Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
What is a common requirement for interfaces to successfully bundle into an EtherChannel?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
All member interfaces must use matching speed, duplex, and trunk/access settings
Correct. Mismatched settings commonly prevent bundling.
B
Distractor review
Each interface must belong to a different VLAN
Interfaces do not need to be in different VLANs.
C
Distractor review
Only odd-numbered switch ports can be bundled
Port numbering does not determine EtherChannel eligibility.
D
Distractor review
Each interface must have a different STP path cost
Different STP costs are not a bundling requirement.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is selecting options that suggest interfaces can belong to different VLANs or have varying STP path costs when bundling into an EtherChannel. Candidates might incorrectly believe that port numbering or VLAN diversity affects EtherChannel eligibility. However, Cisco requires all member interfaces to share identical speed, duplex, and trunk/access settings. Overlooking these requirements leads to EtherChannel negotiation failure or unstable link aggregation. Understanding that VLAN membership and STP costs must be consistent prevents this common mistake and ensures correct EtherChannel configuration.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
EtherChannel is a technology that allows multiple physical Ethernet links to be combined into a single logical link to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy. This bundling requires that all member interfaces share consistent operational parameters to function correctly as a single aggregated link. Key parameters include speed, duplex mode, and switchport mode (trunk or access). These settings ensure that frames are transmitted and received uniformly across all links, preventing issues such as frame loss or misordering. The decision process for bundling interfaces into an EtherChannel involves verifying that each interface matches in speed, duplex, and trunk/access configuration. Cisco switches enforce these requirements strictly; any mismatch in these settings causes the EtherChannel negotiation to fail or the bundle to be disabled. This consistency is crucial because differing speeds or duplex modes can cause traffic imbalance or collisions, while mismatched trunk/access modes can lead to VLAN tagging conflicts. A common exam trap is assuming that interfaces can belong to different VLANs or have different STP costs and still bundle successfully. However, EtherChannel requires uniform VLAN membership and consistent STP parameters across all member ports. In practice, if interfaces have different VLAN assignments or STP path costs, the EtherChannel will not form, leading to network instability or link failures. Understanding these requirements helps avoid misconfiguration and ensures reliable link aggregation in Cisco environments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- EtherChannel bundles multiple physical Ethernet interfaces into a single logical link to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
- All member interfaces in an EtherChannel must have matching speed settings to prevent traffic imbalance and ensure proper frame transmission.
- Duplex mode must be consistent across all EtherChannel member interfaces to avoid collisions and communication errors.
- Switchport mode, whether trunk or access, must be identical on all interfaces to maintain VLAN tagging consistency within the EtherChannel.
- Cisco switches enforce strict matching of operational parameters before allowing interfaces to bundle into an EtherChannel.
- Mismatched VLAN assignments on member interfaces prevent EtherChannel formation due to inconsistent traffic handling.
- Different Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) path costs on member interfaces do not meet EtherChannel bundling requirements and cause failure.
- EtherChannel improves network performance by aggregating links but requires uniform configuration to function correctly.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
CCNA subnetting practice questions
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
CCNA OSPF practice questions
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
CCNA VLAN practice questions
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
CCNA STP practice questions
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
CCNA EtherChannel practice questions
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
CCNA ACL practice questions
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
CCNA NAT practice questions
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
CCNA DHCP practice questions
Practise DHCP scopes, relay, leases and troubleshooting.
CCNA show ip route practice questions
Practise routing-table output, longest-prefix match, AD and route selection.
CCNA show interfaces trunk practice questions
Practise trunk verification and VLAN forwarding across switches.
CCNA wireless security practice questions
Practise WLAN security, authentication and wireless architecture concepts.
CCNA IPv6 practice questions
Practise IPv6 addressing, routes, neighbour discovery and common IPv6 exam traps.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
EtherChannel bundles multiple physical Ethernet interfaces into a single logical link to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: All member interfaces must use matching speed, duplex, and trunk/access settings — EtherChannel members must have compatible operational and administrative settings, including speed, duplex, and switchport mode.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.