CHAPTER
26-1
Catalyst2950 Desktop Switch Software Configuration Guide
78-11380-05
26
Configuring EtherChannels
This chapter describes how to configure EtherChannel on Layer 2 interfaces. EtherChannel provides
fault-tolerant high-speed links between switches, routers, and servers. You can use it to increase the
bandwidth between the wiring closets and the data center, and you can depl oy it anywhere in the network
where bottlenecks are likely to occur. EtherChannel provides automatic recovery for the loss of a link
by redistributing the load across the remaining links. If a link fails, EtherChannel redirects traffic from
the failed link to the remaining links in the channel without intervention.
Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, refer to the command
reference for this release.
This chapter consists of these sections:
Understanding EtherChannels, page 26-1
Configuring EtherChannels, page 26-7
Displaying EtherChannel and PAgP Status, page 26-11

Understanding EtherChannels

An EtherChannel consists of individual Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet links bundled into a single
logical link as shown in Figure26-1. The EtherChanne l provides full-duplex bandwidth up to 800Mbps
(Fast EtherChannel) or 2 Gbps (Gigabit EtherChannel) between y our switch and another switch or host.