Channel group interfaces

Channel group interfaces enable EtherChannel aggregation with specific capacity and configuration requirements. Understanding these interface specifications ensures proper EtherChannel deployment and performance.

Each channel group can have up to 8 active interfaces, except for the ISA 3000, which support 16 active interfaces. On switches that support only 8 active interfaces, you can assign up to 16 interfaces to a channel group. Only 8 interfaces can be active, the remaining interfaces can act as standby links in case of interface failure.

All interfaces in the channel group must be the same type and speed. The first interface added to the channel group determines the correct type and speed.

The EtherChannel aggregates traffic across all the available active interfaces in the channel. A proprietary hash algorithm selects the interface, using criteria such as source or destination MAC addresses, IP addresses, TCP and UDP port numbers, and VLAN numbers.