How to test all ports on a switch

[Gimpo]

Hi everybody,

I'm hoping you can help. I'm looking for away to test all ports on a Cisco Switch.

Im pretty new to all this, i can configure a vlan or port to transfer and image via TFTP but thats about it.

I'm thinking i require a PC to send a file ---> Switch ----> PC to receive file.

Would this be correct or do i need a router also.

How do i test all the ports as in send to port 1 and the data passes through all ports.. is that even correct?

Am i even close to being right?

Thank you for all your help in advance on such a noobish question

Cheers

 

[allworxguy]

you can give a vlan an ip address, assign that vlan to all access ports, then put a pc on the same network with a static address. You can then plug into each port and ping the address you assigned to the switch.

Marv

http://www.telemarv.ca

 

[Gimpo]

Thanks Allworxguy ill look at this.

If i wanted to test the ports underload would it be the same principle? how would i send data through each port? Would i be required to give each port and address and send a file through that ip address?

Thanks again.

Cheers

 

[allworxguy]

Sending a ping IS sending/receiving data. In and out the same port. If you want to send on one port and receive on another you'll need two PCs. You can then do a tftp file transfer from one pc to the other.

In order for data to pass through all the ports as you ask you need to put a device on every port. But a switch by definition routes data intended for one pc only out that port. The one of only times packets are broadcast to all ports is if the sending port doesn't know the destination and has to do a who is arp request out all connected access ports.



Marv

http://www.telemarv.ca

 

[VinceWhirlwind]

...or multicast destination addresses.

Download VLC server, get a PC on each switch interface, and get all the PCs to join a multicast group that the server is sending to.

 

[Gimpo]

Great advice guys.. thank you for your help i will look into this. Thanks again

 

[chieftan]

Unless you are looking at utilising the switch for voice I would not use TFTP as this is UDP based. For a more realistic scenario utilise FTP (as this uses TCP and all the windowing processes involved).

As per has been said, you will need to have all ports set as access:-

int range fa0/1 - 24
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan <Chosen vlan number>

Assign an IP address in your range to the vlan:-

int vlan 200
ip address xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

You do not have to assign addresses to ports for this testing.

FTP will give you good throughput calculated results.

For an added dimension you can always mirror a port and utilise Wireshark.