CCNA Practice Exam 2026 – Complete Study Resource

In the context of configuring EtherChannel, the mode referred to is related to the negotiation method of forming a link aggregation between switches. EtherChannel can utilize protocols like Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP) and Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to manage the aggregation.

The modes available for configuring EtherChannel include Auto, Desirable, and Passive.

- Auto mode is a passive mode of PAgP, where the interface will wait for the other side to initiate the negotiation for an EtherChannel.

- Desirable mode actively initiates the negotiation for an EtherChannel using PAgP, trying to form an EtherChannel with the connected device.

- Passive mode is associated with LACP, where the interface is waiting for the other device to start the aggregation process.

Manual mode, while it may imply a straightforward approach to configuring EtherChannel, is not a recognized negotiation mode for EtherChannel. Instead, it is an implicit configuration that does not use either PAgP or LACP for link negotiation, meaning the channels are created without negotiation, relying solely on configuration rather than protocol assistance.

As a result, manual configuration does not align with the categorized negotiation modes for EtherChannel, clarifying that it is not an option for configuring Ether