TesiraFORTÉ X network port modes

Network port modes FW 4.10 and higher

Tesira software version 4.10 or higher must be used with devices running firmware 4.10 or higher. 

In Tesira firmware (FW) 4.10.x and later TesiraFORTÉ X adds a 4th network port mode to the existing options. This new mode dedicates one port to each function or service: Control, VoIP, AVB and Dante respectively.

 

 

The existing port modes behave as they have in previous releases.

The default network port mode remains the same. Control and VoIP are on port 1; Media (AVB & Dante) is on ports 2-5.

It is always safe to connect to P1 for Tesira device discovery, as long the PC and the device are in a common IP address range.

New 4.10 behavior:

• 4.10 introduces the Dedicated Control, VoIP, AVB and Dante port mode. This dedicates each respective function or service to the respective port and disables port 5. This new port mode offering accommodates the need to isolate Control, VoIP, AVB and Dante on unique 3rd party networks or VLANs as required by some project designs.

TesiraFORTÉ X achieves the different port modes via rules imposed on the internal switch.

Switching between port modes is allowed while configured, however, if DHCP addresses have been acquired by the device's interfaces and the port modes are re-arranged and new DHCP servers do not present the device with new IP information then it may take up to 10 minutes for the device to release the old DHCP addresses and fall back to link local.

When changing switch port modes only P1 should be left connected when the new mode is selected, this will prevent unwanted traffic between network ports and odd DHCP behaviors. Reboot the device after changing port modes. Connect the remaining ports as appropriate for the new port mode. 

When TesiraFORTÉ X is manually configured, access to the network settings is available via Tesira software, for Launch-enabled TesiraFORTÉ X they are also available via the web UI.

It is important to keep each separate network interface in a unique IP address subnet range to prevent accidental mis-routing of traffic to dead ends. This often occurs when multiple interfaces are set for DHCP but DHCP servers are not present; the interfaces use APIPA addresses such as 169.254.x.x.

• TesiraFORTÉ X acts as both a querier and responder for LLDP.
• When in Dedicated Control, VoIP, AVB and Dante port mode, RSTP is disabled and unavailable as the Forte-X has now assigned each function or service to a respective physical port.
• If enabled, IGMP is used on all ports and uses the AVB MAC as its querier. 

Gateway, domain, and DNS server set

Control, VoIP, and Media all share a common IP stack inside the device, which means there can be only one gateway, one domain, and one DNS server set.

Tesira software allows users to specify different gateway and DNS addresses per interface, in firmware releases 4.2.x and later if multiple interfaces present valid gateway or DNS addresses then we select one based on a fixed prioritization scheme:

1. VoIP
   • (when VoIP VLAN is enabled or Separated Control, VoIP, and Media ports is selected and VoIP line settings are populated)
2. Control (control shares the AVB interface in Converged Control, VoIP, and Media port mode)
3. Media (Dante)

IP address, net mask (subnet range), gateway, and DNS settings may be assigned to each interface as a static setting or be provided to each interface by DHCP.

A network interface state will be up or down (cable disconnected or connected), this state determines whether it is considered in the prioritization scheme. 

When a device gateway is applied, a text indication next to the "Current Default Gateway" field of each interface will indicate "(Active)". The currently selected gateway IP for the device is shown across all network interfaces. We refer to this as the "default" gateway.

If 802.1x authentication is used it is critical that routing to the authentication server using the device's default gateway is possible.

If multiple interfaces present valid DNS settings then we first follow the same prioritization scheme as for the gateway, but, if a DNS set has been manually configured it is preferred over one acquired from a DHCP server. We assume a manual DNS entry is the preferred target defined by the knowledgeable device administrator. 

Tesira follows the Windows network settings model where DNS and gateway can be specified per-interface but rather than using a metric to define priority we use our heirarchy of VoIP, Control, or Media(Dante).

Note: In FW releases 4.0.x and 4.1.x this hierarchy was not rigorously applied. If the Control subnet had a different gateway than VoIP then VoIP responses would be erroneously routed using the Control gateway, leading the packets to being dropped. If there is a required VoIP gateway, an obvious workaround, if feasible, is to replace the Control network gateway with the one needed by VoIP, on the assumption that the Control network probably doesn’t really need to route but VoIP does. Updating to FW versions 4.2.x or higher resolves this issue. 

