direct ethernet teaming/bonding between linux and windows

monohouse · 12-20-2014, 03:54 PM

hi, I would like to know if it is possible:
to aggregate two gigabit NIC's on linux directly via CAT6 crossovers into two gigabit NIC's on windows (2003)

jefro · 12-20-2014, 04:34 PM

I think so. Either by using the OEM abilities such as in Intel products or even by using dis-similar nic's.

Like this you mean?

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-...interface.html

Ser Olmy · 12-20-2014, 04:37 PM

Yes, it's possible if the NIC drivers in Windows support bonding. Windows versions older than Windows Server 2012 lacks native support for bonding, but several manufacturers (like Intel and Broadcom) added this functionality to their drivers.

But no, you won't accomplish what you probably want, which I would guess is a total bandwidth of 2 Gbps between the hosts. While the Linux bonding driver supports round-robin load balancing, the Windows drivers do not. Windows NIC drivers will typically load balance based on the destination MAC or IP address, and in your scenario those will always be the same. So you'll get a speed of 2 Gbps from the Linux system to the Windows server, but only 1 Gbps in the opposite direction.