In the first chapter, you were introduced to bit of switching and switches. You already know that the layer 2 of the OSI model deals with switching frames in the local network and that switches work at this layer. You also know that switches break collision domains to provide a faster and collision free network. In this chapter, we take a deeper look at how switches work.
From Chapter 4, you will remember that routing protocols are prone to loops. Similarly, redundant links in layer 2 can cause loops. By now you are aware that loops of any kind are bad. Hence, the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) was developed to keep layer 2 networks loop free. STP is discussed in depth in this chapter.
- 6-1 Understanding Switching and Switches
- 6-2 Initial Configuration of a Catalyst Switch
- 6-3 Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- 6-4 Cisco’s additions to STP (Portfast, BPDUGuard, BPDUFilter, UplinkFast, BackboneFast)
- 6-5 Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) – 802.1w
- 6-6 Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (PVST+) and Per-VLAN RSTP (Rapid-PVST)
- 6-7 EtherChannel
- 6-8 Lab 6-1 – Port Security
- 6-9 Lab 6-2 – STP