Today's Burning Question: Auto-Negotiate, or Lockdown?

Friday, April 16, 2010
So which is the work of the devil - auto-negotiate, or lockdown?*

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*If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then please - just move along. Nothing to see here. These aren't the 'droids you're looking for.

12 comments:

Jim Wright said...

So, you took the prison warden job then?

I really have no damned idea of what you're talking about but it doesn't sound good.

vince said...

Well, it's easier to just let things auto-negotiate, and that's what I normally do. But sometimes the network environment requires you to force both the switch port and server NIC to the the same speed and duplex values to increase network performance. But it's a pain in the ass, so I'd say lock down is the work of the devil.

Eric said...

I don't know, I didn't see Transformers 2 and I don't think those characters were in the first one.

Nathan said...

I vote Lockdown. Those damned union activists will take the pay cut after three weeks locked on the factory floor!

Matt said...

Auto negotiate . . . as long as it involves "aggressive" negotiations.

Jeri said...

Autonegotiate. As long as it works properly.

When I have network problems during performance testing - or god forbid, during or after deployment - about half the time it seems to end up being a port setting mismatch.

I'm a fan of lockdown when it comes to the teen boy squad, though. I'm f-ing sick of negotiating. :)

(ironically enough, the youngest was the last one to use Google on my computer and I nearly published this comment under his name. ;))

Alex said...

I love the ease of auto-negotiate, but I find that whenever I have some sort of issue connecting reliably, I tend to lock down ports. So I don't know that lockdown is the devil, but more a necessary evil.

neurondoc said...

Whatever you choose, don't go with the Doc Ock arms.

What?

Steve Buchheit said...

Lockdown, work of the devil. Sure, once you've got it set, it's a dream. until you have to add or change something out. Auto-negotiate can go wrong, but then it is usually a sign that item needs replaced.

And Nathan, I'd be careful of what you wish for. From what I hear you're going to have to open your own damn doors real soon now.

Juan Federico said...

I say Lock it down Fully, not half way. Auto-Negotiation, for us, can leave things a bit unstable. This will cause issues down the road. These issues include destructive harmonic cycles that will knock shit down. A real world example; It began as a problem once every couple months, then progressed to once a month, to once a week, to once every 2 days, etc. Guess what a couple of us are doing tomorrow??? Yes Saturday, No we ain't happy.

Once again Lock It Down Fully Not Halfsie, Auto-Neg is not an option except for very specific stuff usually determined by brainier peeps than yours truly. Very specific stuff....

Sorry about getting stabby. But I loves m'job. ;)

Janiece said...

John, or new best practice as of last week is auto-negotiate.

I'll be you really love your job, now.

Juan Federico said...

I really meant that I love my job. :)

Best practice after a certain load? I can understand that, it brings us up to a half-assed relationship with the rest of the world. Prior to whatever ritual magic that you're dealing with now I say Lock it down.

If the new shit work Auto, that makes it easier for me.