How To Create a Mac-Based VLAN for Separating Dante+MXnet Traffic on an MXnet Switch

How To Create a Mac-Based VLAN for Separating Dante+MXnet Traffic on an MXnet Switch

The below guide provides instructions for configuring a Mac-Based VLAN, suitable for separating MXnet + Dante traffic on MXnet 10G/USP systems (see this guide for Dante-V2 products). 

Method One: Web GUI

Step One: Log in to the web interface (default credentials are admin/admin) using the IP address of the MXnet network switch. For MXnet network switches that offer a Management port, the default IP address is 192.168.1.238/24. If the network switch doesn't have a MGMT port (such as the MXNET-SW24E/SW48E), this guide can be used to enable network access.
 
Step Two: Navigate to the “Layer2 Function” tab on the top navigation bar, then to the “VLAN” subtab on the left navigation bar.

 
Step Three: Within the 'Global Configuration' page, Create a VLAN for Dante traffic by clicking the + icon on the page, and assign it the desired VLAN ID. An additional VLAN can be created for the MXnet traffic, if desired. For this scenario, VLAN 1 will be used for MXnet traffic, and VLAN 50 will be used for Dante traffic. 


Step Four: Once the VLAN has been created with the appropriate VLAN ID, navigate to the 'Port Mode' subtab. From there, click on the Plus (+) icon. In the window that appears, choose the desired switchport to be configured that an MXnet+Dante device resides on. For the 'Type' field, choose Hybrid. For the Priority VLAN ID (PVID) field, enter in the VLAN ID value of the MXnet/Video VLAN. Leave "Enable VLAN Ingress Check" enabled, then click "Save" once complete. Repeat this process for any desired switchports that contain an MXnet+Dante device. 
To assign a switchport for standalone Dante or MXnet devices, within the 'Add Port Mode' window, leave the 'type' field set to access, and set the Priority VLAN ID to the VLAN ID of the Dante or MXnet VLAN. 


Step Five: Navigate to the 'Port VLAN Configuration' subtab. Click on the Plus (+) icon near the top of the screen. In the Window that populates, search for the desired switchport within the 'port' field's dropdown menu. Within the 'VLAN List' field, enter in the VLAN ID for the Dante VLAN chosen within Step 3. For the 'tagged' field, choose 'Untag'. For the 'Operation Type' dropdown menu, choose "WORD". Click Save once complete. Repeat the described process for any desired switchports that contain MXnet + Dante traffic. 
Once complete, the modified switchports will look similar to the below image, with the 'Native' column containing the MXnet VLAN, and the 'untag' column containing the Dante VLAN.
Notes
Note: You do not need to perform the above described configurations for dedicated MXnet / Dante switchports. 

Step Six: After Steps 1-5 are complete, navigate to the 'MAC' subtab option on the left-side navigational bar (right above the 'VLAN' tab). Locate the MAC address of an Audinate Chipset, and copy it into a text editor for later.
Notes
Note: Only one Audinate MAC Address is needed. Audinate MAC Addresses for 10G/USP products will start with "00-1d-c1".
 

Step Seven: Navigate to the 'Dynamic VLAN' subtab within the left navigational bar. Click on the 'MAC VLAN' subtab at the top, and then click the Plus (+) icon. Within the Vlan ID field's dropdown menu, input the VLAN ID for the Dante VLAN, and click 'Save'. The VLAN ID will populate in the visible table. 

Step Eight: Navigate to the 'Relationship of MAC and VLAN' subtab at the top, and then click the Plus (+) icon. Input the Mac Address noted within Step 7 into the 'Mac Address' field. For the 'MAC Mask' field, input "ff-ff-ff-00-00-00". Input the Dante VLAN or desired VLAN into the 'VLAN ID' field. For the 'Priority' field, choose "6". Click Save once complete.
This acts as a "wildcard" address, placing any device that has a MAC address that begins with '00-1D-C1', into the assigned VLAN ID.

Your MXnet endpoints are now configured for MAC-VLAN routing, and will appropriately separate MXnet and Dante traffic into their respective VLANs. 
Notes
Note: It is recommended to power cycle your MXnet endpoints after all configurations above are complete, to ensure they properly route traffic to the newly assigned VLAN(s).

Method Two: CLI

Note: This guide assumes you are familiar with the CLI, or have read the Basic Operation and Configuration Guide.

Step One: Access the CLI of the MXnet network switch, either via IP or via the Console port. Default credentials are admin/admin. 

Step Two: Enter the command "config" to enter CONFIGURATION mode.

Step Three: Enter in the command "vlan {ID}", with {ID} being the desired Dante VLAN ID. Example: "vlan 50".
Repeat this process for an MXnet VLAN, if desired (be sure to enable IGMP configurations for the MXnet VLAN). For this scenario, VLAN 1 will be used for MXnet traffic. 

Step Four: Send the command 'exit', then send the command "mac-vlan vlan {ID}" with {ID} being the Dante VLAN ID created in Step Three.
Example: mac-vlan vlan 50

Step Five: Send the command "show mac-address-table" to display the current MAC address table of discovered endpoints within your network. Locate a MAC address that starts with "00-1d-c1", and copy it. For this example, 00-1d-c1-8a-44-c6 will be used.

Step Six: Send the command "mac-vlan mac {Dante_MAC} ff-ff-ff-00-00-00 vlan {ID} priority 6", with {Dante_MAC} being the Dante MAC address located within Step Five, and {ID} being the Dante VLAN ID created in Step Three.

Step Seven: Now it is time to assign the desired switchport or switchports for MXnet + Dante separation. within CONFIGURATION mode, send the command "interface ethernet 1/0/x;y;z;..." or "interface ethernet 1/0/x-y" or "interface ethernet 1/0/x", to target the desired switchport or switchport for MXnet + Dante traffic separation.
Send the command "switchport mode hybrid". Then, send "switchport hybrid allowed vlan {MXnet_ID};{Dante_ID} untag", with {MXnet_ID} and {Dante_ID} being the VLAN IDs for MXnet and Dante VLANs, respectively.
After the target switchport(s) are configured for hybrid VLAN routing, send the command "switchport hybrid native vlan {MXnet_ID}" to set the native VLAN of the target switchport to the MXnet VLAN.
Example: 
interface ethernet 1/0/5;6;9
switchport mode hybrid
switchport hybrid allowed vlan 1;50 untag
switchport hybrid native vlan 1

Notes
Note: The "switchport access vlan {ID}" command can be used after targeting one or multiple switchports, to assign dedicated MXnet or Dante equipment to their appropriate VLAN.
Be sure to save the modified configurations once complete by sending the "write" command!!!!!!!!

Your MXnet switchports are now configured for Dante + MXnet traffic. It is recommended to power cycle the endpoints after configurations, to ensure the devices are forwarding their traffic on the appropriate VLANs.