Ethernet network bonding

The TX54 device supports bonding mode for the Ethernet network. This allows you to configure the device so that Ethernet ports share one IP address. When both ports are being used, they act as one Ethernet network port.

Required configuration items


  1. Log into Digi Remote Manager, or log into the local Web UI as a user with full Admin access rights.
  2. Access the device configuration:

    1. Locate your device as described in Use Digi Remote Manager to view and manage your device.
    2. Click the Device ID.
    3. Click Settings.
    4. Click to expand Config.

    1. On the menu, click System. Under Configuration, click Device Configuration.

      The Configuration window is displayed.

  3. Click Network > Ethernet bonding.
  4. For Add Bond device, click

    The bond device is enabled by default. To disable, toggle off Enable.

  5. For Mode, selected either:
    • Active-backup: Transmits data on only one of the bonded devices at a time. When the active device fails, the next available device in the list is chosen. This mode provides for fault tolerance.
    • Round-robin: Alternates between bonded devices to provide load balancing as well as fault tolerance.
  6. Click to expand Devices.
  7. Add Ethernet devices:
    1. For Add device, click .

    2. For Device, select an Ethernet device to participate in the bond pool.
    3. Repeat for each appropriate Ethernet device.

  8. Create a new network interface that is linked to the Ethernet bond:
    1. Click Network > Interface.
    2. For Add Interface, type a name for the interface and click .

    3. For Device, select the Ethernet bond created above:

    4. Complete the rest of the interface configuration. See Configure a Wide Area Network (WAN) or Configure a Local Area Network (LAN) for further information.

    5. Disable any other interfaces associated with the devices that were added to the Ethernet bond.

      For example, if ETH1 and ETH2 were added to the Ethernet bond, disable the WAN1 and LAN1 interfaces:

      In some cases, the device may be a part of a bridge, in which case you should remove the device from the bridge.

      1. Click to expand Network > Bridges.

      2. Click to expand the appropriate bridge.

      3. Click to expand Devices.

      4. For the appropriate device, click and select Delete.

      See Configure a bridge for more information.

  9. Click Apply to save the configuration and apply the change.
  1. Select the device in Remote Manager and click Actions > Open Console, or log into the TX54 local command line as a user with full Admin access rights.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type admin to access the Admin CLI.

  2. At the command line, type config to enter configuration mode:

    > config
(config)>

  3. Add a network bond:
    (config)> add network bond name
(config network bond name)>

    For example, to create an Ethernet bond named eth_bond:

    (config> add network bond eth_bond
(config network bond eth_bond)>

  4. The new network bond is enabled by default. To disable:
    (config network bond eth_bond)> enable false
(config network bond eth_bond)>
  5. Set the mode:
    (config network bond eth_bond)> mode value
(config network bond eth_bond)>

    where value is either:

    • active-backup: Transmits data on only one of the bonded devices at a time. When the active device fails, the next available device in the list is chosen. This mode provides for fault tolerance.
    • round-robin: Alternates between bonded devices to provide load balancing as well as fault tolerance.

  6. Add Ethernet devices:
    1. (config network bond eth_bond)> ... network device ?

 Additional Configuration
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 eth1
 eth2
 eth3
 eth4
 loopback

(config network bond eth_bond)>
    2. Add a device:
      (config network bond eth_bond)> add device /network/device/eth1
(config network bond eth_bond)>
    3. Repeat to add additional devices.
  7. Create a new network interface that is linked to the Ethernet bond:
    1. Type ... to return to the root of the configuration:
      (config network bond eth_bond)> ...
(config)>

    2. Create a new interface, for example:

      (config)> add network interface eth_bond_interface
(config network interface eth_bond_interface)>

    3. For device, select the Ethernet bond created above:

      (config network interface eth_bonding_interface)> device /network/bond/eth_bond
(config network interface eth_bonding_interface)>

    4. Complete the rest of the interface configuration. See Configure a Wide Area Network (WAN) or Configure a Local Area Network (LAN) for further information.

  8. Disable any other interfaces associated with the devices that were added to the Ethernet bond.

    For example, if ETH1 and ETH2 were added to the Ethernet bond, and they are included with the WAN1 and LAN1 interfaces:

    1. Type ... to return to the root of the configuration:
      (config network interface eth_bonding_interface)> ...
(config)>

    2. Disable the interfaces:

      (config)> network interface wan1 enable false
(config)> network interface lan1 enable false
(config)>

    In some cases, the device may be a part of a bridge, in which case you should remove the device from the bridge. For example:

    1. Determine the index number of the device:

      (config)> show network bridge lan1 device 
0 /network/device/eth2
1 /network/device/eth3
2 /network/device/eth4
3 /network/wifi/ap/digi_ap1
4 /network/wifi/ap/digi_ap2
(config)>

    2. Use the index number to delete the device from the bridge:

      (config)> del network bridge lan1 device 0
(config)>

    See Configure a bridge for more information.

  9. Save the configuration and apply the change.
    (config)> save
Configuration saved.
>
  10. Type exit to exit the Admin CLI.

    Depending on your device configuration, you may be presented with an Access selection menu. Type quit to disconnect from the device.