In separate control, VoIP, and media mode if a VoIP gateway does not seem to take priority, and DHCP is being used by both the control and VoIP interfaces, try setting the control interface to a static IP address and netmask, and leave the control gateway unpopulated. Alternately the VoIP settings can be set to static, including IP address, netmask, and gateway, as well as DNS servers if the VoIP DNS should be preferred. 

Port settings

Device Logs

The device logs will show most of the network configuration information. Here is an example:

SwitchPortMode will show the mode the device was in:

1. NOTICE     SwitchPortMode 'SWITCH_PORT_MODE_CONTROL_AND_MEDIA'
2. NOTICE     SwitchPortMode 'SWITCH_PORT_MODE_CONTROL_AND_VOIP_AND_MEDIA'
3. NOTICE     SwitchPortMode 'SWITCH_PORT_MODE_CONTROL_AND_VOIP_AND_AVB_AND_DANTE'
4. NOTICE     SwitchPortMode  'SWITCH_PORT_MODE_ALL_MEDIA'

Network interfaces indicate link-up or down state changes and IP addresses

NOTICE    media_avb_2 link status change. was: 'LINK_DOWN', now: 'LINK_1_GB'
NOTICE    interface media_avb_2, 169.254.5.26 netmask 255.255.0.0

DNS source and nameservers either in use or not in use, the source interface and whether defined manually or by DHCP

NOTICE    choosing *user-supplied* DNS source 'VoIPNG': domain '', nameservers '208.67.222.222' '208.67.220.220'

or

NOTICE    choosing *DHCP-served* DNS source 'control': domain '', nameservers '8.8.8.8' '8.8.4.4'

or

NOTICE    neither manual nor DHCP-served DNS found on any interface

Default gateway

NOTICE    ip route shows 1 default gateway(s)
NOTICE    'default via 192.168.254.254 dev eth2.4000 proto dhcp src 192.168.254.254 metric 100 '

From that, you can get a pretty good picture of the network topology and see unsupported topologies.

MAC addresses

Each TesiraFORTÉ X has (5) device MAC addresses. These are shown in the device's Event Logs in the boot sequence. They may be seen in the Equipment Table while offline, and in Device Maintenance under each network interface's advanced details, in the AVB Settings tab, and in the MAC Addresses tab while online. 

TesiraFORTÉ X port scans reveal up to (4) of the MAC addresses are used. The behavior is specific to the port role.

The MAC addresses will be sequential, appearing as shown here: 

1. Control (control)
2. AVB (media_avb_2)
3. VoIP (media_voip_3)
4. Dante (DAN Primary[Slot 2])
5. (not implemented)

When different port mode settings are assigned to the TesiraFORTÉ X, the MAC addresses which are discoverable per port will change.

Each active MAC address receives an IP address. IP addresses must be in unique logical subnets for proper behavior.

TesiraFORTÉ X uses the device's AVB MAC address for LLDP and RSTP negotiations on the media ports in all modes with the exception of Dedicated Control, VoIP, AVB and Dante - in this mode, RSTP is not needed and not available because the ports act independently. 

TesiraFORTÉ X uses the device's AVB MAC address for IGMP negotiations on all ports in all modes, when IGMP is enabled. This is expected behavior. 

During its boot sequence the TesiraFORTÉ X may show all MAC addresses on all ports for a short time before the port rules are put in place and traffic is properly routed.

Web interface

The web UI is simultaneously accessible at any of the device's IP addresses using a valid port. The Control IP address, the AVB IP address, AVB/control IP address, Dante IP address, and/or the VoIP IP address all allow access to the web UI via their respective ports, depending on port mode.

The set of webpages available in the web UI vary depending whether the device is Launch-capable/configured or if it has been manually configured. A smaller set of webpages is available when manually configured. The hidden pages are features specific to Launch-capable/configured devices.

Network settings are available from the web UI on Launch-capable/configured devices. Network settings are available using Tesira software when manually configured. 

TTP communication 

TTP communication is simultaneously accessible at any of the device's IP addresses using a valid port.

