Managing a FortiSwitch with a FortiGate (5.2)

Manage up to 16 FortiSwitches from the FortiGate web-based manager or CLI. You can create and assign VLANs and configure port information. The connection between the FortiSwitch and the FortiGate is called a FortiLink.

Prerequisites

1. Connect a cable from the highest FortiSwitch port to an unused port on the FortiGate. For example, use port 24 on the FS-224D-POE switch.
2. You may need to enable the Switch Controller using the FortiGate web-based manager.
   1. Go to System > Config > Features.
   2. Turn on the WiFi & Switch Controller feature.
   3. Select Apply.
3. This recipe is applicable to FortiSwitchOS 3.3.0 and above.  

Procedure

From the FortiGate web-based manager:

1. Go to System > Network > Interfaces and edit an internal port.
2. Set Addressing mode to Dedicate to Extension Device.
3. Select OK. The FortiSwitch should now be visible
4. Go to WiFi & Switch Controller > Managed Devices > Managed FortiSwitch.
   Right-click on the switch and select Authorize.
   -> After a delay (while FortiGate processes the request), an icon with a checkmark appears in the Status column. For smaller FortiSwitch models, such as FS-108D-POE, the delay may be up to 3 minutes.  

Notes

1. In some FortiSwitch models (such as FS-124D), the highest port is an optical interface, which requires an SFP module.
2. In FortiOS 5.4, additional FortiLink features include:
   1. POE configuration from the FortiGate
   2. Link Aggregation Group (LAG) support for Fortilink
   3. Auto-detect the switch FortiLink port. Removes the restriction that only the highest port on the switch can be used for FortiLink
3. Refer to the document below to see the FortiSwitch and FortiGate releases that support FortiLink, and the supported FortiSwitch and FortiGate models in each release.

For additional information, see Managing FortiSwitch with a FortiGate (FortiOS 5.2), which is also available in the FortiOS 5.2 Handbook.

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