Specifications

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Catalyst 2970 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 28 Configuring EtherChannels
Understanding EtherChannels
EtherChannel Overview
An EtherChannel consists of individual Gigabit Ethernet links bundled into a single logical link as shown
in Figure 28-1.
Figure 28-1 Typical EtherChannel Configuration
The EtherChannel provides full-duplex bandwidth up to 8 Gbps (Gigabit EtherChannel) between your
switch and another switch or host.
Each EtherChannel can consist of up to eight compatibly configured Ethernet interfaces. All interfaces
in each EtherChannel must be configured as Layer 2 interfaces. For Catalyst 2970 switches, the number
of EtherChannels is limited to 12. For more information, see the “EtherChannel Configuration
Guidelines” section on page 28-9.
If a link within an EtherChannel fails, traffic previously carried over that failed link changes to the
remaining links within the EtherChannel. A trap is sent for a failure, identifying 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.
Catalyst 8500, 6000,
5500, or 4000
series switch
Catalyst 2970
switch
Gigabit EtherChannel
Catalyst 2950G
switch
Workstations
10/100
Switched
links
90568
Catalyst 2950G
switch
Workstations
10/100
Switched
links
1000BASE-X 1000BASE-X