Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is a standard protocol defined in IEEE 802.3ad, which is used to automatically configure and maintain Link Aggregation Groups (LAGs) on Mikrotik routers. LACP allows multiple physical Ethernet links to be bundled together to form a single logical link, providing increased bandwidth and redundancy.
In Mikrotik RouterOS version 7, LACP is one of the bonding modes available, and it allows to bundle multiple Ethernet ports together to form a single logical link. LACP works by exchanging LACP packets between the devices on both ends of the link, which allows them to automatically configure and maintain the link aggregation group. This eliminates the need for manual configuration and ensures that the link aggregation group is always in a consistent state.
LACP also includes a feature called “Actor and Partner” which allow the devices on both ends of the link to exchange information about the state of their ports, such as the link state and the speed. This allows the devices to automatically configure the link aggregation group based on the capabilities of the ports.
In Mikrotik RouterOS version 7, LACP can be used to bundle multiple interfaces together, whether they are Ethernet or wireless interfaces, providing increased bandwidth and redundancy. It also provides a more efficient way of configuring and maintaining link aggregation groups, as it eliminates the need for manual configuration and ensures that the link aggregation group is always in a consistent state.
Additionally, LACP can be used with other advanced features such as VLANs, QoS, and hotspot to provide more granular control over your network. It can also be used in conjunction with other bonding modes, such as balance-rr, active-backup, and bonding-lb, to provide a more robust and flexible solution for your network.
Overall, LACP is a powerful feature that is available in Mikrotik RouterOS version 7, which allows for increased flexibility and control over your network. It provides a more efficient way of configuring and maintaining link aggregation groups, and it can be used in conjunction with other advanced features to provide a more robust and flexible solution for your network.
Here is an example of how to configure LACP on Mikrotik RouterOS version 7:
Connect the Mikrotik router to multiple Ethernet interfaces that you want to bundle together.
Go to the Mikrotik router's web interface, and navigate to the "Interfaces" menu.
Click on the "+" button to add a new interface, and select "Bonding" as the interface type.
Give the new interface a name, such as "bond1".
Under the "Slaves" tab, select the interfaces that you want to bundle together and click on the "Add" button.
Under the "Bonding" tab, select "LACP" as the bonding mode.
Click on the "Apply" button to save the changes.
Once the configuration is done, you can check the status of the LACP bond by going to the "Interfaces" menu and looking for the new interface that you created. The status should be "active" if the bond is working properly.
This is a basic example of how to configure LACP on Mikrotik RouterOS version 7. However, it is important to note that LACP requires that the switch that the Mikrotik Router is connected to also support LACP. Also, LACP can be used in conjunction with other advanced features such as VLANs, QoS, and hotspot to provide more granular control over your network.
In summary, LACP is a powerful feature that allows to bundle multiple Ethernet interfaces together to form a single logical link, providing increased bandwidth and redundancy. With Mikrotik RouterOS version 7, it is easy to configure and maintain LACP, which eliminates the need for manual configuration and ensures that the link aggregation group is always in a consistent state.