Working with Socket Sites

This article explains how to use the Socket page to configure Socket settings and monitor the status.

Overview

The Socket page includes a detailed overview of each Socket's ports and their status. The link settings are configured as part of creating the site, and you can edit the settings and activate additional links for the Socket.

Before you install a Socket for a site, make sure the Connectivity Requirements for Socket Upgrades are met.

Socket throughput and capacity information per each Socket model are available in the Socket datasheet, for more information see Cato Socket Deployment Guides and Data Sheets.

Socket.png

The Socket overview displays each port state as follows:

  • For ports configured with the Cato destination type

    • Green - Cable connected, port is connected to Cato

    • Yellow - Cable connected, port is disconnected from Cato (no tunnel to the Cato Cloud)

    • Red - Cable isn’t connected, port is down

  • For ports configured with other destination types

    • Green - Cable connected, port is up

    • Red - Cable isn’t connected, port is down

    • Grey - port is disabled

Working with X1500 Socket Sites

X1500.png

These are the default X1500 Socket settings:

  • USB2 - Disabled

  • USB1 - Disabled

  • LAN1 / port 1 - Enabled as LAN (cannot be changed)

  • LAN2 / port 2 - Disabled

    The LAN2 / port 2 link can be used as a WAN destination, for more information see Exchanging Socket Ports

  • WAN1 / port 3 (WAN) - Enabled as Cato (Primary) (cannot be changed)

  • WAN2 / port 4 - Disabled or enabled as Cato, depending if you selected the Enable/Use WAN2 option when adding the new site

Working with the X1600 Socket Site

X1600.png

These are the default X1600 Socket settings:

  • Port 1 – Enabled as WAN 1

  • Port 2 – Disabled or enabled as WAN 2, depending if you selected the Enable/Use WAN2 option when adding a new site

  • Port 5 – Enabled as LAN1

  • The other ports are disabled by default

Working with the X1700 Socket Site

X1700.png

These are the default X1700 Socket settings:

  • Port 1 - Enabled as WAN 1

  • Port 2 - Disabled or enabled as WAN 2, depending if you selected the Enable/Use WAN2 option in the Add Site window

  • Port 3 - Enabled as LAN1

  • The remaining ports are disabled by default

Configuring the Add-on for the X1700 Socket

The X1700 Socket may also include add-ons, which are hardware cards with additional network interfaces that are inserted into the Socket expansion slots. Configure these add-on interfaces as you configure other interfaces.

  • Add-ons are usually pre-ordered and installed by Cato Networks

  • Before you insert add-ons in the expansion slot, turn off the Socket and disconnect the power supply

  • You can only install one add-on card in the X1700 Socket

The default setting for the Add-on option is None. If the configured add-on in the Cato Management Application and the actual hardware don't match, then the add-on interface is treated as if it was physically disconnected.

For more information, see the X1700 Socket deployment guide.

To configure the add-on for the X1700 Socket:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Network > Sites and select the site.

  2. From the navigation menu, select Site Configuration > Socket.

  3. From the Add Add-on Ports drop-down menu, select the add-on for the Socket.

    X1700_Socket_Addon.png

    Anywhere between two to four ports are added to the table.

    Once you select an add-on, the Add Add-on Ports button is disabled until you remove the existing add-on ports.

  4. Click Save.

Removing Add-on Ports

You can only configure one set of Add-on ports at a time. To configure a new add-on port, you must first remove the existing add-on ports.

To remove the add-on ports for the X1700 Socket:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Network > Sites and select the site.

  2. From the navigation menu, select Site Configuration > Socket.

  3. Click the horizontal hamburger in the row for the ports you want to remove, and click Remove Add-On Port.

  4. Click Save.

Opening the Socket WebUI

To open the Socket WebUI, from the Actions drop-down menu, select Connect to Socket. The Socket WebUI opens in a new browser tab and automatically logs in. For more information see Using the Socket WebUI.

Configuring Socket Link Settings

This section explains how to configure settings for links that connect to the Cato Cloud and for MPLS Alternative WAN links. It also discusses how to configure failover and fallback settings for sites that have more than one link to the Cato Cloud.

