Unlike PAgP or LACP, Static EtherChannel does not require any negotiation between switches.
Figure 1 – Static EtherChannel with Mode On
Interfaces are statically grouped using the on mode at both ends. This configuration will also include setting up interfaces as trunks and allowing VLAN 50 on the trunk.
Prerequisites for Configuration
Before starting, ensure the following conditions are met:
Interface Consistency: All interfaces in the EtherChannel must have the same speed, duplex, and interface type.
VLAN and Trunking: For Layer 2 links, interfaces must be in the same VLAN or have identical trunk settings.
Active Links: Ensure that each physical link is operational.
Figure 2 – EtherChannel Requirements Before Configuration
Answer the question below
Which channel-group mode must be used at both ends of a Static EtherChannel?
In this section, we configure a Static EtherChannel by enabling on mode, configuring the links as trunks, and allowing VLAN 50 on the trunk for demonstration purposes.
Configuration on SW1
Step 1: Enter Interface Configuration Mode
Select the physical interfaces that will form the EtherChannel.
SW1(config)# interface range g0/0-1Step 2: Set Static EtherChannel Mode
The on mode creates an EtherChannel without using any negotiation protocol.
Therefore, the configuration must match on both switches.SW1(config-if-range)# channel-group 1 mode on Creating a port-channel interface Port-channel 1 %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Port-channel1, changed state to up %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Port-channel1, changed state to up SW1(config-if-range)# exitAfter this command, a logical interface called Port-Channel 1 (Po1) is automatically created.
Step 3: Configure Trunk Mode and VLAN
Configure Port-Channel 1 as an 802.1Q trunk and allow VLAN 50.
SW1(config)# interface port-channel 1 SW1(config-if)# switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q SW1(config-if)# switchport mode trunk SW1(config-if)# switchport trunk allowed vlan 50Configuration on SW2
SW2(config)# interface range g0/0-1 SW2(config-if-range)# channel-group 1 mode on Creating a port-channel interface Port-channel 1 %LINK-5-CHANGED: Interface Port-channel1, changed state to up %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Port-channel1, changed state to up SW2(config-if-range)# exit SW2(config)# interface port-channel 1 SW2(config-if)# switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q SW2(config-if)# switchport mode trunk SW2(config-if)# switchport trunk allowed vlan 50Answer the question below
True or False: Bundling several physical ports together creates one logical interface called an EtherChannel.
Use the following command to check if EtherChannel is correctly formed:
Figure 3 - Static EtherChannel Topology
SW1
SW1# show etherchannel summary Flags: D - down P - in port-channel I - stand-alone s - suspended H - Hot-standby (LACP only) R - Layer3 S - Layer2 U - in use f - failed to allocate aggregator u - unsuitable for bundling w - waiting to be aggregated d - default port Group Port-channel Protocol Ports ------ ------------- ----------- ---------------------------------------------- 1 Po1(SU) - Gi0/0(P) Gi0/1(P)Here you can see the Port-Channel 1 (Po1) is active in Layer 2 mode (S) and is up (U), with no protocol displayed, indicating Static (On) mode, and that the interfaces Gi0/0 and Gi0/1 are successfully included in the EtherChannel.
SW2
SW2# show etherchannel summary Flags: D - down P - in port-channel I - stand-alone s - suspended H - Hot-standby (LACP only) R - Layer3 S - Layer2 U - in use f - failed to allocate aggregator u - unsuitable for bundling w - waiting to be aggregated d - default port Group Port-channel Protocol Ports ------ ------------- ----------- ---------------------------------------------- 1 Po1(SU) - Gi0/0(P) Gi0/1(P)On SW2 as well, the Port-Channel 1 (Po1) is active in Layer 2 mode and operational (indicated by SU), with no protocol listed, confirming Static (On) mode, and the interfaces Gi0/0 and Gi0/1 are part of the EtherChannel.
Verify the Trunk Configuration
To verify that the trunk is correctly configured on the Port-Channel interface and that VLAN 50 is permitted, use the show interfaces trunk command.
SW1
SW1# show interfaces trunk Port Mode Encapsulation Status Native vlan Po1 on 802.1q trunking 1 Port Vlans allowed on trunk Po1 50The output shows that Port-Channel 1 (Po1) is active as a trunk with 802.1q encapsulation, and VLAN 50 is successfully permitted on the trunk.
SW2
SW2# show interfaces trunk Port Mode Encapsulation Status Native vlan Po1 on 802.1q trunking 1 Port Vlans allowed on trunk Po1 50The output verifies that Port-Channel 1 (Po1) on SW2 is active as a trunk with 802.1q encapsulation, and VLAN 50 is successfully permitted on the trunk.
Answer the question below
Which command verifies EtherChannel formation and shows ports bundled in the channel?
Answer the question below
Po1 allows only VLAN 50 and its native VLAN is 1: how many VLANs can actually cross this trunk?
Answer the question below
Figure 3 gives each link's speed: with Gi0/0 and Gi0/1 bundled, what total bandwidth in Mbps does Po1 offer?
The Static EtherChannel configuration is now complete!
Port-Channel 1 (Po1) aggregates two physical interfaces into one logical link.
Trunk mode is properly configured, allowing VLAN 50 traffic.
Increased bandwidth and redundancy by utilizing both interfaces efficiently.
Figure 4 – Static EtherChannel Summary (Po1)
⚠️ Important reminder: Since Static EtherChannel uses
onmode, both sides must be manually configured correctly. If there is a mismatch, it can lead to connectivity issues.Next Lesson: We will explore LACP EtherChannel, which provides dynamic negotiation and better flexibility!
Answer the question below
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