Meru Technical Note - How to configure Channel Bonding on Cisco Catalyst switch when connected to two or more ports on an MC4100

[gkaur]

Description

How to configure Channel Bonding on Cisco Catalyst switch when connected to two or more ports on an MC4200/3200 ?

Scope

KB ARTICLE TYPE: Troubleshooting

RELATED PRODUCTS:   MC4200/3200/4100/5000/6000 and Cisco Catalyst 2950

RELATED SOFTWARE VERSIONS:  N/A

KEYWORDS:  Dual Bonding, Cisco Catalyst 2950, LACP

Solution

When we connect a Meru Controller ( with 4 Ethernet Ports -G1/G2/G3/G4) with channel bonding enabled as Single/Dual to a Cisco Switch, the switch ports need to be configured for Ether channel to be grouped.

While configuring Ether channel on a Cisco Switch, we don't need to specify any protocol like LACP or PgAP. We just need to make sure the ether channel mode is set to 'ON'. It shouldn't be 'passive’,’ active' or 'disable'

When you configure an Ether Channel in the ON mode, no negotiations take place. The switch forces all compatible ports to become active in the Ether Channel. The other end of the channel (on the other switch) must also be configured in the ON mode.

A controller is already configured for channel bonding and there is no need for any negotiation.

RECOMMENDED CONFIGURATION:

Meru controllers can have two types of port bonding

1) Single bonding

2) Dual bonding

Single bonding can be activated using command #Controller(config) bonding single

To activate dual bonding use command #Controller(config)bonding dual

In single bonding all four Gig Ports on Meru will act as a single port. Hence we need to group four interfaces on Cisco side into a group.

In dual bonding mode Gig interfaces G1 and G2 acts as a single port and G3 and G4 act as another port. Hence you have to configure two ether channel groups on Cisco.

Configuration on Cisco Switch:

interface GigabitEthernet0/3
description merucampus04 G1
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk native vlan 720
switchport trunk allowed vlan 405,421,423,720
switchport mode trunk
channel-group 1 mode on

interface GigabitEthernet0/4
description merucampus04 G3
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk native vlan 720
switchport trunk allowed vlan 405,421,423,720
switchport mode trunk
channel-group 1 mode on

interface Port-channel1
description Meru MC4100
switchport trunk encapsulation dot1q
switchport trunk native vlan 720
switchport trunk allowed vlan 405,421,423,720
switchport mode trunk