Why is spanning tree protocol STP used in a Layer 2 switch?

Why is spanning tree protocol STP used in a Layer 2 switch?

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 protocol that runs on bridges and switches. The main purpose of STP is to ensure that you do not create loops when you have redundant paths in your network. Loops are deadly to a network.

Is the spanning tree protocol enabled by default?

STP is enabled by default on devices running Layer 2 code. STP is disabled by default on devices running Layer 3 code. You can enable or disable STP on the following levels: Globally – Affects all ports and port-based VLANs on the device.

Why do most switches run spanning tree protocol by default?

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol is the default switch configuration and is recommended for most network configurations because it converges more quickly than STP after a failure. RSTP is backward compatible with STP; therefore, switches do not all have to run RSTP. RSTP supports more ports than MSTP or VSTP.

Should I enable spanning-tree?

Broadcast storms caused by loops can slow or stop traffic on your network, but STP can prevent loops by ensuring that only one path between each set of switches is active. You must enable or disable STP or RSTP for each network location in which you are using Insight Managed Switches. By default, STP is disabled.

What do you need to know about spanning tree protocol?

1 Introduction. Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 protocol that runs on bridges and switches. 2 Prerequisites. There are no specific requirements for this document. 3 Concepts. STP runs on bridges and switches that are 802.1D-compliant. 4 Description of the Technology. 5 STP Operation.

Do you use STP on a layer-3 switch?

Layer-3 switches are layer-2 switches, with some routing. Ports used as layer-3 ports will not use STP since it doesn’t make sense to use it on a routed link, but the ports used as layer-2 switch ports will have STP. In most layer-3 switches, how a port is used (layer-2 or layer-3) can be changed by configuration.

What happens if the root bridge goes down in a spanning tree?

All switches must use the same version of STP. Then the administrator must determine which switch will be the root bridge, and the priority of the other switches in the spanning tree. If the root bridge goes down, the protocol will automatically assign a new root bridge based on the bridge ID.

What was the original IEEE 802.1D spanning tree protocol?

STP was originally standardized as IEEE 802.1D but the functionality of spanning tree (802.1D), rapid spanning tree (802.1w), and multiple spanning tree (802.1s) has since been incorporated into IEEE 802.1Q-2014.