Assistance creating a port channel

[ladams]

I've created a port-channel between two switches but I'm not able to connect them.

Switch A

interface Port-channel7
description Port-channel to Plaza through TWC Metro E
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk allowed vlan 2,19,20,22-32,41
switchport mode trunk

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/20
description Port-channel to Plaza through TWC Metro E
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk allowed vlan 2,19,20,22-32,41
switchport mode trunk
load-interval 30
mls qos trust dscp
channel-group 7 mode active

Switch B

interface Port-channel7
description Port-channel to Suttle through TWC Metro E
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk allowed vlan 2,19-32,41
switchport mode trunk

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/35
description Port-channel to Suttle Through TWC Metro E
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk allowed vlan 2,19,20,22-32,41
switchport mode trunk
load-interval 30
mls qos trust dscp
channel-group 7 mode active

There is no Link light when I connect the two ports and I have set each port to no shut.

SwitchB#sh int port-channel 7

Port-channel7 is down, line protocol is down (notconnect)

  Hardware is EtherChannel, address is 0000.0000.0000 (bia 0000.0000.0000)

  Description: Port-channel to Plaza through TWC Metro E

  MTU 1500 bytes, BW 10000 Kbit/sec, DLY 1000 usec,

     reliability 255/255, txload 1/255, rxload 1/255

  Encapsulation ARPA, loopback not set

  Keepalive set (10 sec)

  Auto-duplex, Auto-speed, link type is auto, media type is unknown

  input flow-control is off, output flow-control is unsupported

  ARP type: ARPA, ARP Timeout 04:00:00

  Last input never, output never, output hang never

  Last clearing of "show interface" counters never

  Input queue: 0/75/0/0 (size/max/drops/flushes); Total output drops: 0

  Queueing strategy: fifo

  Output queue: 0/40 (size/max)

  5 minute input rate 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec

  5 minute output rate 0 bits/sec, 0 packets/sec

     0 packets input, 0 bytes, 0 no buffer

     Received 0 broadcasts (0 multicasts)

     0 runts, 0 giants, 0 throttles

     0 input errors, 0 CRC, 0 frame, 0 overrun, 0 ignored

     0 watchdog, 0 multicast, 0 pause input

     0 input packets with dribble condition detected

     0 packets output, 0 bytes, 0 underruns

     0 output errors, 0 collisions, 2 interface resets

     0 unknown protocol drops

     0 babbles, 0 late collision, 0 deferred

     0 lost carrier, 0 no carrier, 0 pause output

     0 output buffer failures, 0 output buffers swapped out

What am I doing wrong?

[kcnajaf · Accepted solution]

Hi Luke,

How many interface you have in your port channel? You need atleast more than 1 interface to get benefit of port channel. From your configuration i can see that you have only one interface in port channel:-(  Are the physical interface in port channel is in UP and UP state? What device is this?

Try configuring port channel by following below steps

Switch A

conf terminal

default interface GigabitEthernet1/0/20

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/20

channel-group 7 mode on

interface Port-channel7

description Port-channel to Plaza through TWC Metro E

switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q

switchport trunk allowed vlan 2,19,20,22-32,41

switchport mode trunk

Switch B

conf terminal

default interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/35

interface GigabitEthernet1/0/35

channel-group 7 mode on

interface Port-channel7

description Port-channel to Suttle through TWC Metro E

switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q

switchport trunk allowed vlan 2,19-32,41

switchport mode trunk

Please be aware that port channel will come up only if the physical interface are UP. If you are not able to see the link on physical interface then please try changing the cable and check if that helps.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Najaf

Please rate when applicable or helpful !!!

[ladams]

Thanks, Najaf that resolved the problem. I know that port-channel is typically used to team interfaces but I'm using it to connect two switches so that I can pass VLANs across. Since they are passing over a Metro E connection I have one interface. Should I be using something other than port-channel?

[kcnajaf]

Hi,

Thanks for the rating.

Unfortunalty i'm not aware of any means you can bundle switch ports from difference chasis. Only exceptions may be in VPC on nexus devices where in you can form etherchannel with interfaces from multiple physical devices with upstream nexus device.

Hope that helps

Regards

Najaf