Router path redundancy from switch stack

SOLVED
mr_plates
Conversationalist

Router path redundancy from switch stack

Hello,

 

First off, let me say that I'm no network expert, which I'm sure will become clear! Any suggestions and help with the following would be great.

 

I have a MX router and a non-meraki switch stack (Dell). There are several VLANs configured on the MX and I have a dedicated access port on the MX for each. There is also a single trunk port (all VLANs) on the MX. This trunk port is connected to a port on the switch stack.

 

As I understand it, any inter-VLAN traffic needs to flow out of (and back into) the stack via the router, which is working fine. However, it has introduced a single point of failure - the trunk link between the MX and the stack. If we lose the stack member that has this link then we lose inter-VLAN and Internet bound traffic.

 

How can I configure this so that there are redundant links between the MX and multiple stack members so that, should we lose one member, connectivity continues? Is it as simple as creating another trunk port on the MX to another switch? If so, how does the MX decide which path to use?

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

Thanks,

Mr P.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

Just configure a second trunk link between the MX and your stack and plug it in.  Spanning tree on your switches will block one of the links - so that only one link is enabled at a time.  If the "live" link fails spanning tree will unblock the redundant link.

 

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
PhilipDAth
Kind of a big deal
Kind of a big deal

Just configure a second trunk link between the MX and your stack and plug it in.  Spanning tree on your switches will block one of the links - so that only one link is enabled at a time.  If the "live" link fails spanning tree will unblock the redundant link.

 

Good stuff. Thanks for the help!
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