Best Practices For Cascading - LEGRAND Server Technology PRO3X User Manual

Each device in the cascade is accessible over the network, with Bridging or Port-Forwarding cascading
mode activated on each device.
• •
Bridging: Each device in the cascading chain is accessed with a different IP address.
• • Port Forwarding: Each device in the cascading chain is accessed with the same IP address(es) but
with a different port number assigned.
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Basic cascading restrictions:
• •
All devices in the chain must run compatible firmware versions of 3.3.10 or later.
• • The cascading mode of all devices in the chain must be the same.
• •
In the Bridging mode, the primary device can have only one connection to the network. DO NOT
connect both Ethernet ports to the network(s) unless your network has the R/STP protocol enabled.
Note: The Port Forwarding mode does NOT have this restriction. In this mode, you can enable two
wired and one wireless network connections.
• •
Do NOT connect cascaded devices other than primary to the LAN or WLAN.
• •
(WIFI only) You must use Raritan's USB WIFI wireless LAN adapter instead of other WIFI adapters for
wireless network connection.

Best Practices for Cascading

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One Ethernet connection per cabinet is better:
One Ethernet connection per cabinet is better than one Ethernet connection across cabinets because of
these advantages:
• •
More reliable connectivity.
• •
Easier to manage or maintain one cabinet when all of the cabling and connections are located in the
same cabinet.
• •
Reduces the cross‑cabinet cabling.
▶
When to establish a chain comprising 32 devices:
A chain consisting of 32 devices saves the most Ethernet connections and costs, and it is recommended
only when:
• •
External Ethernet ports are expensive or limited.
• •
Available IP addresses are limited.
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Ethernet cascading is recommended for supported devices with Dual Ethernet ports:
If all the devices in the intended cascade have dual Ethernet ports, cascading them via Ethernet is better
than via USB. The Ethernet interface offers the following benefits:
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