PowerConnect 3424 - Reboot on Configuration Changes?

Question

I'm researching managed switches, and our first choice is the PowerConnect 3424. Our only concern is something we have heard from another company, that their Dell switch needs to be rebooted with every configuration change. Looking at the manuals for the 3424, this does not seem to be the case (everything is written to the running config, which you write to the startup config before a reboot, but no reboot is necessary for changes to take effect). Is that correct? Is there a list of changes that do require a reboot somewhere? Thanks.

Mithrilhall · Answer

We are using well over 50 PowerConnect 3424s and 3448s and you do not need to reboot the switch after a configuration change.

Chris_Downing · Answer

We've decided that we want a gigabit managed switch, and our options seem to be the 2724 and the 5324. We of course like the cost of the 2724, and the web-management only doesn't bother us. However, the comments about problems with high traffic networks in http://www.infoworld.com/Dell_PowerConnect_2724/product_58902.html?view=1&curNodeId=0 that review bother me a little. Our network is very simple, but very high traffic. Can anyone comment on the review I posted? Thanks.

DELL-Cuong N. · Answer

The comment in this article is about the management interface on the switch. The article said the switch web management interface can be overwhelmed in heavy traffic directed at the management interface. It indicates that you can overwhelm the switch management interface by doing a flood ping to the switch management IP address.

Typically you would setup the switch - configuring it and pretty much let it run. You don't typically do anything else after initial configuration on the management interface. Once in awhile you might want to change something but you typically won't be changing it in the middle of the day to avoid affecting users.

Now the author of the article intentionally overload the management interface by directly pinging the management IP address of the switch. This is probably not typical. The switch can forward traffic at link speed even when this floodping is going on. The floodping affects only the user interface not switch operation. When there are heavy traffic directed at the management interface or at the CPU that you would notice a slow down on the management interface but that still would not affect your normal user traffic.

Cuong.

Chris_Downing · Answer

I know it was about the management interface, but is there any reason to worry that the switch wouldn't perform adequately in a simple, but high traffic environment? Would the 5324 give us any significant upgrade in performance (if you throw out all the management features)?

DELL-Cuong N. · Answer

Depending on what you mean by simple network.  If your network doesn't need advance switching features then the 27xx will perform at wire speed in switching your packets same as with the 5324.  If you need advance switch features like LACP or if you have complex network setup where you need STP to eliminate loops, etc, then 5324 would work better for you.   If you don't need the 5324 features and you are just worrying about the performance of the switching system then both switches provide full wire speed performance.   Cuong.

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PowerConnect 3424 - Reboot on Configuration Changes?

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