Can I create a port channel to two switches that are not stacked?

[tdennehy]

Two switches, not stacked, but connected together via 802.1q trunk.

Server with four NICs, capable of trunking and LACP.

Can the switches be setup to have an etherchannel between the two switches and the server?

[Jon Marshall]

No you can't.

If the switches do not support MEC (Multichassis Etherchannel) then you cannot spread an etherchannel across different switches.

Stacked switches, 4500/6500 running VSS, Nexus with vPC all support MEC.

Jon

[acampbell · Accepted solution]

Hi,

In short NO

You would need to connect your server to only ONE switch if you want all 4 nics in the same TEAM.

You could use 2 TEAMS and put 2 nics in each forming a 2 port etherchannel to each switch

Regards,
Alex.
Please rate useful posts.

[tdennehy]

Thanks for the sanity check.  That is exactly what we thought.

[Carlosperez1601]

I have the same situation. Two switches 4500 connected together via 802.1 trunk.

I have a server with 4 NICs capable of LACP. 

We connected 2 NICs to one Switch and the other 2 NICs to the other Switch. The interfaces of the switch are in access mode in a VLAN. The 4 NICs are configure with an IP address corresponding to that vlan segment. 

Can this generate a layer 2 loop in the network?