Switches Can't Ping Each Other but PCs Can

Question

I have an HP ProCurve 2910al running pretty much factory defaults on it at 192.168.1.50. There are 2 VLANS on it.

• Ports 1-12 are VLAN 1 (untagged)
• Ports 13-21 are VLAN 2 (Untagged)
• Port 22 is a TRUNK (Trk1) (Tagged)
• Port 23 is a TRUNK (Trk2) (Tagged)
• Port 24 is a TRUNK (Trk3) (Tagged)

They connected to 3 Black Box LGB2118A Switches (192.168.1.51, 52, 53) running factory defaults excempt for VLANs. On each switch Port 1-15 are currently untagged for VLAN 1. Port 16 is a TRUNK (PVID 1) (Tagged).

Now the strange part is if I connected to a blackbox switch I can ping the HP switch. I can ping the server on the HP switch. I CAN NOT ping the other black box switches. I can ping computers connected to those Black Box switches but not the switches themselves. I also can't get to their management pages. From a machine connected to the HP switch I can't ping or reach the management pages for them.

Anyone have any idea any I can't talk through the HP switch to my switches or reach their management pages but I can access computers through the blackbox switches?

EDIT: addition of diagram. Have to pull the configuration off the switches could take some time.

EDIT: Here are the configs

HP ProCurve 2910

 Running configuration:

; J9145A Configuration Editor; Created on release #W.14.38

hostname "SWITCH2" 
time timezone -300 
module 1 type J9145A 
interface 1 
   name "DC" 
exit
interface 2 
   name "SERVER" 
exit
interface 3 
   name "COMPUTER3" 
exit
interface 4 
   name "COMPUTER1 (Test Box 1 Black)" 
exit
interface 5 
   name "COMPUTER2  (Test Box 2 Black)" 
exit
interface 6 
   name "Open (Test Box 3 Black)" 
exit
interface 7 
   name "Open (Test Box 4 Black)" 
exit
interface 8 
   name "Open (Test Box 5 Black)" 
exit
interface 9 
   name "Open (Test Box 6 Black)" 
exit
interface 10 
   name "Open (Test Box 7 Black)" 
exit
interface 11 
   name "Open (White Test Net)" 
exit
interface 12 
   name "Open (White Test Net)" 
exit
interface 13 
   name "Open (Test Box 1 White)" 
exit
interface 14 
   name "Open (Test Box 2 White)" 
exit
interface 15 
   name "Open (Test Box 3 White)" 
exit
interface 16 
   name "Open (Test Box 4 White)" 
exit
interface 17 
   name "Open (Test Box 5 White)" 
exit
interface 18 
   name "Open (Test Box 6 White)" 
exit
interface 19 
   name "Open (Test Box 7 White)" 
exit
interface 20 
   name "Trunk (TCC)" 
exit
interface 21 
   name "Trunk (Sandbox)" 
exit
interface 22 
   name "Trunk (Lab)" 
exit
interface 23 
   name "Trunk (Office)" 
exit
interface 24 
   name "Trunk (Upper)" 
exit
trunk 24 Trk1 Trunk 
trunk 23 Trk2 Trunk 
trunk 22 Trk3 Trunk 
ip default-gateway 192.168.1.1 
vlan 1 
   name "NETWORK" 
   forbid 11-19 
   untagged 1-10,20-21 
   ip address 192.168.1.51 255.255.0.0 
   tagged Trk1-Trk3 
   no untagged 11-19 
   exit 
vlan 2 
   name MAIN-DEV" 
   forbid 1-21 
   tagged Trk2-Trk3 
   no ip address 
   exit 
vlan 3 
   name "DEV-LAN-1_(Orange)" 
   forbid 1-21 
   tagged Trk2-Trk3 
   no ip address 
   exit 
vlan 4 
   name "DEV-LAN-2_(White)" 
   forbid 1-10,20-21 
   untagged 11-19 
   tagged Trk1-Trk3 
   no ip address 
   exit 
gvrp 
snmp-server community "NETWORK" unrestricted
snmp-server contact 
spanning-tree Trk1 priority 4
spanning-tree Trk2 priority 4
spanning-tree Trk3 priority 4
no autorun
password manager

EDIT: I am trying to extend my VLAN1 network to 4 locations while still being able to extend VLAN 2-4 if I need to them. They will need to be available in other areas moving forward. So VLAN1 is the management network and the other VLANS will be doing other work.

Answer 1

You've made the classic mistake:

Different manufacturers use different terminology

HP calls them Trunks-- Cisco calls them Port channels

In other words, you're using the wrong commands

Answer 2

In HP jargon, trunking is port aggregation (LAG), unrelated to VLAN trunking. A LAG trunk with just a single port doesn't make much sense unless you're planning to extend it neatly. You should consider using LACP trunks if possible though.

On HPE switches, VLAN trunks require no special configuration. You just assign (one) untagged or (several) tagged VLANs to a port or LAG trunk.

Trk1-Trk3 (ports 24-22 respectively, contrary to your question) only carry tagged VLAN traffic. This requires the Blackbox switches to be configured in the same way. Egress traffic with or without a VLAN tag that isn't matched on the neighbor switch is dropped. Traffic with VIDs 2 and 3 from the 2910 will be dropped on the Blackboxes.

The 2910 should be pingable from all ports belonging to VLAN 1. It's got no IP address on the other VLANs and routing isn't activated. The Blackbox switches are pingable on whatever VLAN they are configured on - all ports are members of VLAN 1 however, so if there are other VLANs on the Blackboxes there's no connection.

All in all, the configuration doesn't make too much sense. Maybe you should edit your question to include what you're trying to do.

Answer 3

Found the answer to this by calling the manufacturer.

On the Black Box switches the ports for trunks had to be set to C-PORTs and the PVID has to be set to the management VLAN. All check in now correctly.