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Vlans & Sonicwall
I have 3 Powerconnect 3524/48s, each with 2 ports configured as LAG to a Powerconnect 5524. The 5524 is connected to a Sonicwall NSA2400. The Sonicwall is using 3 ports for LAN, DMZ & WAN. The WAN goes to a Cisco 1851 router for our Fiber internet. I have 4 VLANs configured plus the native VLAN.
This has been working great for several years now. Then I started having issues with workstations on VLANs not being able to browse the web (everything times out) or access some network shares/services. Native VLAN0 continued to function great. After checking all settings/rebooting devices, the only thing that 'fixed' it was rebooting the Sonicwall. This has been happening occasional for a little over a year now. I finally opened a ticket with Sonicwall. (Dell) Sonicwall remoted in and checked everything and claims all is working fine on their device and it must be a faulty switch.
When I am having these issues, on the VLAN'd machines I can ping anywhere. NSlookup resolves fine. I can browse our web sites on the DMZ port of the Sonicwall, but I cannot browse outside sites on the WAN port, with the exception of Google. I can browse ALL their sites. Do a search and get results, but clicking on the links times out. VLAN0 continues to function great.
What on the switches could cause this?
This has been ongoing for a little over a year now. I have had to completely remove all workstations from VLANs to function. Originally the 5524 was a 3524, but about 6 months ago I replaced it. These issues where happening before that, and continue after.
Thanks for any help.
When you reboot the Sonicwall how long does it work before it needs to be done again? It can take weeks, or minutes before something starts failling. Last time it took about 5 mins before it stopped working. But last week after removing all vlan configs from everything in the network BUT the Sonicwall (per support request) and starting over I could not get it to work and gave up. 2 days later Sonicwall started a remote session to check it and it was working.
When there are no VLANs configured everything works fine? Wether configured or not, as long as I am on VLAN1 it works.
When the WAN access is down can you connect something directly to the Cisco and it be able to connect? WAN access never goes down. Just being able to access sites through the WAN port (aka internet) on a VLAN does not work.
Is VLAN routing done on the 5524? The 5524's do have VLANs configured and working (internally) as far as I can tell.
Is the firmware up to date on the switches? Not the latest firmware on all switches.
the 5524 has 4.1.0.5
3548/24: 2.0.0.47/29 (I have 2.0.0.52 downloaded, but haven't had a chance to update)
DELL-Josh Cr
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Posted December 17th, 2013 14:00
That is odd that it works on VLAN 1 and not when the other VLANs are configured. Are the 35xx each their own VLAN normally? The fact that it can reach Google but not anything else is also a strange symptom. Which device is providing DHCP for the clients? Have you tired different cables for the WAN port? The shares that they are unable to access are they on the same VLAN normally or a different one? Due to the fact that the issue occurred before there was a layer 3 powerconnect switch in the network either the Sonicwall or the Cisco is handling the interVLAN routing and is where the issue probably is. When all of the clients are on the same VLAN they can access each other directly through the powerconnect switches without needing layer 3 routing and it works. I am not trying to blame the other hardware and will continue to help you find the source of the issue.
Each of the 35xx's only have a few specific ports on VLANs. The 3 using VLANs all connect directly to the same 5524 via Cat6 or Fiber.
Active Directory is providing DHCP/DNS and all the network shares are on the same VLAN. I have not tried using different cables. The Sonicwall is 'handling' all the VLAN routing/NAT. The Cisco sees none of it.
I have to agree that it's the Sonicwall as nothing else is doing VLAN routing, and it's the VLAN routing that is the problem. My network support person is suggesting maybe temporarily putting a Cisco router between the 5524 switch and the Sonicwall and have the Cisco doing inter-VLAN routing. If it all works, it would eliminate the switches as a problem.
Then maybe I can get Sonicwall to escalate the issue and send me a replacement.
ThanksDELL-Josh Cr
Community Manager
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45077 Points
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Posted December 19th, 2013 09:00
That sounds like a good plan to try.
DELL-Josh Cr
Community Manager
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9785 Posts
•
45077 Points
1566
0
Posted December 17th, 2013 12:00
Hi,
When you reboot the Sonicwall how long does it work before it needs to be done again? When there are no VLANs configured everything works fine? When the WAN access is down can you connect something directly to the Cisco and it be able to connect? Is VLAN routing done on the 5524? If you have replaced a 3524 with the 5524 and the problem continues that device doesn’t have a hardware issue. With it working most of the time it probably is not a configuration issue either. Is the firmware up to date on the switches?