Connecting Two Cisco 2960 Switches: A Comprehensive Guide

Connecting two Cisco 2960 switches is a straightforward process that involves physical cable configuration, access and configuration via command line interfaces (CLI), and essential network protocols. This guide will walk you through the entire process, including network redundancy techniques and spanning tree protocol (STP) configuration.

Requirements

Two Cisco 2960 switches An Ethernet cable with Cat5e or higher quality

Steps to Connect the Switches

Physical Connection

The first step in connecting two Cisco 2960 switches is to perform a physical connection. Use an Ethernet cable to connect one of the switch's ports to a port on the second switch. For example, connect FastEthernet 0/1 on the first switch to FastEthernet 0/1 on the second switch.

Access the Switches

Once the switches are physically connected, access them for initial configuration. You can do this through the console port using a console cable and a terminal emulator like PuTTY or Tera Term. Alternatively, if the switch is configured for network access, you can access it via SSH.

Configure the Switches

Enter privileged mode by typing enable Enter global configuration mode by typing configure terminal

Configure VLANs if Needed

If you need to create a VLAN for specific traffic, use the following commands:

vlan VLAN_IDname VLAN_NAMEexit

Assign Ports to VLANs if Needed

If you have a specific VLAN requirement, assign the ports connected to the switches to the appropriate VLAN. Use the following commands to configure the port:

interface FastEthernet0/1switchport mode trunkswitchport trunk allowed vlan VLAN_IDexit

Set Up Spanning Tree Protocol STP

To prevent network loops, ensure that STP is enabled. By default, STP is enabled on Cisco switches. Use the following command to check the configuration:

show spanning-tree

Save the Configuration

After making the necessary changes, save the configuration:

write memory

Verification

To verify the connection and VLAN configuration, use the following commands:

Show VLAN brief to display a list of VLANs Show interfaces status to display the status of all ports Show spanning-tree to display the current STP configuration

Additional Considerations

Redundancy

If you plan to connect more than two switches or create a more complex topology, consider implementing redundancy protocols like Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP). This ensures network resilience and faster convergence.

Link Aggregation

If you need higher bandwidth, consider using EtherChannel to bundle multiple links between switches. This can significantly increase the overall network throughput.

By following these steps, you should successfully connect and configure two Cisco 2960 switches according to your network requirements.