FS728TS, FS752TS, and FS752TPS Smart Switches: Common Questions

How many switches can be stacked?

A stack has up to six FS700TS series ( FS728TS or TS752TS or FS752TPS ) switches, with a maximum of 192 fast Ethernet ports. For example, if all the switches were FS728TS, the stacks could have a maximum of 6 units ( 6 * 24 = 144 ). If all the switches were FS752TS, the stack could have a maximum of 4 units ( 4 * 48 = 192 ). Note that other NETGEAR switches cannot be used in the stack.

How are the Master and Master Backup Switches in a stack identified?

The master is unit 1 or 2. The one which is not the master is the backup master.

What if a stack has more than 6 units or more than 192 ports?

All units except the master shut themselves down.

Which ports can be used for stack connection?

Stacking, by default, uses the last two gigabit ports, ports 27-28 on the FS728TS, and ports 51-52 on the FS752TPS. However, you can define the stacking links to be the fiber, instead of copper, by using the switch’s combo ports: Ports 25 and 26 on the FS728TS and ports 49 and 50 on the FS752TS; after making this change in the GUI, reset the switch.

In stack mode, the stack ports are dedicated to stacking only. They cannot be used for uplink ports or edge ports.

How is a switch changed from stack mode to standalone mode?

Stacking mode is the factory default. Use the Web interface to change the mode, then reset the switch. When the switch is in stacking mode, the last two ports must be used for stacking, they cannot be used for regular connection. If the switch is not going to be used for stacking, running the switch in Standalone Mode leaves you with two more Ethernet ports.

Can the Stack Id on the LED display be set manually?

The Stack Id can be changed through the Stack Management Web page, but it is better not to assign a specific stack id to a switch, since in the following case, the switch cannot boot.

• There is another switch in the stack with the same id which is also user-assigned.
• There is another switch in the stack with the same id which is auto-numbered, and has been booted for more than 10 minutes.
• The user-assigned id is 3, 4, 5, or 6 and there is no stack master in the stack.

Why is the product name on Smartwizard Discovery “FS700TS Switch”?

Any of the FS700TS switches can be the switch stack's master, so the Smartwizard Discovery shows “FS700TS Switch”, instead of the individual product name.

N101591.asp Dec. 15, 2005