64. Etherchannel Lab Setup
Etherchannel / Link Aggregation
bundles multiple links into one logical link
STP will treat a bundled interfaces as if it is a single link
Advantages of bundled links
a. reduce downtime
b. effectively increase bandwidth
Configuring Etherchannels
1. PAgP
Port Aggregation Protocol
Cisco proprietary
Modes: auto; desirable
Configuration combinations:
auto + desirable = bundle
desirable + desirable = bundle
auto + auto = no bundle
2. LACP
Link Aggregation Control Protocol
IEEE standard
Modes: Active, Passive
Configuration combinations:
active + passive = bundle
active + active = bundle
passive + passive = no bundle
3. On
no negotiation. does not sends out negotiation packets
explicitly turns on Etherchannel
Note: etherchannel implementation has:
L2 etherchanel = Trunk ports (connection between switches)
L3 etherchanel = connection between switch and router
wherein the int of the switch is a routed port