Which protocol is defined by IEEE 802.3ad to bundle multiple physical links into a single logical link?

Which protocol is defined by IEEE 802.3ad to bundle multiple physical links into a single logical link?

• A. Five Nines
• B. LACP
• C. Spectrum Analyzer
• D. HSRP

Answer: (B)

Bundling multiple physical links into one logical link is called link aggregation, which IEEE 802.3ad describes to boost bandwidth and provide redundancy. The protocol that actually manages this bundling is Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). LACP negotiates with the other switch or device to form a Link Aggregation Group, assigns identifiers to each member, and continuously checks link status. It supports dynamic changes—you can add or remove links as needed—and distributes traffic across the member links according to a hashing policy, improving throughput and resilience. Five Nines is a reliability target (uptime), not a protocol. A Spectrum Analyzer is a tool used to study signal spectra, not a mechanism for link aggregation. HSRP is a gateway redundancy protocol, not involved in bundling multiple network links.

Bundling multiple physical links into one logical link is called link aggregation, which IEEE 802.3ad describes to boost bandwidth and provide redundancy. The protocol that actually manages this bundling is Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). LACP negotiates with the other switch or device to form a Link Aggregation Group, assigns identifiers to each member, and continuously checks link status. It supports dynamic changes—you can add or remove links as needed—and distributes traffic across the member links according to a hashing policy, improving throughput and resilience.

Five Nines is a reliability target (uptime), not a protocol. A Spectrum Analyzer is a tool used to study signal spectra, not a mechanism for link aggregation. HSRP is a gateway redundancy protocol, not involved in bundling multiple network links.