Courseiva
EtherChannelPrivileged EXEC

show etherchannel port

Displays detailed port-level information for all ports that are part of an EtherChannel bundle, including port state, aggregation protocol, and partner details.

Syntax·Privileged EXEC
show etherchannel port

When to Use This Command

  • Verifying which ports are successfully bundled in an EtherChannel after configuration.
  • Troubleshooting a non-functional EtherChannel by checking port state and protocol mismatches.
  • Confirming that all member ports have consistent speed, duplex, and VLAN settings.
  • Checking the LACP or PAgP neighbor state to ensure proper negotiation with the peer switch.

Command Examples

Basic show etherchannel port output

show etherchannel port
Channel-group listing:
----------------------

Group: 1
----------
Ports in the group:
-------------------
Port: Gi0/1
--------

Port state    = Up/Active
Negotiation   = LACP
Flags:  S - Device sends requests (Slow)
        A - Device is in Active mode

Local information:
-------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/1       Up/Active   SA       0x80        0x1

Partner's information:
----------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/1       Up/Active   SA       0x80        0x1

Age of the port in the current state: 0d:00h:15m:32s

Port: Gi0/2
--------

Port state    = Up/Active
Negotiation   = LACP
Flags:  S - Device sends requests (Slow)
        A - Device is in Active mode

Local information:
-------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/2       Up/Active   SA       0x80        0x1

Partner's information:
----------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/2       Up/Active   SA       0x80        0x1

Age of the port in the current state: 0d:00h:15m:30s

The output shows EtherChannel group 1 with two member ports (Gi0/1 and Gi0/2). Each port section displays: Port state (Up/Active means the port is up and actively participating in the bundle), Negotiation (LACP indicates the protocol used), Flags (S for slow rate, A for active mode), Priority (port priority, default 0x80), Key (aggregation key, must match across bundle), Partner's information (should mirror local for a working bundle), and Age (time since last state change).

Troubleshooting a port not joining the bundle

show etherchannel port
Channel-group listing:
----------------------

Group: 1
----------
Ports in the group:
-------------------
Port: Gi0/1
--------

Port state    = Up/Active
Negotiation   = LACP
Flags:  S - Device sends requests (Slow)
        A - Device is in Active mode

Local information:
-------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/1       Up/Active   SA       0x80        0x1

Partner's information:
----------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/1       Up/Active   SA       0x80        0x1

Age of the port in the current state: 0d:00h:10m:00s

Port: Gi0/2
--------

Port state    = Down/Inactive
Negotiation   = LACP
Flags:  S - Device sends requests (Slow)
        A - Device is in Active mode

Local information:
-------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/2       Down/Inactive SA     0x80        0x1

Partner's information:
----------------------
Port        State       Flags    Priority    Key
Gi0/2       Down/Inactive SA     0x80        0x1

Age of the port in the current state: 0d:00h:05m:00s

Here, Gi0/2 shows Down/Inactive, indicating it is not participating in the EtherChannel. Possible causes: the port is administratively down, speed/duplex mismatch, or VLAN inconsistency. Check interface status with 'show interfaces Gi0/2' and verify that all member ports have identical configuration.

Understanding the Output

The 'show etherchannel port' command provides per-port details for each EtherChannel group. Key fields: 'Port state' shows Up/Active (working) or Down/Inactive (problem). 'Negotiation' indicates the protocol (LACP, PAgP, or On). 'Flags' show LACP/PAgP settings: S (slow rate), F (fast rate), A (active), P (passive). 'Priority' is the port priority used for tie-breaking. 'Key' is the aggregation key; all ports in a bundle must have the same key. 'Partner's information' should match local for a successful bundle. 'Age' shows how long the port has been in its current state. In a healthy EtherChannel, all member ports should show Up/Active with matching local and partner info. Mismatches in speed, duplex, VLAN, or trunk mode cause ports to stay Down/Inactive.

CCNA Exam Tips

1.

CCNA exam tip: Remember that all ports in an EtherChannel must have identical speed, duplex, VLAN (access or allowed VLANs), and trunking mode.

2.

CCNA exam tip: LACP uses active/passive modes; PAgP uses desirable/auto. At least one side must be active or desirable to form a bundle.

3.

CCNA exam tip: The 'show etherchannel port' command is useful for verifying that each port's state is Up/Active and that the partner information matches.

4.

CCNA exam tip: A common exam scenario is troubleshooting a non-functional EtherChannel; check for mismatched port settings or protocol modes.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Assuming all ports in a channel group are automatically bundled; they must have matching configurations (speed, duplex, VLAN).

Mistake 2: Forgetting to set the channel-group mode correctly; e.g., using 'active' on one side and 'passive' on the other for LACP works, but 'passive' on both sides fails.

Mistake 3: Misinterpreting 'Down/Inactive' as a physical issue; it often indicates a configuration mismatch rather than a cable problem.

Related Commands

show etherchannel summary

Displays the status and configuration of all EtherChannel interfaces on the switch, used to verify channel bundling, port membership, and protocol state.

show interfaces

Displays detailed status and statistics for all interfaces or a specific interface, used to verify interface operational state, errors, and performance.

Practice for the CCNA 200-301

Test your knowledge with hundreds of CCNA practice questions covering all exam domains.

Practice CCNA Questions