Link Aggregation...

[Blades]

Just wondering if the Dual onboard NIC setup found on most motherboards will support 802.3ad.. ie link aggregation. I have a Linksys SRW2016 (managed) switch that supports LAG (heh, link no not that LAG).

I did a search and I am under the assumption I'm better off going with the PCI-X Intel dual port gigabit adapter. However, I just want to double check to see if there are other ways to go about this.

For instance, can two network cards of the same chipset do this properly if setup correctly on the switch? If they need driver support, then are there any onboard nics that support this?

This is fairly new to me, but I learn fairly quick. Given that I create a LAG port from two physical ports, can my switch (SRW2016) have a 2x100megabit uplink to my RV016?.... or do both devices have to support and be setup for LAG in order for a trunk/backbone.

Finally, are there any mobos out there that DON'T have all this onboard crap? I'd love more slots, less generic crap.. But the thought of not utilizing what I ultimately paid for (dual nics, etc) irritates me to no extent. Heh, I guess thats a rhetorical question. But if you are happy with any AMD mobos that fit the bill, lemme know.

PS: WTF is with the dual gigabit ports on my Thecus N2100 NAS? Do they serve a purpose, it certainly seems like they do. Furthermore, does anyone know if jumbo frames are enabled on the device by default? Cause I can't find the setting anywhere

Thanks in advance. Feel free to make suggestions. I love a reason to buy comp stuff, esp networking..

Edit: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...hreadid=1044866&enterthread=y&arctab=y
Above thread is a good read, related thread.. Just a note if someone happens upon this thread by search.

 

[EyeMWing]

Why not just use traditional interface bonding? Don't need any fiddling on the switches, just in the OS (and works with any combo of NICs) and has the same net effect (unless you're operating a single connection that needs more bandwidth than a single interface could provide), and hell, it even works on unswitched networks (although it actually decreases effectiveness of the network, haha). Not sure how you'd go about it under Windows, but I'm pretty sure it's possible.

 

[Podolak]

I just set up Static Link Aggregation with two Intel Pro/1000 Nics in an IBM x345 server. This was to a Cisco 6313 switch. Worked great but in the teaming set up of the nics ensure that you chose "Static Link Aggregation" of course. Also, don't use express setup, use Advanced.

 

[Blades]

Oh god.. I just had a huge reply and it got erased.. Great

Thanks for the info guys.. Lemme try to sum it up.

Windows XP. Link-AG. Switch support, doesnt matter either way. Drivers for NIC Card(s) must support it. Intel seems to be the best choice out there

Linux. Native support for bonding.

Switch to Switch Link-AG. Both must support.

Internet Conxion Link-AG. RV016 (7x), RV0082, RV0042.. (2x). All by Linksys.. Works great for me, its bad ass.

NAS devices. Don't buy em. Build a linux computer and enable the things that most companies do not. Jumbo frames, Link-AG, SSHability.

Good god I miss my old post..

 

[Blades]

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2358&p=10

the MSI K8N Diamond Plus... Dual PCIe net cards.. Can't find anything to see if their drivers support Link-AG cept for a little blurb from the latest ini file from marvell.

Preferred Port
------------------------
Default value: "A"
Valid range:
-"A"
-"B"

NOTE: This parameter is only available for dual link adapters.

Use this parameter to set the preferred port the RLMT (Redundant
Link Management Technology) will use for all network traffic, if more than
one port has an active link to the network.


RLMT Mode
------------------------
Default value: "CLS"
Valid range:
-"CLS" (Check Link State):
RLMT uses the link state reported by the
adapter hardware for each individual port to determine whether a
port can be used for all network traffic or not.

-"CLP" (Check Local Port):
In this mode, RLMT monitors the network path
between the two ports of an adapter by regularly exchanging packets
between them. This mode requires a network configuration in which
the two ports "see" each other (i.e. there must not be any router
between the ports).

-"CLPSS" (Check Local Ports and Segmentation Status):
This mode supports
the same functions as the CLP mode and additionally checks network
segmentation by sending BPDU hello packets. Thus, this mode is only
to be used if Gigabit Ethernet switches are installed on the network
that have been configured to use the Spanning Tree protocol.

NOTE: RLMT modes "CLP" and "CLPSS" are designed to operate in
configurations where a network path between the ports on one adapter
exists. Moreover, they are not designed to work where adapters are
connected back-to-back.
This parameter is only available for dual link adapters.


hmmm.. God its been so long since I've built a computer from scratch. Does the PCI-E x16 slot function as a 64bit slot needed for the intel dual-port lan card?