Connecting To An Extreme Switch
Connecting To An Extreme Switch
This article explains the basics of getting connected to Extreme Networks Summit series switches via the command line
interface (CLI) or web browser graphic user interface (GUI).
Connecting
All commands to the Extreme switches are transmitted via a Command Line Interface (CLI). By default, the switch has
no IP address configured, so the initial connection to the switch must be made over a serial connection. The
physical Console serial connection on the Extreme switches uses an RJ-45 connection. It will be necessary to use an
RJ-45 to DB-9 adapter (provided with switch) to a serial port or USB to serial adapter from your PC.
Extreme switches also provide a web GUI for monitoring and making limited configuration changes to switch
parameters. It is discussed later in this article.
Note: In EXOS versions 15.6 and lower, HTTP is disabled by default in EXOS and must be manually enabled. In EXOS
15.7 and higher, HTTP is enabled by default on an unconfigured switch.
Adapters
The adapter/cables shown below are provided as standard by Extreme for these switches.
The physical Console serial connection on the Extreme switches uses an RJ-45 connection. It will be necessary to use
an RJ-45 to DB-9 adapter (provided with switch) to a serial port or USB to serial adapter from your PC. The Ethernet
cable is a straight cable.
Reset switch
If you are unsure of the current configuration on the switch and wish to start with factory settings, you can reset the unit.
yes
The switch will reboot. You will be prompted to log in to the switch again after the reboot. You will then be prompted to
set management security options, to accept the defaults press "q" as prompted in the CLI.
show version
show switch
show license
For further information on AVB settings see the article Enabling AVB on Extreme Networks switches
Management IP address
You can configure a Management IP address if you prefer to connect to the switch over IP instead of serial.
Management IP addresses may be enabled on the dedicated Management port or on any of the "normal" switch ports.
There are a few different ways to assign a management IP address to the switch:
• You can configure a management IP address on the dedicated Management port for increased security and
isolation of management access. For manual IP address assignment for the Management port, type the following
command, substituting your desired IP. Note that the management port is isolated from the rest of the ports and
VLANs on the switch.
The "/24" after the IP is a shortcut for specifying the subnet mask associated with an IP address, also known
as CIDR notation. /24 is equivalent to a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.
• You can configure a static management IP address on the default VLAN (or other VLAN) to allow a
management connection through the normal ports. This is the easiest way of connecting to a switch over IP, since
the normal ports and default VLAN have access to the rest of the network.
The "/24" after the IP is a shortcut for specifying the subnet mask associated with an IP address, also known
as CIDR notation. /24 is equivalent to a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0.
• To automatically assign an IP address for the Management IP on the default VLAN via DHCP, type the following
command:
Note: If default VLAN already has a static IP address, this command will throw an error. The static IP needs to be
first removed with the following command before DHCP can be enabled.
• A DHCP assigned address will need to be discovered to be accessed - you will not know what address has been
assigned. To find an already assigned Management (or Primary) IP address (static or DHCP), or to check the
configuration of a VLAN, type the following and replace <vlan name> with the name of the VLAN you are
addressing:
save configuration
As with the CLI, the web interface can be accessed with the default user credentials (default settings: User: admin,
Password: "no password set").
The web-based user interface, called Chalet, is a quick way for setting up and viewing information about a
switch. Chalet removes the need to know and remember commands in a CLI environment. Viewable on desktop and
Amongst the various options available on the Chalet menu, there is a dedicated 'Audio Video Bridging' option under
'Configure', which provides a quick way to observe AVB activity on the switch.
System option under 'Monitoring' can be useful to check CPU performance and identify any bottlenecks in a network
with multiple switches and heavy traffic, especially in very large AVB systems.
For more detailed information on Chalet, please refer to this article from Extreme Networks.
Further reading
• List of AVB-capable Ethernet switches