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

Layer 3 ether channel, just like Layer 2 ether channel, helps to load balance traffic between multiple physical interfaces, which is configured to be one virtual interface.

You have probably learned how to configure layer 2 etherchannels. In this post, I will be showing you how to configure layer 3 etherchannels on the packet tracer.

Network Topology

The network topology we will be making use of in this post is shown below. As you can see, it comprises two layer 3 switches. In this demonstration, we will configure layer 3 etherchannels between the two layer 3 channels so that traffic is load-balanced between the two physical interfaces.

Related content;

• How to Configure PortChannel With Trunk In Cisco Packet Tracer
• How to Configure LACP Etherchannel on Cisco Switch in Packet Tracer

• How to Configure Etherchannel Load Balancing

  

How to configure layer 3 Etherchannel

Here are steps to configure layer 3 etherchannel on cisco packet tracer;

Step 1: Create the portchannel

Enter the following commands to create portchannel on each of the layer 3 switch

Multilayer Switch1

Switch>enable
Switch#configure terminal
Switch(config)#int range fa0/1-2
Switch(config-if-range)#channel-group 1 mode on

Switch1 uses fa0/1 and fa0/2 to connect to switch0. The command above enters the two interfaces using the “range command” and then configures them as a port channel of group “1” and of type “static.”

Multilayer Switch0

Switch>enable
Switch#configure terminal
Switch(config)#int range fa0/1-2
Switch(config-if-range)#channel-group 1 mode on

Switch0 uses fa0/1 and fa0/2 to connect to switch1. The command above enters the two interfaces using the “range command” and then configures them as a port channel of group “1” and of type “static.”

Step 2: Assign IP address to the Portchannel

The commands in step 1 above created the portchannel on each of the layer 3 switch. Enter the following commands to assign IP address to the portchannel interface;

Multilayer Switch1

Switch>enable
Switch#configure terminal
Switch(config-if-range)#in port-channel1
Switch(config-if)#no switchport
Switch(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.252

Multilayer Switch0

Switch>enable
Switch#configure terminal
Switch(config-if-range)#int port-channel1
Switch(config-if)#no switchport
Switch(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.252

Step 3: Verify Etherchannel Configuration

To verify that Portchannel has been created on each of the Layer 3 switch, Enter the following command each on the two layer 3 switch.

Switch#show etherchannel summary

Multilayer Switch0

Switch>enable
Switch#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


Number of channel-groups in use: 1
Number of aggregators:           1

Group  Port-channel  Protocol    Ports
------+-------------+-----------+----------------------------------------------

1      Po1(RU)           -      Fa0/1(P) Fa0/2(P) 

Multilayer Switch1

Switch>enable
Switch#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


Number of channel-groups in use: 1
Number of aggregators:           1

Group  Port-channel  Protocol    Ports
------+-------------+-----------+----------------------------------------------

1      Po1(RU)           -      Fa0/1(P) Fa0/2(P) 

As can be observed from the output of the show command, we have one port channel on each of the layer 3 switches with the flag “RU,” which means routed and “in use”.

We can also verify the creation of the Etherchannel by pinging from one portchannel interface to the other.

Switch>en
Switch#ping 10.0.0.1

Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 10.0.0.1, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 0/0/0 ms

 

Related content;

• How to Configure PortChannel With Trunk In Cisco Packet Tracer
• How to Configure LACP Etherchannel on Cisco Switch in Packet Tracer

• How to Configure Etherchannel Load Balancing