<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Roger wrote: <blockquote cite="mid69b790a80711161059n71ffbf94g7f91f9bddc18dbab@mail.gmail.com" type="cite"> <pre wrap="">On Nov 16, 2007 10:54 AM, "Terrell Prudé Jr." <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:microman@cmosnetworks.com"><microman@cmosnetworks.com></a> wrote: </pre> <blockquote type="cite"> <pre wrap=""> Yep, older Macs have always had challenges with the switch running the full spanning tree algorithm. It is known to play havoc with DHCP on Macs in particular. Some switches might not let you actually disable the spanning tree protocol (STP). Cisco IOS-based switches, like 3550's, number among these. However, you can put it into what's called "fast learning" mode. Basically, this means two to four seconds instead of nearly 30 for the port to come up once you fire up the iMac client. Works like a champ. My iMac Bondi was much happier afterwards. </pre> </blockquote> <pre wrap=""> isn't it called "port fast" on the cisco? </pre> </blockquote> Indeed it is. The command on IOS-based switches is "spanning-tree portfast", and on CatOS switches, "set spantree portfast x/y", where x is the blade #, and y is the port # on that blade. <blockquote cite="mid69b790a80711161059n71ffbf94g7f91f9bddc18dbab@mail.gmail.com" type="cite"> <pre wrap="">I first ran into the problem on a Novell network. The novell login wanted to go before the port was active. After it was finally on the network, then the normal login came up. No novell login (Or something to that effect). hmm. maybe they *did* get the novell login, but didn't have an IP address. (novel 4.something with IPX/SPX)</pre> </blockquote> Yep, I can see that happening. Remember that, with IPX/SPX, the network address is done by MAC address (not so with IPv4), and the addresses are thus auto-assigned (no DHCP). IPv6 "borrowed" this little trick and thus doesn't need DHCP any more than IPX does. --TP </body> </html>