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30-2
Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-10101-02
Chapter 30 Configuring EtherChannels
Understanding EtherChannels
Figure 30-1 Typical EtherChannel Configuration
Each EtherChannel can consist of up to eight compatibly configured Ethernet interfaces. All interfaces
in each EtherChannel must be the same speed, and all must be configured as Layer
2 interfaces.
Note The network device to which your switch is connected can impose its own limits on the number of
interfaces in the EtherChannel. For Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 switches, the number of
EtherChannels is limited to six with eight ports per EtherChannel.
You can configure an EtherChannel in one of these modes: Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP), Link
Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), or On mode. Configure both ends of the EtherChannel in the
same mode:
• When you configure one end of an EtherChannel in either PAgP or LACP mode, the system
negotiates with the other end of the channel to determine which ports should become active.
Incompatible ports are suspended.
• When you configure an EtherChannel in the on mode, no negotiations take place. The switch forces
all compatible ports to become active in the EtherChannel. The other end of the channel (on the other
switch) must also be configured in the on mode; otherwise, packet loss can occur.
If a link within an EtherChannel fails, traffic previously carried over that failed link moves to the
remaining links within the EtherChannel. If traps are enabled on the switch, a trap is sent for a failure
that identifies the switch, the EtherChannel, and the failed link. Inbound broadcast and multicast packets
on one link in an EtherChannel are blocked from returning on any other link of the EtherChannel.
101237
Catalyst 8500
series switch
Gigabit EtherChannel
Workstations
10/100
Switched
links
Workstations
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Switched
links
1000BASE-X 1000BASE-X