Bundle 2–8 physical links into one logical link for more bandwidth and faster failover. This chapter compares LACP (open-standard) and PAgP (proprietary), and shows the configuration template both sides must agree on.
STP only forwards on one path between two switches. Add a second cable for redundancy and STP blocks it — you get failover but no bandwidth gain. EtherChannel solves this: STP sees the bundle as a single logical link, and the switch hashes flows across all member ports for parallel forwarding.
For a bundle to form, both sides must use the same protocol family. Two LACP-active sides form a bundle. Two PAgP-desirable sides form one. 'on' on both sides forms one without negotiation but offers no protection if one side is misconfigured — prefer LACP active/active.
| Protocol | Mode (active) | Mode (passive) | Mode (no negotiation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LACP (802.3ad) | active | passive | on |
| PAgP (proprietary) | desirable | auto | on |
2 more sections in this chapter, plus a 2-question quiz.
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