utput, but contains even more information. In most cases, this command is far more useful, as it shows the channel ID, admin group, interface type, duplex mode, and VLAN assigned all in one display: Switch-2-Cat0S: (enable) sho channel info Chan Port Status Channel Admin Speed Duplex Vlan group connected desirable 74 a-1Gb a-full connected desirable 74 a-1Gb a-full connected desirable 74 a-1Gb a-full connected desirable 74 a-1Gb a-full The show channel command shows a very brief output of what ports are assigned to what channels: Switch-2-Catos: (enable) sho channel Channel Id Ports 3/1-4 show channel traffic is another very useful command. This command shows how the links have been used, with the traffic distribution reported as actual percentages: Switch-2-Catos: (enable) sho channel traffic ChanId Port Rx-Ucst Tx-Ucst Rx-Mcst Tx-Mcst Rx-Bcst Tx-Bcst 21.80% 18.44% 87.48% 87.70% 26.49% 21.20% 34.49% 37.97% 4.02% 4.98% 19.38% 11.73% 21.01% 23.47% 3.99% 3.81% 29.46% 28.60% 22.66% 20.06% 4.13% 2.79% 23.69% 38.32% Note that the percentages do not always add up to 100 percent. This tool is not about specifics, but rather, trends. IOS Example Configuring EtherChannels on an IOS-based switch is not difficult, although, as dis- cussed earlier, if you're used to CatOS switches, the terminology may seem a bit odd. The major difference is that a port-channel virtual interface is created. This actually gives you a lot of leeway: you can configure this interface with an IP address if you wish, or just leave it as a normal switch port. Remember that each interface must configured with identical settings, with the exception of the description. I like to con- figure meaningful descriptions on all my physical ports. This helps keep me track of how the interfaces are assigned, as the show interface command does not indicate whether an interface is a member of an EtherChannel. Again, we'll design the EtherChannel shown in Figure 7-1 as an example, SO there are Cisco switches on both sides of the links: Chapter 7: EtherChannel inte