#access #point #Network #Loops #Unifi #Environment
I have a site where there is a MDF and 4 IDFs with a total of 12 managed Unifi switches. We also have 200 Unifi U6-Pro APs. 50 of the APs have a homerun to our IDFs. The other 150 of them are connected to the IDFs with a TP-Link 5-Port Gigabit Desktop PoE+ Switch in between. So we have 150 of those unmanaged switches (1 for each room on-site) with a homerun to our backbone, each of them fully populated going to 3 data drops and the U6-Pro AP in the room. Meshing is disabled in the controller and the goal is to have all 200 APs with a GbE uplink to our backbone. The problem I am having is network loops EVERYWHERE.
I can bring up all 50 APs that have a home run with no issues. As soon as I start bringing up ports that have the TP-Link switches connected, the network is down within 2 minutes, even with loop protection enabled on all access ports. Loop Protection and STP will shut down most of the ports but not all. When I look at the topology tab, I am seeing 30+ in unit APs (the ones connected to the TP-Link switches), all with a wireless uplink to our homerun APs, even though a GbE uplink is available to them.
I started my troubleshooting by isolating the network backbone, which meant we unplugged every single access port on all switches, only bringing up our firewall and switches. Once that was up, we plugged in all of the APs that have a homerun. Network is in great shape. Then we started factory resetting each AP connected to a TP-Link and bringing them up one at a time. Immediate outage. I understand that the problem is the unmanaged switches. What I do not understand is exactly why we are getting these loops if all of our APs have wired uplinks. How are these APs causing a loop?
The next steps we plan on taking is toning and certifying every single cable run in the building. I can say with 99% certainty that the 150 unmanaged switches are the culprit, but I need to be positive. We need all 200 APs to have a homerun. I just want to be able to speak with absolute certainty/authority to this client. Has anyone had a similar situation with a site that has so many unmanaged switches on a network of this size? Or had Unifi APs connect via wireless uplink even though they have a GbE uplink available to them?
