configure Catalyst 3500XL from scratch 1

[JimDoddery]

Hello again, all.

We had 2 Cisco Catalyst 3500XL's fried by a power surge, our network guy quit almost a year ago (and wasn't replaced), and I'm in a dire situation. I've looked everywhere on the
Internet, and can't find a thing, so I sincerely hope someone can help me. I need to replace the ruined switches, and have no idea what to do.

The old setup went like this: A Cisco ASA 5505 router with VLAN 161 configured on port6. An Ethernet cable ran from 5505/Port6 to Catalyst1/Fa0/48. Catalyst1 had VLAN 177 created
on it, and Catalyst1/Gig0/2 cascaded to Catalyst2/Gig0/1.

Anything plugged into Catalyst1 or Catalyst2 was able to communicate with our entire infrastructure.

I apologize if this is poorly written or explained, but I'm a Help Desk guy who is now stuck trying to figure this out. If anyone could give me a suggestion, or get me pointed
in the right direction, I would much appreciate it.

Many Regards,

Jim

 

[burtsbees]

Have you considered testing and troubleshooting the switches? It could be as simple as a fuse or a diode on the power supply. It is very likely that the power supplies are fried (not the system board), and the configurations are still intact on the flash. I am not sure if those have a removable flash or onboard, but that's where the configuration is stored.
As far as reconfiguring, we'd need a LOT more information that that, and this is usually a consultant type job for $$$.
Rule Number One---When you first configure a device, ALWAYS BACK UP THE CONFIG AND IOS!!! I know that does not help you now, but it will after you straighten this mess.
Why have you been tasked with this, anyway???

Burt

 

[vipergg]

What are you using for replacement switches ? PS I would ask for a lot more money if they just thru you into this with no experience.

 

[JimDoddery]

I have Catalyst 3500XL switches for replacements.

Me and the Applications guy are all that's left of IT...everyone else either quit and wasn't replaced, or was laid off. I was once able to figure out how to configure a VSI-Fax setup on a unix server, so now they think that I should be able to something with this switch...you know how they look at it - A computer guy is a computer guy is a computer guy.

As much as I'd like to ask for more money, at this point it'd be a bad idea.

And I agree with backing up initial config, but our former network guy seems to have fell off the face of the earth, so I can't (at least right now) ask him if he saved any documentation.

I found a document on how to TFTP the flash: onto a computer, so maybe I can just jimmy the another switch's config a little. Time to see what I'm made of.

Thanks for responding, folks.

 

[burtsbees]

If you have replacement switches of the same model, take the power supplies out of a good one and throw it into a bad one to see if it powers up! If so, THEN copy the config to a tftp server daemon---problem solved!

Burt

 

[vipergg]

For the one 3500 in vlan 177 do this to start.

At the command prompt enter "vlan database", hit enter .
Then type vlan 177 , hit enter , this creates the layer 2 vlan 177 . Type exit. If the switch is managed thru vlan 177 do the following

conf t
interface vlan 177
ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx <mask> (for switch management only as this is a layer 2 switch only)
type exit
enter ip default-gateway xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx interface address of the device doing the routing for vlan 177 .

 

[JimDoddery]

Vipergg, that's one of the exact things I was looking for!

You guys, thanks very much.