By default, Socket sites are enabled for WAN Recovery, for more information, see Socket Site Resiliency with WAN Recovery.

Socket_ports.png

Configuring the Socket Interface Destinations

Use the Destination setting for a Socket interface to define where the Socket sends traffic to. These are the destination options:

  • LAN - internal network for a site

  • Alternative WAN (Layer-2) - MPLS network with Socket sites on the same subnet

  • Disabled - this interface doesn't send or receive traffic

  • Alternative WAN - MPLS network with Socket sites on different subnets

  • Cato - this interface connects to the Cato cloud

You can't change the destination for these interfaces: LAN1 (LAN) and WAN1 (Cato).

To configure the destination for a Socket interface:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Network > Sites and select the site.

  2. From the navigation menu, select Site Configuration > Socket.

  3. From the table, click the interface.

    The Edit Socket Interface panel opens.

  4. Enter the Name that identifies the interface in the Cato Management Application.

  5. From the Destination drop-down menu, select the destination for this interface.

  6. Click Apply. The new destination is added to the row for this interface.

  7. Click Save.

Configuring Links to Cato Cloud

Configure the link settings that connect the site to the Cato Cloud. This section is for links that use the Cato destination.

Interface WAN Roles

You can use network rules to prioritize the network traffic transport according to the WAN role. For example, you can define the WAN 1 role as the primary interface and the WAN 2 role as the secondary interface for a network rule.

You must define a WAN Role for all Cato destinations, and you can't use the same WAN Role for multiple interfaces.

Interface Precedences

The Precedence for a link used for failover and fallback settings determines the priority in which these links are used. Precedence 1 interfaces are active by default, and the Socket activates the other precedences if there are connectivity or performance issues with the higher precedence.

Configure the bandwidth for the site according to the terms of your Cato license.

To configure the settings for a Cato Cloud link:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Network > Sites and select the site.

  2. From the navigation menu, select Site Configuration > Socket.

  3. From the table, click the interface.

    The Edit Socket Interface panel opens.

  4. Select the WAN Role for this interface, based on the requirements of your network rules.

  5. Select the Precedence priority for the interface.

  6. Configure the maximum Bandwidth settings for all traffic in the site.

    Note

    Note: If you enter Upstream or Downstream values that are greater than the actual connection speed of your ISPs link, the Cato Cloud QoS engine can't manage the traffic.

  7. Click Apply. The Edit Socket Interface panel closes.

  8. Click Save.

Configuring Links for Alternate WAN Destinations

Configure the WAN interface settings for Alternate WAN and Alternate WAN (Layer-2) MPLS traffic destinations. Generally, private IPs and interfaces are used for connecting directly to the MPLS provider.

To configure the settings for an Alternative WAN link:

  1. From the navigation menu, click Network > Sites and select the site.

  2. From the navigation menu, select Site Configuration > Socket.

  3. From the table, click the interface.

    The Edit Socket Interface panel opens.

  4. Verify that the Destination is Alternate WAN and Alternate WAN (Layer-2).

  5. Configure the maximum Bandwidth settings for all traffic in the site.

    Note

    Note: If you enter Upstream or Downstream values that are greater than the actual connection speed of your ISPs link, the Cato Cloud QoS engine can't manage the traffic.

  6. Configure these settings for the Private or Public Alternative WAN networks.

    1. Interface IP - IP address for the Socket interface for the traffic

    2. Gateway - IP address for the Alternative WAN gateway (such as MPLS firewall or router)

    3. Network - IP range (with CIDR) for the LAN

    4. ID (VLAN) - Enter the VLAN tag for the interface

  7. Click Apply. The Edit Socket Interface panel closes.

  8. Click Save.

Was this article helpful?

0 out of 0 found this helpful

3 comments

Date Votes
  • Comment author
    Yaakov Simon

    Updated content to reflect active/passive behavior with Connection SLA infrastructure

  • Comment author
    Jonathan Snyder

    The socket guides link at the top of this document is broken.

  • Comment author
    Yaron Libman

    Hi Jonathan, 

    Thank you for pointing this out - I've fixed the broken link.

Add your comment