Foundation Topics

Without Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), a LAN with redundant links would cause Ethernet frames to loop for an indefinite period of time. With STP enabled, some switches block ports so that these ports do not forward frames. STP chooses which ports block so that only one active path exists between any pair of LAN segments (collision domains). As a result, frames can be delivered to each device without causing the problems created when frames loop through the network.

This chapter begins by explaining the need for the original IEEE standard for STP and how the standard works. The second major section explains how the new and much faster Rapid STP (RSTP) works in comparison. The last two major sections examine the configuration and troubleshooting of STP, respectively.