CloudLabBox
Try the free demo

Network+ lab 8 of 27

Link aggregation and interface states

Two cables between two switches, and spanning tree blocks one of them. You bundle them into one LACP port channel so both carry traffic, break and repair a bundle on purpose to see suspended members, and read interface speed, duplex, MTU, counters and status like a technician.

Run this lab

It needs Lite: its 4 nodes are set to 4 vCPU and 3,584 MB in total. That fits the free demo too.

In your workspace: Shared, then CompTIA Network Plus N10-009 guided labs, then 08 - Link aggregation and interface states

Try it free for 30 minutesRun it on Lite from £3 a day

The free demo needs no card and no email. Every lab plan includes every guided lab.

Level
Intermediate
Time
About 50 minutes
Nodes need
4 vCPU, 3,584 MB
Smallest plan
Lite

The scenario

The warehouse switch SW2 was connected to SW1 with two cables "for more bandwidth". Monitoring shows that one of them never carries any traffic. You'll find out why, bundle the two links properly, and on the way learn to read every state an interface can be in.

DeviceInterfaceAddress / role
SW1Gi0/0, Gi0/1links to SW2 Gi0/0, Gi0/1 (trunks, VLAN 10)
SW1Vlan1010.10.10.2/24 (SW1 is STP root for VLAN 10)
SW2Vlan1010.10.10.3/24
PC1 / PC2SW1 Gi0/2 / SW2 Gi0/210.10.10.11 / 10.10.10.12

What you’ll practise

  • Explain why spanning tree blocks parallel links and how link aggregation fixes it
  • Configure an LACP port channel as an 802.1Q trunk
  • Read EtherChannel flags and recognise a suspended or stand-alone member
  • Check and change the load-balancing method
  • Read speed, duplex, MTU and error counters, and test the MTU with DF-bit pings
  • Tell administratively down, err-disabled, suspended and not-connected apart

The tasks

  1. Find the idle link
  2. Bundle the links with LACP
  3. Break the bundle on purpose
  4. Load balancing and the spanning tree view
  5. Read the interface like a technician
  6. Know your port states

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 Link aggregation and interface states4 nodes, 4 links. Every link is listed as text below the diagram.SW1SW2PC1PC2Gi0/2eth0Gi0/2eth0Gi0/0Gi0/0Gi0/1Gi0/1
4 nodes, with the interface names each link uses. On a narrow screen, scroll the diagram sideways.
Every link, as text
  • SW1 Gi0/0 to SW2 Gi0/0
  • SW1 Gi0/1 to SW2 Gi0/1
  • SW1 Gi0/2 to PC1 eth0
  • SW2 Gi0/2 to PC2 eth0
Nodes in Link aggregation and interface states, with the image each runs and the vCPU and RAM it’s set to
NodeDeviceImage in Add NodeSet to
SW1Cisco IOSvL2viosl2-adventerprisek9-m.ssa.high_iron_202009291 vCPU, 768 MB
SW2Cisco 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 CompTIA Network Plus N10-009 guided labs.

  3. Open 08 - Link aggregation and interface states 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.

More Network+ labs

All Network+ labs

Related labs in other courses

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