# Adding a New Switch to a Fabric

The maximum number of switches within a fabric is 239 with each switch having a unique domain ID. Fabrics that include SANbox with E_Port switches are limited to 16 domain IDs in fixed ranges: 1–15, 16–31, and so on.

If you are adding a new switch to a fabric and do not want to accept the default fabric configuration, do the following:

1. If the switch is not new, reset the switch to factory configuration before adding the switch to the fabric using the Restore Factory Defaults option in the Switch menu.

2. If you want to manage the switch through the Ethernet port, you must first configure the IP address using the Network Properties dialog.

3. Configure any special switch settings (broadcast support, and ). Consider configuring the Default Visibility setting to None in the Zoning Config dialog to prevent communication with other switches in the fabric until the new switch is configured.

4. Plug in the inter-switch links (ISL), but do not connect the devices.

5. Configure the port types for the new switch (GL_Port, TL_Port, Donor) using the Port Properties dialog.

6. Connect the devices to the switch.

7. Make any necessary zoning changes using the Edit Zoning dialog.