Section 2. Redundant Switching and STP
Redundant Switched Topology Issues
A redundant topology has multiple connections to switches or other devices. Redundancy ensures that a single point of failure does not cause the entire switched network to fail. In the absence of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Layer 2 redundancy can cause problems in a network, including broadcast storms, multiple copies of frames, multiple loops, and MAC address table instability. Figure 2-1 shows a redundant topology.
Figure 2-1. Redundant Switched Topology
Broadcast Storms
The flooding of broadcast frames can cause a broadcast storm (indefinite flooding of frames) ...
