Since I haven't received my first switch yet?

[wtm]

Have a couple of questions?
Do the switches have monitoring that will allow me to watch for "Pause Framing" to test if FC is needed?
What other monitoring is provided ?
Thanks,
Wayne

[sirhc]

Yes, we provide full statistical information on each interface.

We configure our switches for mid-span on their back haul radios which really do not need Flow Control but it does not hurt anything to have it turned on as it just will not get or issue pause frames.

But the 100M AP's funneling through the 1G trunk port(s) will NEED Flow Control turned ON.

It was a mistake NOT having Flow Control turned on by default in the switches and the firmware when we first started releasing them. We have sense changed this behavior but there are already many switches shipped and still in the warehouse where this was not done in the early firmware releases. Upgrading the firmware does not turn it on unless you factory default the switch after upgrading to v1.1.0rc19 or you manually turn it on under the Ports Tab WHICH YOU SHOULD DO!!!

Our switches implement an advanced Flow Control method with back pressure that works VERY WELL in eliminating the download speed issues people see with the mixed port speeds on other switches.

Please read this thread, click here to go to thread

CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW TO SEE FULL SIZE

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[sirhc]

It is Sunday here and 11:42AM and we are in the middle of a DEEP FREEZE with single digit temperature and 50 Mph wind gusts so the kiddies are at home streaming and such and I still get this Speedtest.net here at home so I am pleased.

I am on a 30 MHz wide DFS sector that maxes out at late at night to 89+/- Mbps so this result right now is pretty good.

CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO SEE FULL SIZE

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[wtm]

Thanks Chris !
Wayne

[adairw]

I just checked a couple of my switches aggregating 100Mb AP's to a single Gb port on the router. not a single port shows pause frames...

The only port I found pause frames on was a Exalt G2 11Ghz radio. The switch is acting like a mid-span.. there were only a few

does this mean I just don't push my AP's hard enough? or what?

[mhoppes]

Well now that's interesting that you're seeing pause frames going to the G2.... wonder what would be bottlenecking that?

[sirhc]

Pause Frames work their way backwards to a point in the network that has the ability to to tell the sender to slow down which is normally the closest router to the AP. The router has the ability to tell the sender or the next destination back the line/route to slow down and so on all the way back to the original sender. The router will tell the next hop back to slow down with normal TCP/IP congestion mitigation NOT pause frames.

So Lets say you have a WISP Switch with 100M APs plugged into it and a 1G up-link from the router at the tower.

You will not see pause frames on the AP 100M interface but you will see Tx Pause Frames on the 1G interface talking to the router and the interface in the router will see Rx Pause Frames on the up-link interface.

Now if you run a flat network the pause frames may show up further back the line.

I hate Flow Control and the Pause Frames it generates but with the radio in Bridge mode and with the amount of packet buffers 100M ports have and not being a way point destination in the route it has no way to use TCP mitigation mechanisms to slow down individual streams so Flow Control is the ONLY answer. I hate Flow Control but it is the best and only option at this time so TURN IT ON!!!!!

Now our switch does use an advanced Flow Control with back pressure so it is better then most other standard Flow Control. - TURN IT ON

[jonwang]

As I understand it, you are saying that Flow Control should always be enabled on all ports? What about instances where all ports/radios are Gig? If its mixed Gig ports and 100M ports just FC on 100M and uplink or is it best on all?

[sirhc]

Flow control is not just for 10/100 ports it can be useful with all 1G ports but if it is not needed it just sits there so why not turn it on then if you see Pause Frames on a port and you do not think they belong there it is a flag to tell you too look into it.

1G ports feeding airMAX qG devices can have buffer over runs as well as it funnels into a less than 100M half duplex device.

People have confused wives tales and hearsay with actual facts.

[jonwang]

Awesome. Thank you Chris. I don't suppose you care for thumbs up on your own site??