easyMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: The maximum number of active member links…
What is the maximum number of active member links supported in a single EtherChannel on Cisco Catalyst switches?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between the maximum number of configured ports (16 with LACP) versus the maximum number of active ports (8), leading candidates to mistakenly choose 16.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
8
Cisco Catalyst switches support a maximum of 8 active member links in a single EtherChannel. This limit is defined by the IEEE 802.3ad standard and Cisco's implementation, ensuring that the load-balancing algorithm distributes traffic effectively across all links. The 8-link limit applies to both PAgP and LACP modes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
4
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Four active links are a valid, operational EtherChannel configuration, but they do not represent the ceiling. Cisco's EtherChannel implementation limits a single logical channel to eight active member links, so selecting 4 underestimates the maximum allowed. Four links may be common for redundancy, but the protocol explicitly permits double that number.
- ✓
8
Why this is correct
Correct. A single EtherChannel supports up to eight active member links in Cisco IOS and IOS-XE implementations. This limit applies to the actual forwarding links, regardless of whether the channel is formed statically, with PAgP, or with LACP. While some platforms extend the total to 16 by adding standby links via LACP, only eight can be actively forwarding at any given time.
- ✗
16
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Sixteen is the combined maximum for active plus standby links in LACP when you enable the LACP multichassis or hot-standby feature, but it is not the number of active links. The question asks specifically about active links, and the active limit remains eight. The remaining eight would be in standby mode, ready to become active only if an active link fails, so 16 cannot be the answer.
- ✗
32
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Thirty-two is not a supported EtherChannel size in any standard Cisco switching or routing platform. The maximum number of links you can bundle into a single logical EtherChannel is eight active (plus optionally eight LACP standby), not 32. A value like 32 might be confused with the number of ports in a high-density line card, but it is not relevant to EtherChannel limits.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 350-401 question from scratch — 1,923 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-401 exam.