Setting up a C4 Network

[henniae]

Bump. Is there a special program you use to set the IP addresses of the components you hook up to the switch?

Each component is different so each component will have a different way to set its' IP address, mask and gateway. There is not one all encompassing program that will set the IP address of devices.

In regards to managing the switch. I took a look at the manual for this switch. It looks just like a Cisco switch or a clone of the Cisco command line interface. I suspect that it is just a rebranded Cisco switch with the Dell name on it, but I could be wrong as several vendors have copied the Cisco user interface.

In a previous job I managed over 10,000 Cisco devices (routers, switches, access points, load balancers, etc) so I have a lot of experience managing and designing networks so here goes.

First of all, these switches will typically work right out of the box with little or even no configuration. Most of the time the default configuration of the switch will make it work. There are however many, many advanced features of this switch that could benefit you.

There are 2 main ways to manage the switch. There is a web based interface that you can access with an ordinary web browser and there is a command line interface that you can access via telnet or the console port on the back of the switch. For the telnet and web interfaces to work you will need to assign the switch a static IP address.

If you have not already logged into the switch to configure it please look at page 67of the manual. This is a very good explanation of how to connect your PC to the switch so you can log in and manage it. Once you are logged in I would be happy to assist with any specific questions you have.

[AJF]

Thanks Alan. I was able to give the switch a static IP, user name and password using the serial port and Hyperterminal. But I'm having trouble telnetting in to the switch to manage it. I'll try it again but I think this may be a beyond my abilities and time to call a pro.