Does the PoE 8 fully support RTP or RTSP? I don’t see those same options as I see in the bigger switches.
I’ve been having some funky issues since I moved to trying only the PoE 8 switches wired together, and then I have 3 USW wired to those two PoE 8s. My network will be fine until the 36-48 hour mark hits, and then I am stuck at 10mbps. This could be the router, and is usually fixed by rebooting the network. However, that did not work this time. So, I connected just the modem and router, and my speeds were fine. Then, added the Alta equipment, and it was fine now. Rebooting all the equipment with the Alta equipment did not fix the issue the first time.
During the slow network speeds, Ethernet and WiFi are limited to 10-13 mbps.
So, I’m narrowing it down to the router or PoE 8 having issues with STP/RTSP. I can’t troubleshoot the router because it’s a POS, however I did have this same issue with this same configuration of switches with a Sophos (pfSense) router. I’m still not ruling out the router though. I also purchased a new modem for troubleshooting purposes…because I just needed an excuse to buy a new one.
One angle I might offer is changing the setting from MSTP to RSTP. The first router I tested with did very strange things when the switches were set to MSTP. That being said, I have an S24-POE and S8-POE and I am not having any STP issues after making that change. In my weird rental house setup my S24 is connected to my router, then to my S8-POE, which is powering and running my AP6-Pro… Give that change a try and see what you get
My settings for the S8 have no options for any STP/RSTP except for priority. No mention of anything with STP. My s16 has all of those options though, but is not connected to this system. Hence why I asked if the S8 fully supports STP.
Issue happened twice since this post. Tried STP, RSTP, and MSTP. All have the same outcome. At this point, there is an issue with how I have everything wired (which can’t really change) or it is a router issue. I upgraded my modem for troubleshooting purposes. This issue happened once with a pfSense router and an S16 switch. So, it’s either an issue with the Alta setup, or two different routers I’ve used. I’m not sure if I can hold out for the Route10 unfortunately.
Update #3:
At this point I have changed the modem and router (found an older router [TP-Link ER605 which did not have these issues when I used that router]) and the issue is now happening even more frequently. So, at this point the only common equipment is Alta S8 x2 and Alta AP6-Pro x2. Next step is to connect non Alta equipment and see if the issue persists.
I think there is an issue with connecting two S8-POE together, which is causing the issue I am having. I have tried every form of STP in the management without any luck.
Any help would be appreciated before I convert everything to another brand.
Update #4:
Changing the Loop Protocol to MSTP will immediately restore speeds back to 1Gbps. I don’t have any loops, so I am very curious why this is happening.
Update #5:
Network worked fine for two hours with MSTP as the Loop protocol. A few minutes ago, the issue came back and my whole network was capped at 10Mbps. I switched the Loop Protocol to off, and then back to MSTP and my network was instantly back at 1Gbps. I then wired both S8-POE switches back to the TP-Link ER605 router, so NOW both Alta switches are not wired together, but connected together via the router. Let’s see how this works.
So far, I am leaning towards some sort of software/firmware issue with two S8-POE units wired together, but I have no way of proving that. If this continues to happen, I will swap the switches out with another brand and see if that continues to have the same issue.
Edit:
Update #6
Issue continues to happen. The issue can be completely fixed by restarting the switches or changing the Loop Prevention Protocol to something other than it is on, and then back to MSTP or RSTP. After that has been done, the speeds go right back to normal.
Update #7:
I swapped out both Alta switches for one switch that has worked previously. The issue did not come back for around 12 hours. However, it did come back and it was the same symptoms. At this point, there is a loop somewhere in the network, which is not a physical connection. The only two things it could be is Sonos (will be resetting all of my Sonos equipment tonight) or the two Alta APS meshing together, even when they are asked not to. Hopefully I fix this tonight, because I am going insane.
Is it possible you have a device connected physically and wirelessly? Such as a desktop or laptop machine? I have four Sonos speakers on my network, non-wired, and do not have any problems.
It is always possible with Sonos, which is why I am resetting all of my Sonos tonight. Outside of the Sonos equipment, there is no possibility of physical and wireless connection, except for the AP6 Pros which are set to not mesh. If they are meshing, then it would be possible.
I don’t think it is Alta related now, since the only Alta devices CURRENTLY in use are two AP6-Pros. My girlfriend may have plugged something into the wrong spot, and that might be the cause of everything. Right now, the MAP function is showing both Alta AP6-Pros connected to a USW-Mini switch, which is not physically how they are connected. Both AP6-Pros are connected to a TP-Link switch, which is then connected to the router. So, there is something going on with the connection with the USW-Mini I think, and that is causing the loop. That might have been Sonos, or my girl could have connected a cable to the wrong spot and I just never realized it until now.
I will do some extensive troubleshooting after work and come up with a diagnosis. At this point, I do not think there is an issue with my Alta equipment.
Please do let us know either way. Generally STP (pick your flavour), would stop traffic, not slow it down—a loop, however, would slow it down. It’s hard to say if changing that had any real effect, or if it was somehow coincidental timing or something else (like the extra Ethernet cable causing an actual loop).
With a few devices now disconnected, if possible, reconnect the desired devices 1 by 1 to see if the loop is introduced after, or not. Easier to narrow it down that way, if it’s feasible.
Does the TP-Link switch support LLDP? If it doesn’t, or it isn’t enabled, then that may explain why the map hasn’t updated yet.
Even when I had the two “main” S8-POE as my switches, it still showed them both coming off of a USW-Mini. Physically, it is not wired that way, which is what is now making me search for a loop. I asked my girl to connect something the other day, and I think that might be where this is all coming from. I’ll eat my pizza and then troubleshoot. lol
Ok. I’ve come to the conclusion that there was a loop caused by Sonos (suspected, but still unsure how). I have disconnected all Sonos from the network, or powered down any Sonos equipment. I have reinstalled all Alta switches and everything seems to be working as it should be. There is still an anomaly with the network topology though. It is showing the start of my network is a USW Mini, which it physically is not.
My network topology is Modem - Router - Switch #1 (Port 8) - Switch #2 Port 8 - Alta AP6-Pro x2 and USW Mini x3 that connect to both Alta switches. The map always shows USW Mini as the start. I’d love to figure this out, or chop it up to the map feature being new.
Unsure if it does or not, I just got them since they were super cheap and PoE in. It’s still funny the map puts it as the first device, probably because it’s wired to port one. Alta shows port 8 as the uplink, so that’s what matters. lol
