Need Help: 2 Link Configuration on Cat. 2950 SX

[sakdavin]

Hello,

I am going to install 2 Cat. 2950SX Switches for my internal system. What I am doing is to connect two different links between the 2 above Switches. Normally cisco cat. switches can support up to 4 or 5 links(I am not sure). When one link goes down(disconnect), the next link is up. So meaning that only one link is active and the rest are standby.

In this case, if I want to configure two link between the two switches are always up, and the traffic will go to both link. Do you think the above switch model support my requirement or not?

If support, could anybody help me to configure the two switches.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Sakdavin

[ankurbhasin]

Hi Sakdavin,

You can achieve this using etherchannel configuration.

Etherchannel is used to configure more than 2 ports to work together as one single logical port. This will also take care of load balancing and redundancy so that if one will go down all traffic will flow from the other link.

Check this link.

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/cat2950/12119ea1/2950scg/swethchl.htm

Will guide you also with configs.

HTH

Ankur

[sakdavin]

Hi Ankur,

Thanks for the reply.

After reading the documentation, I am still not clear that let says I connect two different links between the two switches 2950sx, Does EtherChannel can increase the bandwidth(speed) to 200Mbps, coz one link is 10/100Mbps, meaning that both links are active.

My primary purpose is to increase the speed(2 Links, 200Mbps) and then redundant link.

Thanks in advance.

Regards.

Sakdavin

[amit-singh]

Yes,

It will give you an increased bacndwitdh as both the links will be up and accprding to STP it will be a single link. As your links are 100 MBPS full duplex so both the links can give you upto 400 Mbps in both the directions i.e 200 Mbps TX and 200 MBPS RX traffic simultaneously.

You will be the redundency plus the load-sharing on the links. You traffic will be load-balanced on per source mac basis which is default on these switches.

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/lan/cat2950/12119ea1/2950scg/swethchl.htm#1020011

regards,

-amit singh

[sakdavin]

Hi Amit,

Thanks for the reply.

The solution you above mentioned is absolutely correct by configuring EtherChannels. But I heard CCIE guy said that no need to configure through EtherCannel, just only confuring through web interface and select the ports that we want to choose to link to another switch and select Multi Link option. And then everything will works as we configure EtherChannel.

Do you think this solution will match my requirement.

Plz advise me,coz I am not familiar with those technology. If possible, plz give me a link to the solution.

Thanks in advances.

Regards,

Sakdavin

[amit-singh]

Yes, This is the same thing. he has told you to configure it through the Web interface and the document uses the CLI to set up the ether-channel. It is lot easier to configure Via the web interface, but hard to troubleshoot.

Please use the DOC link given above and use the command line interface to configure the same.

Please revert in case of any clarification.

HTH,

-amit singh