notes/projects/gg/avahi_mdns-reflector/20250718-ruckus-sw-cfg.md

Ruckus One Switch Configuration for Your Network Setup

1. IGMP Snooping Configuration

Ruckus One switches support active and passive IGMP snooping. Here's what to use:

• IGMP Snooping Mode: Active

  • Why: Active mode actively participates in IGMP snooping, ensuring multicast traffic is forwarded only to ports where devices are listening. This is critical if your network has other multicast traffic (e.g., video streaming, IP multicast services). While mDNS (Bonjour) uses UDP and not IGMP, enabling active IGMP snooping ensures compatibility with other multicast services and prevents unnecessary flooding.

• Enable IGMP Snooping:

  • Navigate to Ruckus One Dashboard > Switches > [Switch Name] > IGMP Snooping.
  • Set Mode to Active.
  • Enable IGMP Snooping and IGMP Snooping Fast Leave (for faster group leave handling).

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2. Key Configuration Recommendations for Ruckus One Switches

Here’s how to configure your switches for maximal efficiency and network quality:

A. VLAN Configuration

• VLAN Trunking: Ensure trunk ports are used between switches and the core network (e.g., Sophos XGS4300) to carry all VLANs (15, 19, 7).
• Access Ports: Assign access ports to end-user devices (Apple TVs, macOS/iOS devices) with the correct VLAN tag.
• VLAN Prioritization:
  • Use QoS (CoS) to prioritize critical traffic (e.g., Bonjour, HTTP, HTTPS).
  • Example: Assign CoS 5 to VLAN 7 (AppleTV) and CoS 4 to VLANs 15/19 (Apple devices).

B. QoS and Traffic Prioritization

• Priority Queuing:
  • Prioritize UDP ports 80, 443, 546 (HTTP, HTTPS, DHCPv6) for Apple devices.
  • Use DSCP values (e.g., DSCP 46 for EF class) to mark traffic for low-latency, high-reliability transmission.
• Traffic Shaping:
  • Limit bandwidth for non-critical traffic (e.g., background updates) to ensure quality for AppleTV and student/teacher devices.

C. Link Aggregation (LACP)

• Enable LACP on uplinks between switches and the core (Sophos XGS4300) to:
  • Improve redundancy.
  • Balance traffic across multiple links.
  • Avoid single points of failure.

D. Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

• Enable STP (RSTP or MSTP) to prevent broadcast storms and loops.
• Set root bridges to avoid unnecessary STP convergence delays.

E. Port Security

• Enable Port Security on access ports to:
  • Prevent MAC address spoofing.
  • Limit the number of devices per port (e.g., 1 device per port for AppleTV).
• Use MAC-based filtering to restrict unauthorized devices.

F. IGMP Snooping Enhancements

• IGMP Snooping Fast Leave: Reduces delay when devices leave multicast groups.
• IGMP Snooping Querier Timeout: Adjust timeout values (e.g., 100 seconds) to balance responsiveness and resource usage.

G. Monitoring and Analytics

• Enable Traffic Monitoring to track:
  • Bandwidth usage per VLAN.
  • Multicast traffic patterns.
  • QoS policy enforcement.
• Use Ruckus One Analytics to identify bottlenecks or misconfigurations.

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3. CSV File Configuration (Batch Setup)

If you have a CSV list of all switches, use the Ruckus One Dashboard to apply configurations across all switches:

1. Export Switch Configurations:

   • Navigate to Ruckus One Dashboard > Switches > [Switch Name] > Export Configuration.
   • Save the configuration as a .cfg file.

2. Batch Apply Configurations:

   • Use the "Apply Configuration" feature to push the same settings to multiple switches.
   • For VLANs, QoS, and QoS policies, ensure all switches are configured identically.

3. Automate with Ruckus One API (Optional):

   • Use the Ruckus One API (via REST or SDK) to programmaticall configure switches in bulk.
   • Example: Apply IGMP snooping settings to all switches in a group.

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4. Additional Best Practices

• Firmware Updates: Ensure all switches are running the latest firmware for security and performance improvements.
• SNMP Monitoring: Enable SNMP for real-time monitoring of switch metrics (e.g., CPU usage, port status).
• Security Policies:
  • Disable unnecessary protocols (e.g., Telnet, FTP).
  • Enable SSH and HTTPS for secure access.
  • Use 802.1X authentication for access ports to restrict unauthorized devices.

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Summary Table: Ruckus One Switch Configuration Summary

Feature	Configuration	Rationale
IGMP Snooping	Active mode, enabled	For multicast services and compatibility
VLAN Trunking	Enabled on uplinks	For inter-switch communication
QoS (CoS/DSCP)	Prioritize VLAN 7 (AppleTV)	Ensures low-latency traffic
Link Aggregation (LACP)	Enabled on uplinks	Redundancy and bandwidth
Port Security	Enabled, MAC-based filtering	Prevents unauthorized access
STP (RSTP/MSTP)	Enabled, root bridge set	Prevents loops
Monitoring	SNMP, Ruckus One Analytics	Identifies performance issues

By following these steps, your Ruckus One switches will be optimized for multicast traffic handling, quality of service, and network security in your hybrid AppleTV/education network. Let me know if you need help exporting CSV configurations or scripting API calls! 🚀