How to Configure Etherchannel on Cisco Router

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Routers, just like switches, have the capability to join multiple physical interfaces into a logical interface referred to as an EtherChannel.

While switches extend support for dynamic negotiation protocols such as LACP and PAgP, along with static EtherChannels, routers only support static EtherChannels.

In a previous post, we demonstrated how to configure EtherChannel on the Layer 3 switch. In today’s guide, I will show you how to configure EtherChannel on a Cisco router.

Network Topology

The network topology we will be making use of in this post is shown below. As you can see, it consists of two routers joined by two crossover cables. In this demonstration, we will be configuring port channels on each of the routers so that a logical interface will be created and used to forward traffic from one router to the other.

portchannel on cisco router

Related content;

How to Configure Etherchannel on Cisco Router

Here are steps to configure etherchannel on cisco router;

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Step 1: Create the Portchannels

Enter the following command to create portchannel on each of the routers

Router1

R1>enable
R1#configure terminal
R1(config)#int port-channel 20
R1(config-if)#int range g0/0/0 -1
R1(config-if-range)#channel-group 20
R1(config-if-range)#no shutdown

The Command above creates “port-channel 20” and assign the two physical interfaces; g0/0/0 and g0/0/1 to the port channel

Router0

R0>enable 
R0#configure terminal
R0(config)#int port-channel 2
R0(config-if)#int range g0/0/0 -1
R0(config-if-range)#channel-group 2
R0(config-if-range)#no shut

The command above creates; “port-channel 2” and assign the two physical interfaces; g0/0/0 and g0/0/1 to the port channel

Step 2: Assign IP address to the port channel

Enter the following command to assign IP address to the portchannels created on each of the routers;

Router1

R1(config-if-range)#int port-channel 20
R1(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.252
R1(config-if)#no shut

Router0

R0(config)#in port-channel 2
R0(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.252
R0(config-if)#no shut

Step 3: Very if portchannel is created

Enter the following command each on the router to verify that portchannel was created successfully

portchannel configure on cisco router 

show interface port-channel[portchannel ID]

Router0

R0#show interface port-channel2
Port-channel2 is up, line protocol is up (connected)
  Hardware is EtherChannel, address is 000d.bdbb.96a0 (bia 000d.bdbb.96a0)
  Internet address is 10.0.0.1/30
  MTU 1500 bytes, BW 2100000 Kbit, DLY 1000 usec,
     reliability 255/255, txload 1/255, rxload 1/255
  Encapsulation ARPA, loopback not set
  Keepalive set (10 sec)
  Half-duplex, 2100Mb/s
  input flow-control is off, output flow-control is off
  Members in this channel: Gig0/0/0 ,Gig0/0/1 ,
  ARP type: ARPA, ARP Timeout 04:00:00
  Last input 00:00:08, output 00:00:05, output hang never
  Last clearing of "show interface" counters never
  Input queue: 0/75/0/0 (size/max/drops/flushes); Total output drops: 0
  Queueing strategy: fifo
  Output queue :0/40 (size/max)
  5 minute input rate 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
  5 minute output rate 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
     956 packets input, 193351 bytes, 0 no buffer
     Received 956 broadcasts, 0 runts, 0 giants, 0 throttles
     0 input errors, 0 CRC, 0 frame, 0 overrun, 0 ignored, 0 abort
     0 watchdog, 0 multicast, 0 pause input
     0 input packets with dribble condition detected
     2357 packets output, 263570 bytes, 0 underruns
     0 output errors, 0 collisions, 10 interface resets
     0 babbles, 0 late collision, 0 deferred
     0 lost carrier, 0 no carrier
     0 output buffer failures, 0 output buffers swapped out

 

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Router1

R1#show interface port-channel20
Port-channel20 is up, line protocol is up (connected)
  Hardware is EtherChannel, address is 0090.0cb2.9c04 (bia 0090.0cb2.9c04)
  Internet address is 10.0.0.2/30
  MTU 1500 bytes, BW 2100000 Kbit, DLY 1000 usec,
     reliability 255/255, txload 1/255, rxload 1/255
  Encapsulation ARPA, loopback not set
  Keepalive set (10 sec)
  Half-duplex, 2100Mb/s
  input flow-control is off, output flow-control is off
  Members in this channel: Gig0/0/0 ,Gig0/0/1 ,
  ARP type: ARPA, ARP Timeout 04:00:00
  Last input 00:00:08, output 00:00:05, output hang never
  Last clearing of "show interface" counters never
  Input queue: 0/75/0/0 (size/max/drops/flushes); Total output drops: 0
  Queueing strategy: fifo
  Output queue :0/40 (size/max)
  5 minute input rate 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
  5 minute output rate 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec
     956 packets input, 193351 bytes, 0 no buffer
     Received 956 broadcasts, 0 runts, 0 giants, 0 throttles
     0 input errors, 0 CRC, 0 frame, 0 overrun, 0 ignored, 0 abort
     0 watchdog, 0 multicast, 0 pause input
     0 input packets with dribble condition detected
     2357 packets output, 263570 bytes, 0 underruns
     0 output errors, 0 collisions, 10 interface resets
     0 babbles, 0 late collision, 0 deferred
     0 lost carrier, 0 no carrier
     0 output buffer failures, 0 output buffers swapped out

Alternatively, you can verify that the port channel was created by pinging the IP address assigned to the port channel from the other port channel interface.

ping reply from portchannel interface

ALSO READ:  How to Configure Layer 3 Etherchannel On Packet Tracer | Configure Etherchannel on layer 3 switch

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