How to "stack" 2x CRS326-24S+2Q+RM

RouterOS Beginner Basics
1

Hi all

Im learning how to work with mikrotik products now I have two CRS326-24S+2Q+RM switch and task to “stack” them.

I tryed do the same like I’m doing on dell switch but after some article I know mikrotik don’t have a stack.

So only one way is to create LACP.

But here I have problem I wan use QSFP port this switch’s have, and if somebody can give me some info how to chose correct port where in WinBOX where I want create LACP I dont have a lets say port nr QSFP 25, 26 but QSFP 1/2, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3. 2/4 (two physical ports and 8 option? xD)

So what port from this device I need to shoce to do the LACP?

2

What is expected the task “to stack them” from? What you want to achieve?

3

Hi

I want do bounding 802 with QSFP ports to work with the same vlan (trunk) on both switches, but list with ports is like in attachment
qsfp.png

4

I have no QSFP+ equipped device but it seems to be quite obvious to me:

Q1-x describes the first physical quad port with x describing SFP+ subports
Q2-x describes the second physical quad port with x describing SFP+ subports

so you have to bond q1-1 + q1-2 + q1-2 + q1-4 to create “Q1-bonded” interface or all q2-x to create “Q2-bonded” interface
Why these ones you should bond? To connect both devices with one QSFP+ cable so mixing q1-n + q2-m makes no sense.

5

yes is very obvious in many vendors qsfp interfaces are presented in that way with some differences, thats because of their nature

6

Ok i try but i have question to understand good

To connect both devices with one QSFP+ cable so mixing q1-n + q2-m makes no sense.

When I try connect two cabels not one to have redundantion this should looks like that?

LineA - Device 1 ports 1-4 QSFP+ → to → Device 2 ports 1-4 QSFP+
LineB - Device 1 ports 2-4 QSFP+ → to → Device 2 ports 2-4 QSFP+

7

Yoy want to “stack” device so …

  1. You can connect both them using any of SPF+ ports eg. SFP+1 on routers R1 & R2 with FO devices or DAC cable.
  2. Make these interfaces parts of LAN bridges on both R1 and R2 to have one L2 domain.
  3. If the SFP+ ↔ SFP+ connection is too slow then you can use more of SFP+ ports on both routers and bond them to make one faster interface and then make this bond part of bridges instead of “slow” SFP+ ports.
  4. For (3) you need as many FO cables or DAC cables as many ports you connect.
  5. Of course you can use any of SFP+ ports mix to make a bond but always you use 1-to-1 “patchcords”
  6. You can use up to 8 SFP+ of two QSFP+ ports but how to connect them if you have only quad QSFP+ cables ended with QSFP+ connectors or octopus-like QSFP+ to 4xSFP+ ones.
  7. How do you want use these quadrupleconnector cables to work with single QSFP+ port?

So …
using one QSFP+ - QSFP+ cable lets you configure one 4xSFP+(=QSFP+) link with one cable from R1 to R2.
You can use QSFP+ → 4xSFP+ “octopus” cable and bond Q1-n ports in one router and up to 4 “simple” SFP+ ports on another but does it have sense?

If you think of redundancy then use two QSFP+ cables and make bond of 8 SFP+ subports as one bond having speed up to 80Gb and protection of losing one of QSFP+ ports. However both QSFP+ are internally connected with one line to “fabric” (https://i.mt.lv/cdn/product_files/CRS326_180248.png)so real protection should use QSFP+ port + 4xSFP+ ports and two octopus like cables so at the end they grab 5 ports to make a protected bond.

8

i think bartoszp refers to this block diagram

https://i.mt.lv/cdn/product_files/CRS326-24Splus2Qplus_200149.png

looking this i dont see a disadvantage of using 2 qsfp+ interfaces to connect the switches

9

My bad, wrong picture but … no problem with using both QSFP+ ports but they share one line to internal 98DX switch and if this line goes wrong then whole bond is down … I know … i’m going too far :slight_smile: as we could ponder “what if the 98DX chip is bad?” and so on …