What command would you use to configure the EtherChannel load-balancing method on a switch?

The command used to configure the EtherChannel load-balancing method on a Cisco switch is "port-channel load-balance method." This command is critical because it determines how traffic is distributed across the links within the EtherChannel. Proper load balancing can improve the overall performance and efficiency of network traffic by ensuring that no single link becomes a bottleneck.

When configuring EtherChannel, the load balancing can be based on several criteria such as source IP address, destination IP address, MAC addresses, or port numbers, allowing for optimal usage of available bandwidth. The "port-channel" prefix indicates that this command specifically pertains to the configuration of an EtherChannel interface rather than a regular port.

The other answer choices do not represent valid syntax used in Cisco's IOS for configuring load balancing on an EtherChannel, thus why they wouldn't work within the context of this question. Understanding this command helps network administrators optimize network performance by ensuring traffic is more evenly distributed across the aggregated links.