Link aggregation between two network devices allows your devices to treat multiple Ethernet links as if they were a single link to increase bandwidth or provide fault tolerance. For more information about link aggregation, see What are link aggregation and LACP and how can I use them in my network?.
This article explains how to set up link aggregation between a GS810EMX Nighthawk Gaming Switch and another device, such as a Nighthawk router or a ReadyNAS storage system. Follow these high-level steps to set up link aggregation between your GS810EMX switch and another device:
- Make sure that you have enough Ethernet cables.
- Disconnect your GS810EMX switch from the other network device that you want to use for link aggregation.
- Set up a LAG on your GS810EMX switch.
- Set up a LAG on the other network device.
- Connect the ports that you made members of a LAG on the switch to the ports that are members of a LAG on your other network device.
- Make sure that port speed, duplex mode, flow control, port priority, and port-based rate limiting settings are correct.
The following procedure explains each step in detail.
Make sure that you have enough Ethernet cables.
You must use at least two Ethernet cables for each LAG that you want to create. Make sure that your Ethernet cables are long enough to reach from your switch to the other device that you want to connect.
Disconnect your Nighthawk switch from the other network device that you want to use for link aggregation.
Make sure that the two devices are not connected.
If you connect your switch to the other device before setting up the LAG on both devices, the devices are unable to autonegotiate settings correctly. Do not make the connection before you create a LAG on both devices. If you form multiple connections between network devices without setting up link aggregation on both devices, you create a network loop, which can stop all traffic on your network.
Set up a LAG on your GS810EMX switch
- Open a web browser on a computer that is connected to the same network as your GS810EMX switch or is connected to the switch directly through an Ethernet cable.
- Enter your switch’s IP address in the address bar of your web browser, or use a saved bookmark to access your switch.
For more information, see How do I access my GS810EMX Nighthawk Pro Gaming Switch on a computer?. - Enter your administrator password and press Enter.
The default password is password.
The home page displays. - Select SWITCHING > LAG.
- Click LAG 1, LAG 2, LAG 3, or LAG 4 to select the LAG that you want to set up.
If LAG 1 is not already configured, select LAG 1. - Click each port that you want to make a member of the new LAG.
- If you are setting up a static LAG, click the Static/LACP slider to turn off LACP.
Otherwise, leave LACP selected.
For more information about static LAGs and LACP, see What are link aggregation and LACP and how can I use them in my network?. - Click the Disable/Enable slider to turn on the LAG.
- Click Apply.
Your changes are saved.
Set up a LAG on the other network device.
For more information about how to create a LAG on your other device, see the documentation for your device.
The port numbers on the other network device do not matter as long as the ports on the other network device are members of the same LAG and the LAG consists of the same total number of ports.
For more information about setting up link aggregation on other NETGEAR devices, visit your product’s NETGEAR Support page or see the following knowledge base articles:
Connect the ports that you made members of a LAG on the switch to the ports that are members of a LAG on your other network device.
Use Ethernet cables to connect each port that you made a member of a LAG on the switch to a port that is a member of the same LAG on the other network device.
You can confirm that the new LAG is active by checking its status on your GS810EMX switch’s home page.
Make sure that port speed, duplex mode, flow control, port priority, and port-based rate limiting settings are correct.
All ports that participate in a LAG (that is, the ports on both devices) must use the same port speed, duplex mode, and flow control settings. Your GS810EMX switch can autonegotiate these settings with the other network device as long as you have not changed the default settings on your switch. If you changed these settings, you must set port speed to Auto, make sure that all member ports have the same priority, and turn off flow control for the LAG to take effect. If you applied a preset mode, you do not need to take any action—preset modes do not change flow control or port speed settings.
For more information about changing these settings on your switch, see the user manual for your switch, which is available on your switch’s NETGEAR Support page.