[NTLUG:Discuss] ntlug.org back from the dead again

[Chris Cox]

Pat Regan wrote:
> Johnie Stafford wrote:
>>If you're talking 100Mb/s, things are totally different. I've never
>>known Auto+Auto to work in a Cisco FastEthernet (100Mb/s)
>>environment. You will almost always get a duplex mismatch. Auto+Hard
>>usuall works, although they usually just go with Hard+Hard in our shop
>>to make sure everything is running at 100/Full.
> 
> Is this still an issue with current Cisco hardware?  If it is, why is
> everyone still buying Cisco switches?  And why is it that my 5 year old,
> cheap as heck "Switch" brand 10/100 switch can manage to do it just fine?
> 
> It has been a few lifetimes since I have actually been a network guy,
> and at the time I was working for a 3com shop.  We never had any auto
> negotiation problems that I can remember.  Everywhere I have worked
> since has been a Cisco shop, and we always ended up having negotiation
> issues.
> 
> Is there a technical reason why they don't make a switch that can auto
> negotiate properly?

Auto negotiation is only DEFINED when both sides are auto negotiating.
It's not a Cisco problem.

The times where I've seen Cisco not work auto-auto is with older Sun
boxes.  You can peruse the wayback machine for details.  Both claimed
that each other had misinterpreted the spec..... I didn't care, I felt
that it was in their best interests to just make it work.. instead of
pointing the finger at each other.  Not sure who moved on it... but I
haven't had the problem in about 4-5 years now.