Lab 8: L3 EtherChannel + Static Routing

Bundle lab

Build a routed LACP EtherChannel (Port-channel 8) between two iol-xe routers and route real inter-LAN traffic using static routes. Two parallel physical links (Ethernet0/0 and Ethernet0/1) on each router are bundled into a single Layer-3 Port-channel with a /30 transit. Each router serves a local /24 LAN with an alpine host. Validate that Po8 is up/up, static routes are present, and end-to-end host pings succeed across the aggregated uplink.

Learning objectives

• Create a Layer-3 EtherChannel using LACP with channel-group mode active on both member links.
• Assign a /30 IP to the Port-channel interface and ensure the routed bundle comes up Protocol/Line Up.
• Install static routes that use the EtherChannel neighbor as the next-hop to reach the remote LAN.
• Verify LACP and EtherChannel state using show etherchannel summary and show interfaces port-channel.
• Troubleshoot common bundling errors: mode incompatibility, IP applied to members instead of the Port-channel, and incorrect static-route next-hops.

Troubleshooting focus

• If Po8 is down, confirm both ends use channel-group 8 mode active on the exact same member interfaces.
• If hosts cannot reach across sites, ensure the /30 is configured on the Port-channel interface (not on Ethernet members) and is in the same subnet on both routers.
• If only one direction works, verify each router’s static route points to the neighbor’s /30 IP (not to itself or an interface).
• Use show etherchannel summary and show etherchannel 8 detail to confirm members are bundled and in the correct LACP state.
• Confirm Ethernet0/0 and Ethernet0/1 are no shutdown and not carrying any conflicting configuration.