Removing hardware switch while one Member is the only connected LAN interface

[fred339]

It seems like this *must be* a common situation:

We start setting up a Fortigate and assign a LAN address to an internal interface that's a member of the hadrdware switch.  An internal interface such as internal1.

We decide we don't want or need a switch inside the Fortigate and want to remove all the internal interfaces from it.

But, in the process, we lose our LAN connection.

If we are accessing the Fortigate remotely, then we have to do something to restore the LAN connection.

(There is no DHCP).

Is there a good procedure for doing this?  If so, where?  

Or, can someone please provide the steps needed so that the LAN connection remains without interruption?

[fred339]

@esec Yes indeed, scripts run faster than mere humans.  But, I'm not sure they are any better unless needed for repetitive actions.  I don't see that changing switch configurations is usually repetitive. 

[esec]

It solves the issue that you lose access to the Fortigate if you want to modify an interface. You could then do a change as you wrote in this post without almost any interruption at all. 

[fred339]

@esec Thanks.  Presumably you mean the management interface, right?   If the management interface is working and you can initiate the change process needed, what happens to the management interface when it's done?   Can you give an example?  I'm having a hard time envisioning the scenario.

Perhaps I'm biased in my view because almost all my work is done remotely and physically moving cables is inconvenient.