How to send SNMP Traps from a Netgear GS724T switch

Getting your Netgear GS724T switch to send SNMP Traps requires several steps beyond the obvious enabling of traps and defining where the traps are being sent to. Here are the steps. This procedure works with Software Version 5.4.2.9 or .10.

Use your web browser to connect to the switch. Enter the password to login. The default password is password

1. Make sure you turn off the Port Authentication settings you may have enabled.

1a. Security\Port Authentication\Advanced\802.1X Configuration: "Disable" all options, then click apply (lower right corner of window).

1b. Security\Port Authentication\Advanced\Port Authentication: Select all ports and set Port Control = "Auto", then click apply.

2. Security\Traffic Control\Port Security\Port Security Configuration: Click Enable, then click apply.

3. Security\Traffic Control\Port Security\Interface Configuration

a. Select all ports
b. Port Security = "Enabled"
c. Max Allowed Dynamically Learned MAC = "600"
d. Max Allowed Statically Locked MAC = "20"
e. Enable Violation Traps = "Yes"
f. Click Apply

4. Enable Trap Flags. System\SNMP\ SNMPv1/v2\Trap Flags: select the trap types you want to be sent, then click apply.

5. Select the trap destination IP addresses. System\SNMP\ SNMPv1/v2\Trap Configuration: Enter the receiver's IP address, version of SNMP, community string and enable, then click Add, then Apply in the lower right corner.

6. Your switch should now be sending traps. You do not have to reboot it.

You can test whether the traps are being sent or not by using Wireshark on the receiving machine and look for SNMP trap packets (use the filters). Disconnect and reconnect an active device on the switch to force it to send link up/down and mac address change traps. You can also review the trap log by going to Monitoring\Logs\Trap Logs:

This was not an intuitive procedure, I will not take credit for it - the procedure came from their Tech Support - but it does work - have fun with it!

Configuring Cisco IOS Switches to work with SNMPv1 or v2c

In order to use Cisco switches with the Managed Switch Port Mapping tool, you need to have at least SNMPv1 or v2c running. You can do this with one line in the running-config.

1. from CLI, type enable followed by enter. You may need to enter a password.
2. switch# config term
3. switch(config)# snmp-server community public ro
^this makes it read only with the community name public, you can add rw at the end for read/write. You can use any community name that makes better sense, but remember that SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c are plaintext packets meaning they can be captured and read in Wireshark or any packet capture tool.
4. switch(config)# end or use CTRL-Z
5. switch# write memory

You should be able to map the switch immediately.

Added Support for Cisco Nexus Switches

Cisco Nexus Switches are usually used in Data Centers and we have had a few people tell us that the Managed Switch Port Mapping Tool did not work properly. It appeared to talk with the switch OK, but did not give any MAC addresses or IP addresses even though most of the other columns were filled. And even more of a problem was that the program hung up while processing Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) information. Two big problems - both easily solved.

Since I didn't have a Nexus 5010 sitting around and I went into sticker shock when I looked at them on Ebay, I went to Facebook and Twitter to see if anyone had one - fortunately one of my customers (S. M.) did. I found out rapidly that NX-OS != IOS, so I had to find a section of NX mibs that gave me what was missing. I did and sent a couple test versions. The Nexus mapped just fine and gave us the MAC addresses - as long as STP was off.

Fixing STP was a bit harder, but I found a place in the processing of the STP data where information is retrieved from the SQL tables in a while loop. I saw the problem that caused it to never break out of the while loop and sent a test - problem solved. This was the second time I had worked this issue. I also made STP not an active column by default, but you can still put it in there using the Setting and Tools/Column Order and Visibility Editor. If you already have it visible, nothing changes.

Since I was working this minor release, I decided to look carefully at the error messaging and improved the text that the user sees - particularly on the very first SNMP query - if that one fails, you have configuration or settings problems that must be fixed - it's what you entered in Settings or your switch is misconfigured for SNMP.

All these changes are now in v1.99.9.6 released on June 6, 2012. Please visit http://www.SwitchPortMapper.com/ to get this latest version.

Have a good day! - Kirk

Need to know what's attached to your Nortel switch?

Watch this video to see how to use the Managed Switch Port Mapping tool to find out what's attached to a Nortel® BES110-24T switch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhDimMRpO8I

Enjoy!

Managed Switch Port Mapping Tool v1.99.4

On June 9 we released the latest version of the Managed Switch Port Mapping Tool. It addressed an ongoing problem we had been having with Side by Side DLL configurations - we switched to static linking to eliminate this nagging problem. We also fixed a problem that usually only showed up if you were using a low color resolution screen such as when you run the program using Remote Desktop. If you viewed the About information on low color resolution, it would crash - it no longer does that. We also tested the software successfully with HP ProCurve 1810G-8 Switch running their new p2.2 firmware and made a minor change that allows mapping of older Enterasys Cabletron switches. In keeping with current conventions and the changes made in NetScanTools Pro v11, the word Setup was replaced with Settings throughout the program.

Please visit http://www.switchportmapper.com/ to download the free 30 trial. If you need a trial period reset code, please contact our sales dept.

Kirk