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Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter11 Configuring Interface Characteristics
Understanding Interface Types
•The routing function can be enabled on all SVIs and routed ports. The switch routes only IP traffic.
When IP routing protocol parameters and address configuration are ad ded to an SVI or routed port,
any IP traffic received from these ports is routed. For more information, see Chapter38,
“Configuring IP Unicast Routing,” Chapter 42, “Configuring IP Multicast Routing,” and
Chapter 43, “Configuring MSDP.”
•Fallback bridging forwards traffic that the switch does not route or traffic belonging t o a nonroutable
protocol, such as DECnet. Fallback bridging connects multiple VLANs into one bridge domain by
bridging between two or more SVIs or routed ports. When configuring fallbac k bridging, you assign
SVIs or routed ports to bridge groups with each SVI or routed port assigned to only one bridge
group. All interfaces in the same group belong to the same br idge domain. For more information,
see Chapter 44, “Configuring Fallback Bridging.”
Ethernet Management Port
The Ethernet management port, also referred to as the Fa0 or fastethernet0 port, is a Layer 3 host port
to which you can connect a PC. You can use the Ethernet management port instead of t he switch console
port for network management. When managing a switch stack, connect the PC to the Ethernet
management port on a Catalyst 3750-E stack member.
When connecting a PC to the Ethernet management port, you must assign an IP address.
For a Catalyst 3560-E switch or a standalone Catalyst 3750-E switch, connect the Ethernet mana gement
port to the PC as shown in Figure11-2.
Figure11-2 Connecting a Switch to a PC
Figure 11-3 shows how to connect the Ethernet management ports in the switc h stack to the PC. In a
Catalyst 3750-E-only stack, all the Ethernet management ports on the stack members are connected to a
hub to which the PC is connected. The active link is from the Ethernet management port on the stack
master (switch 2), through the hub, to the PC. If the stack master fails and a new stack master is elected,
the active link is now from the Ethernet management port on the new stack mast er to the PC.
In a mixed switch stack, only the Catalyst 3750-E stack members are connected to the PC through the
Ethernet management ports. As shown in Figure 11-3, the active link is from the stack master, a
Catalyst 3750-E switch (switch 1) to the PC. If the Catalyst 3750-E stack master fails and the elected
stack master is a Catalyst 3750 switch (switch 2), the act ive link can be from a Catalyst 3750-E stack
member (switch 5) to the PC.
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