Mac:08001F52BC2B DestLUID:019 Age:01 Hash:0889 Ent:01
Mac:0015C539F9A3 DestLUID:024 Age:113 Hash:0154 Ent:01
Mac:000802B4A33A DestLUID:029 Age:01 Hash:0398 Ent:02
what do the above mean ? How can I use the above info ?
What you are seeing is the MAC address table of the particular device. The MAC addresses in this list are stored addresses that the unit will forward packets to that match the Link-Layer (Layer-2) Destination MAC address in packets the unit receives. The length of time these addresses will remain in the unit’s cache is a function of the “Bridge Table Timeout” parameter in the unit’s configuration. More specifically, the “Age” column in the table is the amount of time that has passed since the radio forwarded a packet or received a packet from that MAC address.
If you have any experience with switches and switching theory, the Canopy Bridge Table is the exact same thing as a switch’s MAC table.
Example - we have a 5-port switch. My PC and your PC are plugged into our switch. We both have IP Addresses on the same subnet. I want to send your PC some type of data. When the packet generated from my PC traverses down the wire and hits my port on the switch, the switch’s MAC table is queried to see if it has a stored MAC address that matches the packet’s destination MAC address. The switch says, yes I have that MAC, and that device is connected to port X on the switch. The packet is then forwarded out port X, down the wire to your PC.
Same thing with Canopy Bridge Tables. A few years ago I was curious as to exactly what types of MAC addresses each Canopy module held. So I compared all the MACs to the MACs of known devices on my network at that time and made a list. Some of the devices mentioned are specific to my network, but you’ll get the general idea.
Subscriber Modules (non NAT)
1. Anything behind the SM directly communicating with the SM, i.e. routers
2. The SM MAC Address itself
Access Points
1. All Subscriber Module MAC addresses connected to the AP via RF
2. All devices behind those SMs, i.e. routers
3. The AP MAC Address itself
Backhaul Slave (*)
1. Cisco Fast Ethernet Interface MAC Address
2. DNS-1 NIC MAC Address
3. DNS-2 NIC MAC Address
4. The BHS MAC Address itself
*all the above devices, including my BHS are terminated into a Layer-2 switch, so a BHS slave Bridge Tables contain MAC addys of any devices "behind it"
Backhaul Master
1. MAC Addresses of devices connected to SMs, i.e. routers
2. The BHM MAC Address itself
The easiest way for me to grasp the concept of Canopy Layer-2 forwarding was to imagine that every single Canopy radio is a Layer-2 switch that theoretically has 4096 imaginary RJ-45 ports on it. 4096 because that is the maximum number of Bridge Table entries per radio.
Sorry for the long reply. I hope this helps.
msmith wrote:
Access Points
1. All Subscriber Module MAC addresses connected to the AP via RF
2. All devices behind those SMs, i.e. routers
3. The AP MAC Address itself
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I sort imagined the theory of a swith to what it should be in common sense, and from what you say, I guesses right.
However its the 2. i’m a little confused/concerned about. If I am 3 SM’s on a WAN plugged into 24port switches at each location. Each switch has 20 machines plugged into it.
Is the below correct ?
The bridge table on SW1 will say, to get to these 40 machines (connected to SW1 and SW2) forward to the port with SM1 connected. The SM bridge table will have 60 entries in it 40 for SW2 and SW3 forwarding to AP and 20 for SW1 forwarding to the directly connected SW1.
The AP will have 60 entries, 20 entries looking to each on of the SM’s,
and the other remaining 2 SM’s will have 60 each, 40 forwarding to the AP and 20 to the locally connected switch.
Rgds
Ash