Effects of IP addressing on switch operation

Without an IP address and subnet mask compatible with your network, the switch can be managed only through a direct terminal device connection to the Console RS-232 port. You can use direct-connect console access to take advantage of features that do not depend on IP addressing. However, to realize the full capabilities HPE proactive networking offers through the switch, configure the switch with an IP address and subnet mask compatible with your network. The following table lists the general features available with and without a network-compatible IP address configured.

Features available with and without IP addressing on the switch

Features available without an IP Address

Additional features available with an IP Address and subnet mask

  • Direct-connect access to the CLI and the menu interface

  • DHCP or Bootp support for automatic IP address configuration, and DHCP support for automatic Timep server IP address configuration

  • Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol

  • Port settings and port trunking

  • Switch meshing

  • Console-based status and counters information for monitoring switch operation and diagnosing problems through the CLI or menu interface

  • VLANs and GVRP

  • Serial downloads of software updates and configuration files (Xmodem)

  • Link test

  • Port monitoring

  • Password authentication

  • Quality of Service (QoS)

  • Authorized IP manager security

  • WebAgent access, with configuration, security, and diagnostic tools, plus the Alert Log for discovering problems detected in the switch along with suggested solutions

  • SNMP network management access for network configuration, monitoring, problem-finding, and reporting, analysis, and recommendations for changes to increase control and uptime

  • TACACS+, RADIUS, SSH, SSL, and 802.1X authentication

  • Multinetting on VLANs

  • Telnet access to the CLI or the menu interface

  • IGMP

  • TimeP and SNTP server configuration1

  • TFTP download of configurations and software updates

  • Access Control Lists (ACLs)

  • IP routing, Multicast Routing

  • VRRP router redundancy

  • PIM-DM and PIM-SM

  • Radius

  • Ping test

1

For more information on TimeP and SNTP, see the “Time Protocols” chapter in the Management and Configuration Guide.