How to Configure PortChannel With Trunk In Cisco Packet Tracer

PortChannel is used to combine multiple physical interfaces into a single logical interface, boosting the bandwidth of a point-to-point connection between two switches.

On the other hand, TrunkPort helps to convey traffic from different VLANs over one connection linking two switches.

In this post, I will show you how to configure PortChannel with Trunk. We will first configure the multiple interfaces that connect the two switches to a port channel. And then we will proceed to trunk this port channel into a trunk port.

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 switches connected with multiple physical interfaces. We will configure etherchannel so that these multiple physical interfaces will be joined into one logical interface.

Also, the network topology consists of two VLANs, VLAN 10 and VLAN 20, each existing on the two layer 2 switches. In this demonstration, we will configure a trunk link between the two switches so that the traffic from vlan 10 on switch0 can be forwarded to hosts on vlan 10 on switch1.

Related content;

• How to Configure LACP Etherchannel on Cisco Switch in Packet Tracer
• How to Configure Etherchannel on Cisco Router
• How to Configure Layer 3 Etherchannel On Packet Tracer
• How to Configure Etherchannel Load Balancing

 

How to Configure PortChannel With Trunklink

Here are steps to configure Portchannel with Trunk;

Step 1: Create the VLANs and Access port

Enter the following commands to create the VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 and access port on each of the two switches.

Switch0

SW0>enable
SW0#configure terminal
SW0(config)#vlan 10
SW0(config-vlan)#exit
SW0(config)#vlan 20
SW0(config-vlan)#exit
SW0(config)#interface range fa0/4-5
SW0(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW0(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 10
SW0(config-if-range)#interface range fa0/6-7
SW0(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW0(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 20

Switch1

SW1>enable
SW1#configure terminal
SW1(config)#vlan 10
SW1(config-vlan)#exit
SW1(config)#vlan 20
SW1(config-vlan)#exit
SW1(config)#interface range fa0/4-5
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 10
SW1(config-if-range)#exit
SW1(config)#interface range fa0/6-7
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 20

 Step 2: Create the portchannel

Enter the following commands to create portchannel on each of the layer 2 switch

Switch0

SW0>enable
SW0#configure terminal
SW0(config)#interface range fa0/1-3
SW0(config-if-range)#channel-group 2 mode active

Switch1

SW1>enable
SW1#configure terminal
SW1(config)#interface range fa0/1-3
SW1(config-if-range)#channel-group 2 mode active

The above command creates a LACP port channel on each of the layer 2 switches with modes active. We could decide to set the mode to passive on one of the two switches, and the two switches will still peer to form an etherchannel.

Step 3: Create the Trunkport

Enter the following commands to configure a trunklink between the two switches

Switch0

SW0>enable 
SW0#configure terminal
SW0(config)#interface Port-channel2 
SW0(config-if)#switchport mode trunk

Switch1

SW1>enable
SW1#configure terminal
SW1(config)#interface Port-channel2 
SW1(config-if)#switchport mode trunk

 Step 4: Test Configuration

First, check whether all the link lights have turned green in the network topology.

Then enter the following show commands to configure that portchannel and trunkport were created on each of the switches.

SW0#show etherchannel summary
SW0#show interfaces trunk

Switch0

SW0#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
------+-------------+-----------+----------------------------------------------

2      Po2(SU)           LACP   Fa0/1(P) Fa0/2(P) Fa0/3(P) 
SW0#show interfaces trunk
Port        Mode         Encapsulation  Status        Native vlan
Po2         on           802.1q         trunking      1

Port        Vlans allowed on trunk
Po2         1-1005

Port        Vlans allowed and active in management domain
Po2         1,10,20

Port        Vlans in spanning tree forwarding state and not pruned
Po2         1,10,20

Switch1

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


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

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

2      Po2(SU)           LACP   Fa0/1(P) Fa0/2(P) Fa0/3(P) 
SW1#show interfaces trunk
Port        Mode         Encapsulation  Status        Native vlan
Po2         on           802.1q         trunking      1

Port        Vlans allowed on trunk
Po2         1-1005

Port        Vlans allowed and active in management domain
Po2         1,10,20

Port        Vlans in spanning tree forwarding state and not pruned
Po2         1,10,20

As shown above, portchannel (p02) with flag (SU) was created on each of the two switches. The flag (SU) denotes that layer 2 etherchannel was created and that it is in use.

Related content;

• How to Configure LACP Etherchannel on Cisco Switch in Packet Tracer
• How to Configure Etherchannel on Cisco Router
• How to Configure Layer 3 Etherchannel On Packet Tracer
• How to Configure Etherchannel Load Balancing