How to use General Switchport Mode on Dell Networking PowerConnect Switches

This article explains what General Switchport Mode is and how it is implemented on Dell Networking PowerConnect Switches.

Objectives

1. Overview
2. Available Commands
3. Example of Commands in Use
4. Web GUI steps for configuration
   
    

 Overview

• General switchport mode consists of a combination of VLAN Trunk and Access Links.
• General Links can have both tagged and untagged frames.
• All frames sent to a specific VLAN must be tagged.  All untagged frames are sent to the native VLAN.
• The native VLAN still applies to the General switchport mode. While it is possible to have multiple untagged VLANs on a General link, you can only have one (1) Port VLAN ID (PVID).  The PVID represents the native VLAN.
• While untagged traffic may be sent via several untagged VLANs, returning untagged traffic will only be received by the PVID and therefore will NOT be forwarded to a specific VLAN.
  
   

Note: The PowerConnect 62xx series switches must use General mode if you want to allow management traffic onto the switch over the PVID. If you use Trunk mode, you will not have the default VLAN on those ports. The ports will only allow tagged traffic.

 Available Commands
 

Examples of the Commands in use

console# configure

console(config)# interface ethernet e11

console(config-if)# switchport mode general

console(config-if)# switchport general allowed vlan add 100 tagged

console(config-if)# switchport general allowed vlan add 200 untagged

console(config-if-1/g1)#switchport general pvid 1

console(config-if)# end

 

Note: If you insert the command "console(config-if)# switchport general allowed vlan add 200" without specifically stating tagged or untagged the default value is untagged. This is a common mistake when configuring and will not allow traffic to flow properly.

Web GUI Steps for Configuration

 

Figure 1: VLAN Port Settings page

The VLAN Port Settings page contains the following fields:

• Ports - Specifies the Unit and Port included in the VLAN.

• Port VLAN Mode - Indicates the port mode. Possible values are:

  - General - The port belongs to VLANs, and each VLAN is user-defined as tagged or untagged (full 802.1Q mode).

  - Access - The port belongs to a single untagged VLAN. When a port is in Access mode, the packet types which are accepted on the port (packet type) cannot be designated. It is also not possible to enable/disable ingress filtering on an access port.

  - Trunk - The port belongs to more than one VLAN, and all ports are tagged (except for an optional single native VLAN).

• PVID (1-4093) | 4095 - Assigns a VLAN ID to untagged packets. Possible values are 1-4093 or 4095.

• Frame Type - Specifies frame type accepted on the port. Default is Admit All. Possible values are:

  - Admit Tag Only - Indicates that only tagged frames are accepted on the port.

  - Admit All - Indicates that both tagged and untagged frames are accepted on the port.

• Ingress Filtering - Enables or disables Ingress filtering on the port. Ingress filtering discards frames where the VLAN tag does not match the port VLAN membership.

Assigning Port Settings thru the GUI Web page

1. Open the VLAN Port Settings page.

2. Select the port to which you want to assign settings from the Unit and Port drop menus.

3. Complete the remaining fields on the page.

4. Click Apply Changes.

5. Now the VLAN port settings are defined, and the device is updated.
    

Note: Applying the configuration does not save the running configuration to the startup configuration. You must save the configuration to the startup configuration.