Ethernet port aggregation between two devices allows your devices to treat multiple Ethernet links as if they were a single link. Combining two network connections for WAN (Internet) Ethernet port aggregation allows you to increase network bandwidth and provide network redundancy between your cable modem and your router if one link fails.
If you have an Internet connection with speeds over 1 Gbps, but your cable modem or router does not have a Multi-Gig or 2.5G Multi-Gig port, you might need to use Internet Ethernet port aggregation to access the maximum possible speeds provided by your Internet connection. For more information, see What is multi-gig Internet?
The cable modem that you connect your NETGEAR Nighthawk router to must support Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to use WAN (Internet) aggregation. Currently, the only NETGEAR cable modems that support link aggregation are the CM1100 and CM1200. For more information, see How do I set up Ethernet port aggregation on my NETGEAR Nighthawk multi-gig speed cable modem?
To set up WAN (Internet) Ethernet port aggregation on your NETGEAR Nighthawk router:
- Launch a web browser from a device that is connected to your router's network.
- Enter www.routerlogin.net.
A login window displays. - Enter your user name and password.
The user name is admin. The password is the one that you specified the first time that you logged in. The user name and password are case-sensitive.
The BASIC Home page displays. - Select Internet.
The Internet Setup page displays. - In the WAN Preference section, select WAN aggregation (1 Gbps + 1 Gbps).
Your router communicates with your cable modem's two LAN ports by connecting the Internet port and Internet aggregation-enabled Ethernet port on the router. - Click Apply.
- Set up Ethernet port aggregation on your cable modem.
Important: Do not connect the devices to each other using more than one Ethernet cable until after you set up aggregation on each device. If you form multiple connections between the two devices and neither device has loop prevention, you create a network loop. Network loops can slow or stop normal traffic on your network. For more information, see What is a network loop? - Using two Ethernet cables, connect the Internet port and Internet aggregation-enabled LAN ports on your router to the aggregated ports on your cable modem.
Note: Depending on which router model you have, the aggregation-enabled LAN port differs. For most routers, LAN 1 or LAN 4 is the aggregation-enabled port.
On the Internet Setup page, the WAN Aggregation Status displays Active.
Ethernet port WAN aggregation is set up.
For more information:
- What is the difference between LAN aggregation and WAN aggregation?
- How do I set up LAN Ethernet port aggregation on my NETGEAR Nighthawk router?