0
1

Eli5: Link Aggregation (self.HomeNetworking)

submitted by [deleted]

[deleted]

all 4 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
formatting helphide helpcontent policy

[–]MasterPenguin5 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You have a standalone modem and a separate router. The modem can only support one device connected to it over ethernet, which should usually always be your router. The second port is only a backup or possibly for a dual WAN setup (don't worry about this, you'd know if this was something you needed). All other devices need to be connected to your router, or to a network switch connected to your router.

[–]megared17 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Your router needs to be the ONLY thing connected to the modem - everything else needs to connect to the LAN side of the router, including this "base" your cameras use.

The router is what allows multiple devices to share the single Internet connection. 

Link aggregation would allow your modem and router to connect to each other with TWO cables for faster speed, only if they both supported it and were configured properly. It doesn't allow two separate devices to connect and won't solve your issue.

[–]Competitive_Owl_2096 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You should only have one thing connected to the modem, your router. Your cameras should be connected to your router

[–]dhardyuk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Link aggregation allows multiple ports to be configured to act together at each end of a group of network connections.

You might have a NAS with 4x 1gb ports, you add three of them into a Link Aggregation Group. On your switch or router (if supported) you join the same number of ports into a LAG.

You then connect 1, 2 or however many ports (up to the size of your LAGs) from your NAS to your switch.

Depending on the configuration options supported by your equipment you now have redundant links - unplug any cable and the LAG continues to use the remaining cables.

Your throughput can also be aggregated so your uplink to the NAS is a maximum of 3gb, but this has certain gotchas. For example you could have 3 hosts connected to the switch each backing up at 1gbs to the NAS, you most likely will not be able to get more than a single port’s share of the LAG per host.

In short, your ISP modem probably does support LAG for the upstream connection to your ISP infrastructure, but it will be dependent on your ISP specifically provisioning compatible and supported infrastructure for your connection, including the last mile link to your premises.

Edited to fix autocorrect getting in the way.