Managing a Cisco 2924

[joey]

I have created a new vlan on the switch and it always shows "VLAN2 is administratively down". I entered the "no shut" command and it still shows "VLAN2 is administratively down"....

[sean]

It sounds like you were trying to create an SVI. This would essentially be considered a layer 3 interface on the switch. Since you are using a 2924, you can only use 1, and that is for mgmt. purpose. Not sure what version of IOS you are using, but to create the vlan you should only have to do the following:

conf t

vlan 2

name

end

Then just apply it to a switchport. If the image is older, you would probably need to go into the vlan database to create it.

[joey]

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the reply. The IOS version is Version 12.0(5)XU. I actually already created the VLAN and put three ports into the VLAN. The problem is that the VLAN continues to show "administratively down" after I run "no shut" on the VLAN interface. Not sure what a SVI is but I just wanted to create a VLAN to isolate three ports from the remaining ports on the switch.

[a.tolstykh]

Do you have any active ports/devices on VLAN2?

[joey]

Hello A.Tolstykh,

I do have three ports assigned to VLAN2. However I do not have any divices connected to the ports. I do not have any devices connected to the ports is that why the vlan show "administratively down"?

Thanks!!

[joey]

I do have three ports assigned to VLAN2. However I do not have any divices connected to the ports, is that why the vlan shows "administratively down"?

[Bobby Thekkekandam]

Hi Joey,

An SVI stands for "Switched Virtual Interface," which refers to a layer 3 virtual interface, such as a VLAN interface. On the 2900XL switches, only one VLAN interface is permitted, for management purposes.

This documented here:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk389/tk689/technologies_tech_note09186a008009478e.shtml

"Note: You can assign the ports of Layer 2 (L2) XL series switches to multiple VLANs, but the switches support only one active management VLAN interface at a time. Therefore, the switches support only one active management L3 address."

HTH,

Bobby

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[joey]

I do have three ports assigned to VLAN2. However I do not have any divices connected to the ports, is that why the vlan shows "administratively down"?

[Bobby Thekkekandam]

Hi Joey,

If you have another VLAN interface that is up, then any other subsequently created VLAN interface will be administratively down.

If VLAN2 is the only VLAN interface, then if you have ports assigned to vlan 2 that are not connected, then the status of interface VLAN 2 will be down/down rather than administratively down.

HTH,

Bobby

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[joey]

Hello Bobby,

Here is the results of show interface. Basically I only want two vlan's vlan1 and another vlan. So that I can isolate three ports from the rest of the ports. So the two vlans will be vlan1 and vlan5. I created vlan5 becuase the other vlans I created continuted to show administratively down. I removed the other vlans from the database but they still show up when I run show interface.

Can I have two vlans (vlan1 and vlan5)? And both vlans work and pass traffic? I'm not sure what it is that I'm missing but all I want is two vlans.

[sundar.palaniappan]

Joey,

The switch you are using is a purely a layer2 switch. You can have only one VLAN interface configured on it. This VLAN interface is only used for the management of the switch and it doesn't route user traffic.

If you want to use interface vlan5 as the management VLAN then remove all the other VLAN interfaces. As long as there is one port on the switch assigned to vlan5 or a trunk port that is up, vlan5 interface would be in up/up status.

As far as the ports on the switch are concerned you can assign every port to a different VLAN and that shouldn't be a problem as that's a layer2 function.

Since you want to assign all the ports on your switch to be in either vlan1 or vlan5. All you need to do is, define vlan 1 & 5 in your database - go into vlan database and define vlans. As you want the switch to pass traffic for more than one vlan you need to create a trunk between this switch and it's upstream switch. That's all you need to get everything to work.

Pls. rate the post if it helped.

HTH,

Sundar

[Bobby Thekkekandam]

Sundar is absolutely correct here.

I think you want to have two vlans and be able to route between them. On this platform that is not possible, and a layer 3 switch is required. In order to route between the vlans, you'll need to trunk the vlans to a router or layer 3 switch.

HTH,

Bobby

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[joey]

Hi Bobby,

I'm sorry I think I'm not explaining what it is I want to do correctly. Pleas note I understand all that you have said.

No I do not want to route between the vlans. I just want to have two vlans on the switch and put some ports into each vlan. I have created the vlans in the database. But vlan5 always shows administratively down.

I do not want another managment VLAN interface I just want a seperate vlan to place ports into. I have two vlans (vlan1 and vlan5) vlan1 is the management vlan and vlan5 is a regular vlan. Maybe I'm creating vlan5 on the switch incorrectly as a VLAN interface when all I need is a regular vlan that I can use to isolate some ports?

[Bobby Thekkekandam · Accepted solution]

Hi Joey,

Ah, for what you need to do, you don't need a VLAN interface at all. As long as you create the vlan, that's all you need. The VLAN interface is not needed for segmenting your network into multiple vlans.

you can create 50 vlans, and you don't need to create a vlan interface for them.

Here's an example of all you need to do to create a VLAN:

Switch#vlan database

Switch(vlan)#

36w5d: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console

Switch(vlan)#vlan 2

VLAN 2 modified:

Switch#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.

Switch(config)#int fa0/1

Switch(config-if)#switchport access vlan 2

Switch(config-if)#int fa0/2

Switch(config-if)#switchport access vlan 2

Switch(config-if)#

Switch#show vlan

VLAN Name Status Ports

---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------

1 default active Fa0/4, Fa0/5, Fa0/6, Fa0/7,

Fa0/8, Fa0/9, Fa0/10, Fa0/11,

Fa0/12, Fa0/13, Fa0/14, Fa0/15,

Fa0/16, Fa0/17, Fa0/18, Fa0/19,

Gi0/1, Gi0/2

2 VLAN0002 active Fa0/1, Fa0/2

Hope that clears it up.

-Bobby

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[Michael Stuckey]

I am actually surprised that when he said no shut on the new vlan interface that the other interface did not go administratively down. I remember the first time I configured a non layer3 switch and this just kept going back and forth from one interface to the other.

Then I finally woke up.

Mike