It’s pretty easy to create a NIC team with Windows Server “8”. If you have tried with previous versions of Windows you know that third-party software was required. Now, it’s just a cmdlet away.

Have a look a the new NetLbfo module:

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-Command -Module NetLbfo

Capability  Name                       ModuleName
----------  ----                       ----------
CIM         Add-NetLbfoTeamMember      NetLbfo
CIM         Add-NetLbfoTeamNic         NetLbfo
CIM         Get-NetLbfoTeam            NetLbfo
CIM         Get-NetLbfoTeamMember      NetLbfo
CIM         Get-NetLbfoTeamNic         NetLbfo
CIM         New-NetLbfoTeam            NetLbfo
CIM         Remove-NetLbfoTeam         NetLbfo
CIM         Remove-NetLbfoTeamMember   NetLbfo
CIM         Remove-NetLbfoTeamNic      NetLbfo
CIM         Rename-NetLbfoTeam         NetLbfo
CIM         Set-NetLbfoTeam            NetLbfo
CIM         Set-NetLbfoTeamMember      NetLbfo
CIM         Set-NetLbfoTeamNic         NetLbfo

Using the (also-new) Get-NetIPInterface cmdlet, find the interfaces that you want to team…

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-NetIPInterface

ifIndex ifAlias                        AddressFamily ConnectionState NlMtu(Bytes)   InterfaceMetric Dhcp     Store
------- -------                        ------------- --------------- ------------   --------------- ----     -----
24      Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Int... IPv6          Disconnected    1280           50              Enabled  Persistent
23      isatap.crosse.org              IPv6          Disconnected    1280           50              Enabled  Persistent
13      Wired Ethernet Connection 2    IPv6          Disconnected    1500           10              Enabled  Persistent
12      Wired Ethernet Connection      IPv6          Disconnected    1500           10              Enabled  Persistent
10      Local Area Connection* 9       IPv6          Disconnected    0              0               Enabled  Persistent
13      Wired Ethernet Connection 2    IPv6          Connected       1500           10              Enabled  Active
12      Wired Ethernet Connection      IPv6          Connected       1500           10              Enabled  Active
24      Teredo Tunneling Pseudo-Int... IPv6          Connected       1280           50              Disabled Active
23      isatap.crosse.org              IPv6          Disconnected    1280           50              Disabled Active
1       Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1    IPv6          Connected       4294967295     50              Disabled Active
13      Wired Ethernet Connection 2    IPv4          Disconnected    1500           10              Enabled  Persistent
12      Wired Ethernet Connection      IPv4          Disconnected    1500           10              Enabled  Persistent
10      Local Area Connection* 9       IPv4          Disconnected    0              0               Enabled  Persistent
13      Wired Ethernet Connection 2    IPv4          Connected       1500           10              Enabled  Active
12      Wired Ethernet Connection      IPv4          Connected       1500           10              Enabled  Active
1       Loopback Pseudo-Interface 1    IPv4          Connected       4294967295     50              Disabled Active

…and then use the New-NetLbfoTeam cmdlet to create the team. I’m using this server for Hyper-V, hence choosing that for the load-balancing algorithm.

PS C:\Users\Administrator> New-NetLbfoTeam -Name "NicTeam" -TeamMembers `
>> "Wired Ethernet*" -TeamNicName "NicTeam" -TeamingMode SwitchIndependent `
>> -LoadBalancingAlgorithm HyperVPort

Confirm
Are you sure you want to perform this action?

Creates Team:'NicTeam' with TeamNic:'NicTeam'; Members:'Wired Ethernet Connection 2'; 'Wired Ethernet Connection';
TeamingMode:'SwitchIndependent'; LoadBalancingAlgorithm:'HyperVPort'
[Y] Yes  [A] Yes to All  [N] No  [L] No to All  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "Y"): Y

Name                   : NicTeam
Members                : {Wired Ethernet Connection 2, Wired Ethernet Connection}
TeamNics               : NicTeam
TeamingMode            : SwitchIndependent
LoadBalancingAlgorithm : HyperVPort
Status                 : Down

When I ran Get-NetLbfoTeam immediately after creating the team, it took a minute or so before the Status went from Down to Up:

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-NetLbfoTeam NicTeam

Name                   : NicTeam
Members                : {Wired Ethernet Connection 2, Wired Ethernet Connection}
TeamNics               : NicTeam
TeamingMode            : SwitchIndependent
LoadBalancingAlgorithm : HyperVPort
Status                 : Degraded

[time passes]

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-NetLbfoTeam

Name                   : NicTeam
Members                : {Wired Ethernet Connection 2, Wired Ethernet Connection}
TeamNics               : NicTeam
TeamingMode            : SwitchIndependent
LoadBalancingAlgorithm : HyperVPort
Status                 : Up

And that’s pretty much it!