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EtherChannel

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Ether Channel
• It is also known as Link aggregation.
• Ether channel is a technology which allows us to make multiple physical interfaces into single logical
interface. So STP will not block that multiple links etc.
• Ether channel increases bandwidth and provides redundancy by aggregating individual links of
switches.
• Ether Channel load balances traffic over all the links in the bundle.
• It can be configured as layer 2 or layer 3.
• Maximum we can do ether channel to 8 Physical interfaces.

Ether Channel can be configured between switches by using two protocols.

1. PAgP (Port Aggregation Protocol) is Cisco Proprietary. (Advertises messages with the multicast
MAC address 0100:0CCC:CCCC)
2. LACP (Link Aggregation Protocol) it is standard. (Advertises messages with the multicast MAC
address 0180:C200:0002.
3. Manual or Static Mode without protocol.

If we want to configure ether channel we need to make sure that all ports have the same
configuration.
• Duplex has to be the same

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• Speed has to be same there.

• Same Native and allowed Vlans
• Same switchport mode (Like access or trunk).

If we want to configure PAGP there are number of options we can choose for interface
configuration as given below.

• ON (In this Interface becomes member of the ether channel but does not negotiate).
• Desirable (In this Interface will actively ask the other side to become an ether channel).
• Auto (In this Interface will wait passively for the other side to ask to become an ether channel).
• OFF (no ether channel configured on the interface).

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Lab Time: PAgP

SW1 PAgP Configuraiton SW2 PAgP Configuraiton

en en
config t config t
hostname SW1 hostname SW2
interface range ethernet 0/0-3 interface range ethernet 0/0-3
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport mode trunk switchport mode trunk
channel-protocol pagp channel-protocol pagp
channel-group 1 mode auto channel-group 1 mode desirable

To Check Etherchannel
sh spanning-tree vlan 1
sh etherchannel summary
Sh etherchannel detail
Sh etherchannel port-channel

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Lab time: LACP

SW1 lacp Configuraiton SW2 lacp Configuraiton

en en
config t config t
hostname SW1 hostname SW2
interface range e0/0-3 interface range e0/0-3
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport mode trunk switchport mode trunk
channel-protocol lacp channel-protocol lacp
channel-group 1 mode active channel-group 1 mode passive

To Check Etherchannel
sh spanning-tree vlan 1
sh etherchannel summary
Sh etherchannel detail
Sh etherchannel port-channel

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EtherChannel Static (Manual):

• Switchports can be configured to bypass LACP or PAgP Protocols.
• It is simply changing the mode to ON both sides of the switches.
• This mode is used to Configure EtherChannel Manually.
• This mode can be used if device on another end does not support PAgP and LACP.

Lab time: Static (Manual):

SW1 ON Configuraiton SW2 ON Configuraiton

en en
config t config t
hostname SW1 hostname SW2
interface range e0/0-3 interface range e0/0-3
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport mode trunk switchport mode trunk
channel-group 1 mode on channel-group 1 mode on

To Check Etherchannel
sh spanning-tree vlan 1
sh etherchannel summary
Sh etherchannel detail
Sh etherchannel port-channel

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Layer 3 EtherChannel:
• Layer 3 EtherChannel is as a single port configured in routed mode.
• Layer 3 EtherChannel is configured with no switchport.
• Logical interface and no ip address is configured under member interfaces.
• Layer 3 port channel are used for interconnecting routers with layer 3 switches.
• Layer 3 port channel are used for interconnecting routers with routers.

Lab time: Layer 3 EtherChannel:

SW1 Layer 3 Etherchannel Configuraiton SW2 Layer 3 Etherchannel Configuraiton

en en
config t config t
hostname SW1 hostname SW2
interface range e0/0-3 interface range e0/0-3
no switchport no switchport
no ip address no ip address
channel-group 1 mode on channel-group 1 mode on
interface port-channel 1 interface port-channel 1
ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0 ip address 192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0
No sh no sh

To Check Etherchannel
sh spanning-tree vlan 1
sh etherchannel summary
Sh etherchannel detail

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Sh etherchannel port-channel

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Troubleshooting Ether channel:

• Most of the issues with Ether channels (Link Aggregation) are because of misconfiguration.
• Keep in mind that the configuration of all physical interfaces has to match.
• Due to logical all the member interfaces must have the same characteristics.
• If they do not have same characteristics & configuration problems will occur.

The following configuration settings must match on the member interfaces:

Port Type:

• Every port in interface must be consistently configured to be Layer 2 or Layer 3.

Port Mode:

• All Layer 2 port channels must be configured as either access ports or trunk ports.
• All Layer 2 port channels must be the same configuration ports cannot be mixed.

Native VLAN:

• Member interfaces on Layer 2 trunk port channel must be configured same native VLAN.
• Native VLAN can be configured using the command switchport trunk native vlan vlan-id.

Allowed VLAN:

• Member interfaces on Layer 2 trunk port channel must be configured same VLANs.
• Same allow VLAN can be configured using command switchport trunk allowed vlan-ids.

Speed:

• All member interfaces or ports in port channel must be the same speed.

Duplex:

• The duplex must be the same for all member interfaces or ports in Port Channel link.

MTU:

• All Layer 3 member interfaces or ports must have the same MTU configured.
• Interface cannot be added to port channel if MTU does not match the MTU.

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Lab Wrong Ether channel Mode:

SW1 configuration: SW2 configuration:

en en
config t config t
hostname SW1 hostname SW2
interface range g0/0-1 interface range g0/0-1
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport mode trunk switchport mode trunk
channel-protocol pagp channel-protocol lacp
channel-group 1 mode auto channel-group 1 mode active

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Here we notice that SW1 is running PAGP and SW2 is running LACP so we will have issues. We should
have both side same protocol not different. So After reconfiguring SW2 to PAGP it will start working.
This is Basic Troubleshooting lab. Same like this you can do by change native VLAN, or by change other
parameters etc.

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