37-2
Catalyst 2960 and 2960-S Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-8603-09
Chapter 37 Configuring EtherChannels and Link-State Tracking
Understanding EtherChannels
Understanding EtherChannels
EtherChannel Overview, page 37-2
Port-Channel Interfaces, page 37-4
Port Aggregation Protocol, page 37-5
Link Aggregation Control Protocol, page 37-7
EtherChannel On Mode, page 37-8
Load Balancing and Forwarding Methods, page 37-8
EtherChannel and Switch Stacks, page 37-10

EtherChannel Overview

An EtherChannel consists of individual Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet links bundled into a single
logical link as shown in Figure 37-1.
Figure 37-1 Typical EtherChannel Configuration
101237
Catalyst 8500
series switch
Gigabit EtherChannel
Workstations
10/100
Switched
links
Workstations
10/100
Switched
links
1000BASE-X 1000BASE-X