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BeginnerPublished 2026-07-02

PAgP EtherChannel: Desirable/Auto Negotiation

Bundle lab

Build a Layer-2 PAgP EtherChannel between two ioll2-xe switches (SW1 and SW2) using a desirable/auto pairing on two parallel links. Bundle Ethernet0/0 and Ethernet0/1 into Port-channel 3, make the port-channel a VLAN 30 access interface on both switches, and verify with show etherchannel summary, show pagp neighbor, show pagp counters, and end-to-end host pings in VLAN 30.

Track
Est. time
35 minutes
Difficulty
Beginner
Topics

Learning objectives

  • Configure a Layer-2 EtherChannel using PAgP with desirable/auto negotiation
  • Create and verify a Port-channel interface as an access port in a user VLAN
  • Validate PAgP neighbors, bundle status, and counters
  • Confirm host-to-host reachability across an aggregated link

Troubleshooting focus

  • Mode compatibility: PAgP requires desirable/desirable or desirable/auto; mixing with LACP (active/passive) or static on breaks bundling.
  • Member consistency: All member interfaces must share identical Layer-2 parameters (switchport mode, access VLAN, speed/duplex).
  • Logical vs physical settings: Apply the final switching mode/VLAN on the Port-channel interface; ensure members inherit and remain consistent.
  • Operational state: Check err-disable, STP blocking, or suspended states if bundling fails.
  • Verification depth: Use show etherchannel summary, show pagp neighbor, and show pagp counters to isolate negotiation vs consistency faults.

Topology

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Grade your work

How this lab is graded
  • Build it your way. Where a lab lets you choose a value — a VLAN name, an interface description — grading checks that you configured it, not which name you picked. Names that another line has to reference, like an ACL applied with access-class, are stated in the guide and do have to match.
  • Addresses, modes and protocol keywords are exact. An IP address, a subnet mask, switchport mode trunk, an encapsulation — these carry the meaning of the lab, so they are graded as written in the guide.
  • Grading reads your saved configuration. Export the lab from CML after you have configured it, and make sure anything you set is in the running-config — a change that only exists in a terminal session never reaches the grader.
  • You can submit as many times as you like. Your best score stands, and each attempt tells you which checks passed so you can work the gaps.
  • Scored something you believe is correct? Use Report an issue on this page — that is exactly how the grading fixes in the changelog got found.

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