Step by Step Guide for Layer3 EtherChannels Configuration
Step 1
Configure the physical interfaces as follows, in interface configuration mode:
A. Add the channel-group number mode on the command to add it to the channel. Use the same number for all physical interfaces on the same switch. The number used (the channel-group number) can differ on the two neighboring switches.
B. Use no switchport command to make each physical port a routed port.
Step 2
Configure the PortChannel interface:
A. Use the interface port-channel number command to move to port-channel configuration mode for the same channel number configured on the physical interfaces.
B. Add the no switchport command to make sure that the port-channel interface acts as a routed port. (IOS may have already added this command.)
C. Use the IP address mask command to configure the address and mask.
SVIs make sense at access switches. For routed point-to-point, layer-3 distribution and core switching and routing devices that are interconnected- it might make sense to use bundled EtherChannels.
Even though the physical interfaces and PortChannel interface are all routed ports, only place an IP address on the PortChannel interface- not the physical interfaces.
As soon as you utilize the no switchport command on the physical interfaces, IOS adds the no IP address command to the physical interface by default. From there, just add an IP address to the PortChannel interface.
