yes. i did not request it to bond. it just happenes automatically. i read that we are supposed to get an option in the console to bond identical nics but so far i have not seen this option. today i am going to try two things.
1-install 2 identical intel nics,
2-reinstall sme twice, once with identical realtek (to see if this bonding option is only in the installer) and again with the intel nics.
i will let you know what happens