Smartports
Why Use Smartports:

Essential Procedures:

Advanced Topic and Procedure:

Tips on Using this Window:

  • Click the column headings to sort information.
  • Click Submit to save your changes.
  • Click Cancel to discard unsaved changes.

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What Is Smartports

The Smartports feature is a set of Cisco-recommended configurations for the switch ports. These configurations (referred to as port roles) optimize the switch connections and ensure security and transmission quality for traffic from the switch ports. The port roles also prevent many problems caused by port misconfigurations.

Tip: Use Smartports immediately after the initial setup. The ports are then correctly configured before they are connected to devices. The only prerequisite is to decide which switch port will be connected to which device type.

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Smartports Roles

The Smartports roles are based on the type of devices to be connected to the switch ports. For example, the Desktop port role is specifically for switch ports to be connected to desktop and laptop PCs.

Important notes to remember:

  • When you apply a port role on a port, all existing port settings are removed.
  • We recommend that you do not change specific port settings after applying a port role on a port. Any port setting changes might alter the effectiveness of the port role.
  • Only the external switch ports support port roles.

By default, the switch ports are set with the None port role.

The switch provides these Smartports roles:

 

Apply this role to ports to be connected to desktop devices, such as desktop PCs, workstations, notebook PCs, and other client-based hosts. This port role increases network security and reliability on the connection.

Note:

  • Do not apply to ports to be connected to switches, routers, or access points.
  • Do not apply to ports to be connected to non-Cisco, non-desktop devices. This will disable the ports.

 

Apply this role to ports to be connected to other switches.

 

Apply this role to non-Gigabit ports to be connected to routers or Layer 3 switches with routing service capabilities. Use this role if the port will connect to devices that connect to the WAN or the Internet.

 

Apply this role to ports to be connected to IP phones. A desktop device, such as a PC, can be connected to the IP phone. Both the IP phone and the connected PC would have network and Internet access through the switch port.

This role ensures quality of service (QoS) to delay-sensitive voice traffic.

 

Apply this role to ports to be connected to wireless access points. The access point can provide network access to up to 30 mobile (wireless) users.

 

No port role is enabled on the switch. This is the factory default.

 

A non-Cisco port role or multiple port roles are enabled on the port.

Note: Ports with the Unsupported Setup icon are not displayed on the Customize window.

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Avoid Smartports Mismatches

A Smartports mismatch is when an attached device does not match the Smartports role applied to the switch port. Mismatches can have adverse effects on devices and your network. For example, mismatches

  • Affect the behavior of the attached device
  • Reduce the level of QoS on voice, wireless, switch, and router traffic
  • Reduce restrictions on guest access to the network
  • Reduce protection from denial of service (DoS) attacks on the network
  • Disable or shut down the port

We recommend that you always verify which Smartports role is applied to a port before attaching a device to the port or reconnecting devices that have been moved.

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Apply the Recommended System Setup

The recommended system setup enables a set of advanced system settings that can improve the performance of the switch.

Check Enable to enable the recommended system setup, and click Submit. To disable this feature, uncheck Enable, and click Submit.

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Advanced System Settings

As a result of enabling the recommended system setup, these advanced system settings are automatically enabled:

  • Rapid Per-VLAN spanning-tree plus (PVST+) for load-balancing across VLANs and providing rapid convergence of spanning-tree instances
  • Loop guard for preventing alternate or root ports from becoming designated ports
  • Dynamic port error recovery for link state failures
  • Class of service (CoS)-to-Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) mappings for high-performance quality of service
  • UniDirectional Link Detection (UDLD) aggressive mode for detecting and disabling unidirectional links on fiber-optic interfaces

These advanced settings cannot be changed through the device manager, however they can be changed through Network Assistant or through the switch command-line interface (CLI). For information about these features, see the switch software configuration guide. The Support window provides a link to the switch documentation.

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Apply the Recommended Port Setup

The recommended port setup options (or port roles) enable advanced connection settings that can improve the performance of the connections between the switch ports and attached devices. The advanced connection settings, enabled through the port roles, cannot be changed through the device manager, however they can be changed through Network Assistant or through the switch command-line interface (CLI). For information about these features, see the switch configuration guide. The Support window provides a link to the switch documentation.

You can enable a port role on one or more switch ports and assign the enabled ports to specific VLANs.

Move the pointer over a port to display its port number and VLAN ID (VLAN membership). If a port role is enabled on the port, the port role name is also displayed.

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Apply a Smartports Role to a Single Port

  1. Select a Smartports role from the Select a port role list.

  2. Click the port. The icon for the selected Smartports role appears on the port.

  3. Click Submit to save your changes.

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Apply a Smartports Role to All Ports

  1. Select a Smartports role from the Select a port role list.

  2. Select the Apply the selected port role to all ports check box. The icon for the selected Smartports role appears on the ports.

  3. Click Submit to save your changes.

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Remove an Applied Smartports Role

To remove the Smartports role applied to a port:

  1. Select None from the Select a port role list.

  2. Click the port. The None icon appears on the port.

  3. Click Submit to save your changes.

To remove the Smartports role applied to all ports:

  1. Select None from the Select a port role list.

  2. Select the Apply the selected port role for all ports check box. The None icon appears on the ports.

  3. Click Submit to save your changes.

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Customizing the Port Role on Ports

Ports enabled with a port role are listed in the Customize window. You can assign these ports to different VLANs (also referred to as VLAN memberships).

A VLAN is a way to restrict specific data broadcasts to specific logical workgroups. For example, information about employee salaries can be sent only to devices belonging to a VLAN created for payroll-related communications. Ports assigned to the same VLAN can share the same data broadcasts and system resources. Communication between VLANs requires a Layer 3 device (such as a router or a Layer 3 switch).

Each VLAN has an ID. By default, all ports are assigned to VLAN 1. VLAN 1 is typically where unrestricted broadcast traffic appears. For complete information about VLANs, see the switch software configuration guide. The Support window provides a link to the switch documentation.

You can sort the contents in each table column either by port number or VLAN ID. To sort a table column, click the column heading.

To change the VLAN membership of switch ports enabled with a port role, follow these steps:

  1. Click Customize to display the Customize window. Note that you can display the Customize window only if you have enabled a port role on at least one port.

  2. From the Customize window, change the VLAN ID to which the port belongs. The VLAN ID can be from 1 to 1001. The default is 1. See the switch software configuration guide for information about using VLAN IDs from 1006 and higher.

  3. Click Done.

  4. From the Smartports window, click Submit to save your change.

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