Link aggregation

Imagine you want to move a heavy bookcase from one room to another, but it's too heavy for you to lift by yourself. Instead, you ask a friend to help you. Together, you can lift the bookcase and move it much more easily.

Similarly, in computer networks, Link Aggregation allows multiple network connections to be combined together into one virtual connection that is much stronger and faster than a single connection alone. This is done to improve speed, reliability, and manageability of the network.

Think of each computer network connection as a “pipe” that allows data to flow in and out. With Link Aggregation, multiple pipes (network connections) are combined into one bigger pipe (virtual connection). This bigger pipe can transmit much more data at once than a single pipe could. This improves network speed and reduces the likelihood of network congestion or slowed data transmission.

Additionally, if one of the pipes fails (like if one person couldn’t lift the bookcase), the other pipes can continue to handle data transmission without interruption. This improves the reliability of the network.

Overall, Link Aggregation is like having a team of friends who can help you move heavy things more easily and more reliably than you could alone.