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SLX - RSTP Configuration

06 Jun 2025

A common application for managed switches involves configuring redundancy. The two common ways to do this are with Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) or Sixnet’s Real-Time-Ring (RTR). This document covers the frequently asked questions regarding these two protocols and the steps required to configure their basic functionality.

  1. Frequently Asked Questions
  2. RSTP Configuration

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which managed switches support RSTP?

A: All Sixnet managed switches fully support RSTP. By default, all EL series switches will have RSTP enabled. All SLX series switches with firmware 5.0 or newer will also have RSTP enabled by default.

Q: How many switches can I connect in an RSTP network?

A: You can have a maximum of 40 hops in an RSTP network. Hops are the number of connections between the two farthest points on the network. In most practical networks, this means you cannot have more than 40 switches between any two points.

Q: Can RTR and RSTP be enabled on the same switch?

A: Yes, however, a particular port may only be used for one protocol or the other. For example, if a port is part of Real-Time-Ring, that port cannot also participate in a spanning tree.

RSTP Configuration

Web Interface

  1. Note: Units with firmware version 5.0 or newer will have RSTP enabled by default.
  2. Log into the switch from your Web browser. The default username and password are admin/admin
  3. From the Managed Switch menu, click on Setup to see the options, and then click on Redundancy Settings.
  4. Click Spanning Tree Settings.

RSTP1.jpg

  1. From the Spanning Tree Settings page, click on the Redundancy Protocol drop-down list and select Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol.
  2. All other values are normally provided by the network administrator should they need to be changed from the defaults. Click Commit Changes to activate RSTP.
  3. To confirm that RSTP is active and to monitor its status, from the Managed Switch menu, choose Monitoring>Spanning Tree Status.

RSTP2.jpg

 

The Spanning Tree Status page displays the status of each port, the active Redundancy Protocol, the Designated Root and the number of Topology Changes (network changes) since the switch was powered on.

CLI Interface

  1. Log into the switch via console or telnet. The default username and password are cli/admin.
  2. Type RSTP protocol RSTP and press Enter.
  3. Type commit and press Enter to activate the setting.
  4. Type RSTP protocol and press Enter. The interface should report back that the current protocol setting is RSTP, which confirms that RSTP is active.

Disclaimer

It is the customer's responsibility to review the advice provided herein and its applicability to the system. Red Lion makes no representation about specific knowledge of the customer's system or the specific performance of the system. Red Lion is not responsible for any damage to equipment or connected systems. The use of this document is at your own risk. Red Lion standard product warranty applies.

Red Lion Technical Support

If you have any questions or trouble contact Red Lion Technical Support by clicking here or calling 1-877-432-9908.

For more information: http://www.redlion.net/support/policies-statements/warranty-statement