HPE Aruba S2500 Initial Switch Configuration – Cheap 10gb Networking At Home!

This is meant to be an all-inclusive tutorial on all the steps needed for the initial configuration of an HPE Aruba S2500 Switch so that if you buy one you can have a guide to help you along with setup.

This guide will work for any of the S2500 and the S3500 models S2500-48T S2500-48P S2500-24T and S2500-24P.

We will cover.
- Factory Reset
- Initial Quick Configuration using the Quick Setup GUI
- Reaching the Web Interface
- Setting up our Administrator Password
- Setting our Enable Password
- Setting Our Switch Management IP
- Downloading and Updating the Firmware / ArubaOS
- Using SSH
- Disable the Default Stacking Ports to Enable 4x SFP+ Ports for Switched Networking

I will cover the “gotchas” as we go for things to look out for, and as this video is integrated into part of my “Upgrading My Network to 10gb on the Cheap” series.

I go over a bit of the influential reasons why the S2500 was the switch I purchased over the other more common choices like the Microtik Cloud Switches. [Mikrotik CSS326-24G-2S] [Mikrotik CRS305-1G-4S+IN] [CRS226-24G-2S+IN] [CRS226-24G-2S+RM]

Fans are very quiet for enterprise switches, but I am doing a fan mod and replacing the fans with Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX Fans.

You can find them with the best prices here on Amazon:

Also buying this to clean up my rack.

Update Your Firmware:

I Purchased My Switches From Ebay

[elitexero]

Thank you for making this video. You've saved a lot of us from going down a bunch of rabbit holes to get this switch configured.

[BradHedges]

Based on multiple recommendations I found online, I just purchased two of these switches - a 2500-48T, and a 3500-48POE. Using this video I have been successful and thrilled to configure them for my growing homelab (with zero prior networking knowledge, other than as a "power user" for ~25 years...). Thanks for the info!

[dillonhansen]

The best deal!! I just bought and configured the switch thanks to this video. Thank

[webcrawler]

I just picked up a S3500-48P with a dual 600W redundant power supply for just $99. Thanks! This video will come on handy.

[theagent]

Thank you - just getting around to setting up 10G networking after owning this switch for a couple of years. THis was super helpful.

[JimSmyth]

Thank you so much! As someone who has never touched SFP or a managed switch before, I was having a heck of a time figuring out how to get this going. Plugged into a "stack port" (and having no idea what such a thing was), I couldn't figure out why I couldn't connect to anything. Following the steps here, I have a functional 10GB network going. Thanks!

[jwm]

Very useful guide - I started off attempting to configure the OOB MGMT port and had some troubles. This worked a treat. Cheers!

[senzigr]

Excellent description. I could have never made this work without this tutorial. Can't wait to add to my network

[adamtravis]

Super helpful. Could not figure out what was going on with those 3 and 4 ports on my switches

[JonahAberle]

This is fucking awesome. I've been using these switches for a while because cheap 10gig and POE but I read the manual and still couldnt figure how to access configuration so I just left it. Reclaimed 2 more 10gig ports for free. This made my day!!

[hfail]

Thanks for posting, just picked one up and used your info to give it an IP and get it updated.

[niceride]

Very nice audio quality the voice work sounds so clear and easy to understand when played back on a mobile phone. Immensely helpful presentation.

[rmccombs]

I just got one of these switches. Your video is a big help.

[NeillClift]

Thanks for doing this. Made it very easy to configure a s3500-24p I got off ebay.

[christian]

Thanks so much for this! I just bought this switch and the info about deleting 10Ge stacks dug me out of the hole I found myself in. Hope you will consider doing other content on this switch. I am interested in learning how to efficiently use VLANs and LACP potentially. I have a storage server and an ESXI windows home lab on a couple R710s. I already have 10Ge cards in those servers directly connecting to my workstation. I was interested in the possibility of using two 10Ge ports in something like an LACP configuration for my storage.

[TechySpeaking]

Great tutorial, helped me get mine up and running.

Wondering if you've messed with SFP/SFP+ to RJ45 adapters in the 10G ports. I've tried two different adapters and I'm not getting anything, no lights, nothing on the web UI, CLI reporting it as down. Yes, I've already done the part of removing the two stacking ports.

Any ideas?

[oldcrazyeye]

Thanks for this. Never would've figured this out on my own

[davidlp]

I have some AP (HP 560) and it would be amazing if you were to make another video about adding APs to the S2500. BTW thank you for the suggestion of the Aruba S2500 and adding a video how to configuring it.

[McCuneWindandSolar]

got mine updated firmware and like the box. its works great.

[mediainfluenced]

thank you, exactly what i was looking for