Spanning Tree Protocol – STP (802.1D)

Spanning Tree Protocol – STP (802.1D)

Network loop causes

  1. Broadcast storms – formwarding of a frame repeatedly on the same links consuig significant parts of the links capacity.
  2. MAC table instability – Continual updating of a switch of MAC address table with incrorect etries, in raction to loooping frames being sent from the different interfaces
  3. Multiple frame transmission – A side effect of looping frames in which multiple copies of one frame are delivered to the intended host, confusing the host.
Timer Default Value Description
Hello 2 sec The time period between Hellos creeated by the root.
MaxAget 10 times Hello How long any switch should wait, after ceasing to hear Hellos, before trying to change the STP topology.
Forward delay 15 sec Delay that affects the process that occurs when an interface changes from blocking state to forwarding state. A port stays in an interim listening state, and then an interim learning state, for the number of seconds defined by the forward delay timer.
State Forwards Data Frames Learns MAC based on received frames Transitory or stable state
Blocking No No Stable
Listening No No Transitory
Learning No Yes Transitory
Forwarding Yes Yes Stable
Disable No No Stable
Ethernet Speed IEEE Cost
10 Mbps 2000000
100Mbps 200000
1Gbps 20000
10Gbps 2000
100Gbps 200
1Tbps 20

Rapid STP (802.1w)

  1. Can be used with stp
  2. Elect from
    1. Lowest root bridge id
    2. Lowest MAC Address
  3. Pretty much like stp except
    1. Adds a new mechanism to replace the root port, without any waiting reach a forwarding state
    2. Adds a new mechanism to replace a designated port without any waiting to reach a forwarding state
    3. Lowers wainting times for cases in which rstp must wait
Function Port Role
Nonroot switch best path to the root Root port
Replaces the root port when the root port fails Alternate port
Switch port designated to forward onto a collision domain Designated port
Repalces a designated port when a designated port fails Backup port
Port that is administratively disabled Disabled port
Function 802.1D State 802.1w State
Port is administratively disabled Disabled Discarding
Stable state that ignores incoming data frames and is not used to forward data frames Blocking Discarding
Interim state without MAC learning and without forwarding Listening Not used
Interim state with MAC learning and without forwarding Learning Learning
Stable state that allows MAC learning and forwarding of data frames Forwarding Forwarding

Show spanning-tree vlan x interface int state

Point to point – sw to sw

Point to point edge -sw to pc

Shared port – hub

Etherchannel lower stp convergence time or avoid connversiance all together.

Portfast transition immediately to blockng to forwarding, only for end device

BPDU Guard – used on access endpoint ports with portfast to prevent control root bridge

Settting Default Command to change defalt
BID priority Base: 32,768 Spanning-tree vlan vlan-id root {primary| secondary}
Interface cost 100 for 10 Mbps

19 for 100 Mbps

4 for 1 Gbps

2 for 10Gbps

Spanning-tree vlan vlan-id cost cost
PortFast Not enabled

Show spanning tree int int portfast

Spanning-tree portfast

Spanning-tree portfast disable

PortFast Global Spanning-tree portfast default

No Spanning-tree portfast default

BPDU Guard Not enabled

Show spanning tree int int detail

Spanning-tree bpduguard enable
BPDU Guard Global Show spanning tree summary Spanning-tree portfast bpduguard default

No Spanning-tree portfast bpduguard default

Degug Debug spanning-tree events
Mode Spanning-tree mode pvst

Show spanning-tree vlan x

Spanning-tree mode {pvst, rapid-pvst, mst}

Ieee = 802.1d stp

Back To Top
Theme Mode