The Control IP address, the AVB IP address, AVB/control IP address, Dante IP address, and/or the VoIP IP address all allow communication via TTP command over their respective ports, depending on port mode.

TTP is available using SSH by default (SSH may be disabled, if desired). Telnet is disabled by default and can be enabled across all interfaces. 

3rd party control systems can interact with TesiraFORTÉ X on any of its connected networks.

LLDP

Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) is enabled on the media ports. LLDP queries are seen originating from the AVB MAC address. TesiraFORTÉ X acts as both a querier and responder for LLDP. 

RSTP 

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) is enabled by default on TesiraFORTÉ X. It can be disabled in the port mode settings. The setting applies to all media ports. RSTP queries are seen originating from the AVB MAC address. RSTP is intended for use with other Biamp devices to prevent broadcast storms if a network loop is accidentally or intentionally created. RSTP will interrupt network traffic for up to 60 seconds when a network change is sensed, while the port roles are being negotiated and applied. RSTP must be enabled on all network devices to work properly. 

In some cases a connected switch with BPDU guard enabled may determine that the RSTP queries from Tesira are not allowable traffic and will block the port. Disable RTSP in the Biamp Tesira device to resolve this issue. It will likely be necessary to set the Tesira RSTP state while it is not connected to the other switch. 

IGMP

Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) is disabled by default on TesiraFORTÉ X. It can be enabled in the port mode settings. The setting applies to all ports. IGMP (v2) is used to manage multicast traffic in large networks with numerous multicast talkers.

When IGMP is enabled TesiraFORTÉ X will act as an IGMP querier, using its interface address as its querier address. When IGMP is disabled TesiraFORTÉ X will respond to IGMP multicast group requests but will not act as a querier. 

If IGMP is used at least one IGMP querier IP address must be specified in the connected network, this is used to manage how multicast traffic is passed between switches. Every switch can be enabled as a querier, the switch with the lowest querier IP address should be elected as the preferred querier for the network.

IGMP queries and responses may be seen originating from any of the device's MAC addresses, depending on network topology.

DHCP / IP address behavior

TesiraFORTÉ X port settings allow for multiple interfaces to be part of a common physical network. In dedicated network modes, each network segment (control / VoIP / media) is expected to have a unique logical subnet for its IP addressing. In the converged mode all interfaces are in a common network.

• Dedicated Control and Media (Default) Control and VoIP on P1; AVB and Dante on P2-P5.
• Dedicated Control, VoIP and Media Control on P1; VoIP on P2; AVB and Dante on P3-P5.
• Dedicated Control, VoIP, AVB and Dante Control on P1; VoIP on P2; AVB on P3 and Dante on P4 (P5 is disabled).
• Converged Control, VoIP and Media AVB/control/VoIP and Dante or AVB/control and Dante on P1-P5.

Device interconnections

Biamp TesiraFORTÉ X devices are primarily intended for use in limited scope systems such as conference rooms and combinable rooms. When used in conjunction with TC-5 and/or TC-5D up to four devices can be used within a single media network cluster.

Any time TesiraFORTÉ X, TC-5, or TC-5D are connected to one another it is recommended that the unpowered port #1 (P1) of one device is used to connect to the second device.

PoE+

TesiraFORTÉ X is a network appliances with (5) 1GB ethernet ports. (4) of the ports can supply PoE+ to connected peripherals. The powered ports are numbered 2-5 and labeled "PoE+".

When connecting a TC-5, TC-5D, or FORTE X to a third-party network switch, it is recommended to use port 1 (P1) of the Biamp device for this purpose. If a PoE-capable 3rd party switch is required on P2-5 for media connections please contact support@biamp.com with your network topology requirements.

Downgrading firmware

IMPORTANT: If a TesiraFORTÉ X is running FW 4.2 or later and the device firmware is downgraded to 4.0 or 4.1 while the device is in any network port mode other than the default (Dedicated Control and Media) mode then a pinhole reset followed by a hard power cycle will be required to recover the device to a discoverable state. This is because the alternate port modes did not exist in the 4.0 and 4.1 FW code and the downgrade procedure will leave the ports in an invalid condition until reset and rebooted. You can avoid this condition either by setting port modes to the default prior to downgrading firmware, or by not downgrading firmware.

Legacy behaviour