3com 4500 stack ports not working

[DonSA]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and I've been searching for an answer to my question but haven't found one so I'd like to ask for some assistance.

I have 3 x 4500 26 port switches I would like to use in a stack. I have configured ports 27 and 28 to be stack ports and have issued the following commands as per the 3Com user manual:

ON SWITCH A
[4500]change unit-id 1 to 1
[4500]fabric-port gigabitethernet1/0/27 enable
[4500]fabric-port gigabitethernet1/0/28 enable
[4500]sysname hello
[hello]xrn-fabric authentication-mode simple welcome

ON SWITCH B
[4500]change unit-id 1 to auto-numbering
[4500]fabric-port gigabitethernet2/0/27 enable
[4500]fabric-port gigabitethernet2/0/28 enable
[4500]sysname hello
[hello]xrn-fabric authentication-mode simple welcome

ON SWITCH C
[4500]change unit-id 1 to auto-numbering
[4500]fabric-port gigabitethernet3/0/27 enable
[4500]fabric-port gigabitethernet3/0/28 enable
[4500]sysname hello
[hello]xrn-fabric authentication-mode simple welcome

After this configuration, I reboot all the switches, connect the necessary cables, etc but I don't see any lights on any of the ports 27, 28 on the switches. I fi run the command

[hello] display ftm information

I get the following:

FTM State : HB STATE
Unit ID : 1 (FTM-Master)

Fabric Auth : PASSWORD
Fabric Vlan ID : 4093
Left Port : Link-Down
Right Port : Link-Down

Advertise : Send = 0, Receive = 0
Advertise ACK : Send = 0, Receive = 0
Heart Beat : Send = 0, Receive = 0
Left Check : Send = 0, Receive = 0
Right Check : Send = 0, Receive = 0
Auto update : Send = 0, Receive = 0

Left Port : Index = 24, IsEdge = 0
Right Port : Index = 25, IsEdge = 0

Units Num Left : 1
Units Num Right : 1

Units Num Backup: 1

None of the switches in the stack appear and I do not know why. ANy suggestions/ideas?

 

[cknipe]

log into the switches using the web gui and enable the ports from there. It sounds like there is no link between the switches. you shouldnt need a crossover cable just a standard patch cable.

 

[DonSA]

Thanks cknipe.

I've logged into the web GUI and I can see that the port settings are fine. They're just waiting for a physical cable connection. After connecting a cable, it still doesn't work, I've tried various ways and cables but no luck. What I've done in the meantime is just used standard trunk ports to connect the switches so at least my network is up. I will need to start from the beginning with this one and make sure I haven't gone wrong somewhere.

 

[cknipe]

the only other thing I can think of is make sure the right port is connected to the right port.

If you look at those ports they have up and down arrows on them. If you have 2 switches:

On the top switch, plug the cable into the port with the down arrow.

On the next switch down, plug the other end of the cable into one of the ports that has an up arrow.

Then if you need to connect another switch to the stack, plug another cable into the down arrow port on switch 2, plug the other end of the cable into the up arrow port on switch 3.

You can continue this and stack all the way up to 8 switches.

I hate to get all remedial on you but it seems like the issue is residing somewhere at layer 1. Be sure and try some fresh cables too. I had too many times where I spend 2 days troubleshooting everything in the connection except the physical connection itself