Configure Split Horizon Bridging in MikroTik

configure split horizon bridging in microtech in this video configure split horizon bridging in microtic first it is important to note that there is a split horizon used by for example distance vector protocols in order to prevent routing loops what we will discuss and demonstrate in this tutorial is a microtech router os feature in bridging and just like its use in routing split horizon is to prevent bridging loops so the basic idea of split horizon bridging is to make a traffic that is arriving over some port never be sent out in the same set of ports thus preventing bridging loops to happen especially if you opt not to run for example a spanning tree protocol so in order to demonstrate split horizon bridging i will set up these devices i have a micro tick crs then i will have a microtech hub mini hoplite and hub ac lite as our test clients so we'll then proceed to create a bridge and add the corresponding port members so we have ether 2 e3 and ether 4. we will verify the default bridge behavior so we will verify from our test clients if pc1 will be able to communicate to pc2 and pc3 from there we will configure split horizon and check the difference now that there is split horizon configured and check on our test client so whether they can communicate to one another and finally we will discuss briefly and show the effects if split horizon is configured so for our demonstration so for this micro tick so we have the crs 326 so system resources so this is a microtex crs 326 24g 2s plus for our clients pc1 pc2 and pc3 so they are actually microtech routers so we have pc1 as hub mini so 192.168.1.10 so that ip address on port number one is 192.168.1.10 24. then for our pc number two so we have a micro tick hop light so the iep address is 192.168.1.20 24. so on ether one interface connected to so this should be connected to ether three okay so 192.168.1.20 our pc2 is actually a tick hop light and finally for our pc3 so we have hop ac light so the ib address for this hub ac light is 192.168.1 consistent to what we have in this topology so connected on its ether 1 interface but connected on ether 4 on the micro tick crs so we have our tasks here create bridge and add ports to the bridge so if you take a look there is a bridge here but this is not the bridge that we will create so this is my bridge so that i will be able to manage the micro tick so this is not the bridge so just don't mind this bridge that is already created so that is why if we take a look at pc number one so if we go to tools and ping and ping one of the other pc for example 1.20 that will be pc2 we would not be able to ping or to reach pc2 because on our crs we haven't created a bridge on the following interfaces ether2 e3 and ether 4. so let's go back in our crs 326 and fulfill this task create bridge so go to the bridge menu bridge tab plus sign and name the bridge so we don't have any specific name so in our example so let's just name it as lan okay so we will stick with arp enabled and we don't touch any settings in stp or vlan so mainly we will just add a bridge so click apply and click ok so we have the bridge now now is add the port members to the bridge so we have ether2 e3 and ether four so we go to ports so again don't mind this uh bridge connect with all of the bridge port members so plus sign so ether2 and the bridge will be lan the bridge that we have just created so we will just stick with all of the default settings here including hardware offload is check so click ok and we will also add the others so ether three and it's on the lan apply okay and finally ether four and on the bridge land and also default settings so we now have three port members for our bridge next we will verify the default bridge behavior so now that the ports are added as a member of the bridge interface let us see what's the effect so previously we don't have any bridge and our pc is not able to communicate to pc2 so this time let's test again on pc1 we go to tools ping and this is 192.168.1.20 so we will ping our pc2 so they got we have tested just a while ago now this time when we click a start there is now a reply from our pc number two let's do a check one more time so let's go to pc3 instead so this is one ninety one six eight one dot thirty and let's try to reach one nine two one six eight one that ten so one and two one six eight one the ten so click start and yes there is a reply from one nine 192.168.1.10 which is our pc number one so next we will configure split horizon so again split horizon is used to prevent bridging loops but you might take a look at this topology and you might say there will be no eventuality that there will be having a bridging loop since these pcs although they are microtech routers are not interconnected to one another thus to form a loop but let us just proceed to configure split horizon and see what is the effect here in our topology so the split horizon setting in microtic could be found on the bridge port members so that means if we go inside for example ether2 we will have the setting so that