I recently inherited a project with a customer who has two Cisco routers configured with HSRP. However, my predecessors set it up without a switch; they connected each router directly to the firewall instead. Now, I need to figure out if I need a specific type of switch to facilitate the HSRP setup. Do I really need something beyond a basic switch since HSRP is already configured on the routers? Also, I'm looking for suggestions, especially since we typically use Zyxel switches instead of Cisco. Any advice would be appreciated!
4 Answers
Keep in mind, switches don't really care about L3 redundancy protocols like HSRP, VRRP, or CARP. The setup works because both routers can share an IP and MAC address, which allows them to handle requests based on their configured logic.
We usually set up specific VLAN ports from our core switches to avoid adding unreliable hardware. It's better to keep everything streamlined rather than relying on cheaper options that might become a single point of failure.
I really think that dumb switches don’t cut it in business environments. For the same price you’d pay for a Zyxel, you could grab a used Cisco Catalyst 3850, which would give you a lot more reliability.
Honestly, the simpler the switch, the better! I use a basic 4-port Netgear L2 switch for similar setups (not HSRP specifically, but it's a comparable situation). That said, if you're aiming for a more reliable solution, you might want to consider using something more robust—just to avoid any potential single points of failure if your routers need to communicate.
For sure, I'd agree! While basic switches can work, having real enterprise gear could add that extra layer of redundancy. If your HSRP gateways can't see one another, that could definitely lead to headaches.
Tell me about it! I've had my fair share of issues with our MSP who can't handle proper redundancy. I'd stick with what you know works, even if it's a Netgear switch.