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CCNP ENCOR lab 3 of 36

EtherChannel: LACP, PAgP, static and layer 3 bundles

Bundle Fernhill's warehouse uplinks with all three EtherChannel methods (LACP, PAgP and static), build a routed layer 3 port channel between the distribution switches, and check how spanning tree and load balancing treat the bundles.

Run this lab

It needs Lite: its 5 nodes are set to 5 vCPU and 4,352 MB in total. That fits the free demo too.

In your workspace: Shared, then CCNP ENCOR 350-401 guided labs, then 03 - EtherChannel - LACP PAgP static and layer 3 bundles

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Level
Intermediate
Time
About 65 minutes
Nodes need
5 vCPU, 4,352 MB
Smallest plan
Lite

The scenario

The warehouse block's uplinks are saturated at shift change, and adding more cables just gives spanning tree more ports to block. Fernhill Freight has doubled every inter-switch link; your job is to bundle them. The switches come from different refresh cycles, so you'll meet every EtherChannel method:

BundleMembersMethodPurpose
Po1DSW1 Gi0/0–0/1 ↔ DSW2 Gi0/0–0/1LACP (DSW1 active, DSW2 passive)L2 trunk between distribution switches
Po2DSW1 Gi0/2–0/3 ↔ ASW1 Gi0/0–0/1PAgP (DSW1 desirable, ASW1 auto)L2 uplink to DSW1
Po3DSW2 Gi0/2–0/3 ↔ ASW1 Gi0/2–0/3static (on at both ends)L2 uplink to DSW2
Po10DSW1 Gi1/0–1/1 ↔ DSW2 Gi1/0–1/1LACP (both active)routed link 10.0.12.0/30 (DSW1 .1, DSW2 .2)

All layer 2 bundles are 802.1Q trunks with native VLAN 999 and allowed VLANs 10, 20 and 99. DSW1 is the spanning-tree root for every VLAN and the gateway for both PCs (Vlan10 10.10.10.2, Vlan20 10.10.20.2). Both distribution switches have a loopback (10.255.0.1 and 10.255.0.2) that must be reachable over Po10 with OSPF.

Topology: DSW1 and DSW2 joined by four cables (two for Po1, two for Po10); ASW1 has two cables to each distribution switch; PC1 (VLAN 10) and PC2 (VLAN 20) hang off ASW1.

What you’ll practise

  • Explain why EtherChannel helps spanning tree and which settings must match on every member
  • Build layer 2 trunk bundles with LACP (active/passive), PAgP (desirable/auto) and static (on)
  • Build a layer 3 EtherChannel and route over it
  • Choose and verify a load-balancing method
  • Verify bundles with show etherchannel summary, LACP/PAgP neighbour tables and spanning tree

The tasks

  1. Why bundle?
  2. Po1: LACP between the distribution switches
  3. Po2: PAgP to ASW1
  4. Po3: a static bundle to DSW2
  5. Po10: a routed EtherChannel
  6. Choose a load-balancing method
  7. Look at the result

The Lab Tasks pane has the scenario, these tasks, the checks to run, hints and the full solution.

Topology and devices

The network as it opens in EVE-NG, drawn from the lab’s own canvas, and the image each node runs.

Topology of EtherChannel - LACP PAgP static and layer 3 bundles5 nodes, 10 links. Every link is listed as text below the diagram.DSW1DSW2ASW1PC1PC2Gi1/0eth0Gi1/1eth0Gi0/2Gi0/0Gi0/3Gi0/1Gi0/2Gi0/2Gi0/3Gi0/3Gi0/0Gi0/0Gi0/1Gi0/1Gi1/0Gi1/0Gi1/1Gi1/1
5 nodes, with the interface names each link uses.
Every link, as text
  • DSW1 Gi0/0 to DSW2 Gi0/0
  • DSW1 Gi0/1 to DSW2 Gi0/1
  • DSW1 Gi1/0 to DSW2 Gi1/0
  • DSW1 Gi1/1 to DSW2 Gi1/1
  • DSW1 Gi0/2 to ASW1 Gi0/0
  • DSW1 Gi0/3 to ASW1 Gi0/1
  • DSW2 Gi0/2 to ASW1 Gi0/2
  • DSW2 Gi0/3 to ASW1 Gi0/3
  • ASW1 Gi1/0 to PC1 eth0
  • ASW1 Gi1/1 to PC2 eth0
Nodes in EtherChannel: LACP, PAgP, static and layer 3 bundles, with the image each runs and the vCPU and RAM it’s set to
NodeDeviceImage in Add NodeSet to
DSW1Cisco IOSvL2viosl2-adventerprisek9-m.ssa.high_iron_202009291 vCPU, 768 MB
DSW2Cisco IOSvL2viosl2-adventerprisek9-m.ssa.high_iron_202009291 vCPU, 768 MB
ASW1Cisco IOSvL2viosl2-adventerprisek9-m.ssa.high_iron_202009291 vCPU, 768 MB
PC1VPCS hostBuilt in to EVE-NGCounted as 1 vCPU, 1,024 MB
PC2VPCS hostBuilt in to EVE-NGCounted as 1 vCPU, 1,024 MB

How to open this lab

  1. Sign in to your workspace at lab.cloudlabbox.com.

  2. In File Manager, open Shared, then the folder CCNP ENCOR 350-401 guided labs.

  3. Open 03 - EtherChannel - LACP PAgP static and layer 3 bundles and start its nodes, then open Lab Tasks for the scenario and the steps.

The lab is read-only. You can start the nodes and configure the devices, but changes to the topology can’t be saved. To change it, rebuild it in your own folder.

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CloudLabBox is independent of Cisco. The lab follows exam topics and isn’t vendor training material; vendor names identify the exams and the images in the workspace.