each firewall and Sw4 have have an uplink to each firewall.

[DarrenOC · Accepted solution]

Hi @GFrazier 

Scenario 1

B) Sw1 and 4 have an uplink each to the firewall.  If you lost sw1 you'd lose all connectivity to the firewall.

Scenario 2

B) same reasoning as above.

I find drawing these things out helps me.

[GFrazier]

Thanks UCert.

I was going with solution B), but it was bothering me that I was thinking something going wrong.  I have actually seen people use configuration A), but never configuration B).

[DarrenOC]

Hi @GFrazier 

You're welcome.  Maybe have a quiet word with the network admins where you've seen setup A.  😁