How to configure Cisco SG 300-28 for Trunking?

Question

I just picked up two Cisco SG 300-28 switches. I'd like to trunk ports 25-28 for trunking between the two units. I'm just not sure how to do this.

The reason for trunking is that we're using a voLANte video distribution system to transmit HD video throughout our facility, and we need the throughput between the two switches in order to facilitate that much data transfer.

Can anyone help me figure out how to enable trunking?

note: we are currently only using a singe VLAN

Solution 1

What you are looking for is actually called a "LAG Group". This will allow you to load balance traffic across multiple physical links, thus increasing the total available bandwidth between the switches.

Some more info on LAG: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_aggregation

Official Cisco DOC on configuring it: http://www.scribd.com/doc/51755633/77/Configuring-Link-Aggregation

Trunking refers to passing multiple VLANs over one physical link. (A LAG Group can also be a trunk!)

Solution 2

Get a networking specialist to do it. Seriously.

In modern networks, trunking generally refers to the idea of passing multiple VLANs from one switch to another, not teaming switch ports for more bandwidth, which probably won't help anyway. Get a faster switch, get faster NICs on the server sending out this HD video, get QoS in place, get... well, a networking specialist. This sounds very non-trivial (and expensive, probably).

Having said all that, here's a little article from Cisco Press on how to turn trunking on, and some other trunking basics.

Comments

[Weaver]

Careful now, HP ProCurve does in fact use the term "trunk" to represent what Cisco calls an Etherchannel or channel-group.

[ItsGC]

This can fail miserably without a network specialist. If this was a smaller context, i'd say start studying and learn yourself as this is often the best solution. But you're asking to start from a 0 background in networking to one of the most annoying and delicate configurations you can possibly have at Layer 2. This is a recipe for failure.

[Chase Florell]

Yup, you're right. I used the term "trunk" when I meant "LAG". I have it working properly now.