Tag Archive - Howto

Making an APC 7900 Console Cable

March 29, 2011 in Blog with 0 Comments

A few weeks back, I posted an article on configuring an APC 7900 PDU without a console cable.  This can be done using some ARP hacks to access the device before it’s been manually configured.

That works… Until someone like me comes along and messes around with the PDU and breaks it.

Something happened during configuration whereby the device was accessible but authentication wasn’t taking place.  This created a scenario where I was forced to use the console port to gain access again.

These are the steps needed to make your own APC 7900 console cable (model: 940-0144A).  Don’t spend $20-50 on eBay to buy one.  Just do it yourself for less than $10.

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How it all Stacks Up

January 17, 2011 in Blog, CCIE Voice with 0 Comments

Today I was on-site in Hattiesburg, MS for a network cutover in preparation for a Cisco VoIP rollout. As part of the prep work, we replaced the customers’ failing 3COM/HP switches with a shiny new 3750 switch stack.

As I was going through the switch stack setup process I thought to myself that it’d be a good idea to have a quick reference post on switch stack setup. While I’m no R&S CCIE, I’ve learned a thing or two about stacking,

Initial Setup

  • Starting out with a console cable, connect to the switch you’ll designate as master.  Build a configuration that will apply to the entire switch stack.  If you have any “slave” switches that will be added, make sure to “write erase” and delete the VLAN information stored in “vlan.dat.”
  • Provision your switch as master using the following command: “switch 1 provision [switch-type].”  Repeat this for every switch.
  • Set the master switch priority highest using the “switch 1 priority 15” command in global configuration mode.
  • If you have switches that are numbered incorrectly, use the “switch 1 renumber [number]” command.  This is especially useful if you’re a bit obsessive like me and want to make sure the switch numbers match exactly with their racking order.
  • Connect the Cisco StackWise cables diagonally from Switch 1 to Switch 2, from Switch 2 to Switch 3, etc. Then, cable the top-most switch to the bottom master switch (if starting from bottom).
  • Verify that provisioning was successful using the command “show switch detail.”

That’s all for now. I’m exhausted and need to get some shut-eye.