will be true if we go to ether three and that will also be true if we go to the ether four bridge port member so let's configure split horizon and let's have a scenario number one if you may let's configure the same value of horizon setting for each of our bridge port members so for example you could put here 50 so horizon value 50 on ether two and if we go to e3 so we'll have the same value 50 and on ether 4 let's have the same value as well horizon 50. so for scenario number one the horizon value are the same 50 50 50 on our bridge board members so let's see the effect if we go to pc1 tools ping and let's see if we could ping 1.20 so a while ago we could ping so click start and we don't seem to have a reply from our pc2 so let us see if we could reach pc number three and the same situation with our pc2 we could not also reach let's quickly go over to pc2 and confirm the scenario so 192.168.1.10. that will be pc2 to reach pc1 so click start and yes there is no reply and let's quickly do a ping on the pc3 iep address and there seem to be no response as well so once we set the horizon value to be the same value for our bridge port members so remember the split horizon prevents bridging loop in the sense that the traffic coming to this interface will not be allowed to exit the same set of interface so now if the horizon value are the same on ether 2 ether 3 and ether 4 so that is why a pc1 will try to reach pc2 it is not allowed to exit on ether 3 or ether 4 because they are treated as on the same horizon therefore thus preventing bridging loop thus not allowing to exit these ports so that is why pc1 and pc2 and pc3 will not be able to communicate to one another so let's have scenario number two wherein we still configure split horizon but this time let's have a different value for each bridge board members so let's stay put for ether two to be 50 let us change instead the ether three to 60 perhaps and our okay so this is 60 and on ether 4 we will change it to 70. so ether 250 ether 360 and ether 4 is 70. so they are set with horizon but on different values so let us check our pcs or our micro tick if they are able to communicate or they will still be not able to communicate to one another so let's go to pc number one so pc number one and let's try to ping pc number two and yes there is a reply and for pc3 and yes there seems to be a reply let's go to pc2 which is let's try to ping pc1 and yes there is a reply and for pc2 to pc number three and yes there is a reply so us observe if we have a horizon setting but the values will be different so meaning to say we are treating it to a different horizon so therefore pc1 is still allowed to exit on ether 3 or an ether 4 because they are on a different horizon value so one more or final scenario what if the horizon value of two ports are the same so let's say this is 50. so they are the same with ether two ether three is 50 and we will leave the ether four as 70. so let's do a ping test so on pc number one let's try to ping the same horizon value so there is no reply but on the other port with the different horizon value there is a reply so on pc number two let's take a quick look on pc1 we are not able to have a reply from the same horizon and for pc number three there is a reply on a different horizon value so what are the other split horizon effects so if you take a look i removed the horizon first to emphasize that on ether to e3 ether 4 there is a hardware offload flag because this crs 326 although we are operating on the bridge menu has a switch chip and actually is doing or is possible to offload the functionalities of the bridge to the switch chip okay so that is why because of this we have hardware offload and we prefer to have this hardware offload for better switching performance however once we turn on the horizon value or we put some values here for example 40 this time the h or hardware offload flag will be gone and that will be true if we will do horizon settings on other ports let's say 100 and let's have the let's say 200 horizon value so the hardware offload will be gone so we could not make use now of the switch chip and any of its features here that are covered on the switch menu so in this video configure split horizon bridging in microtech so split horizon bridging is to make a traffic that is arriving over some port never be sent out in the same set of ports thus preventing bridging loops we have configured split horizon by going to each bridgeport members and set a horizon value as we have observed if the horizon value is the same then those devices connected to those ports will not be able to communicate if the horizon value is different they are allowed to communicate it is also observed that if split horizon is enabled hardware offloading will be turned off we will have more implementation on split horizon in our future tutorials i hope you find this video helpful and useful thank you for viewing

Channel: Inquirinity

Views: 225

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Id: 81lBiLm9B8A

Length: 16min 5sec (965 seconds)

Published: Fri Oct 01 2021