Root Bridge Placement The root bridge election is based on the two ideas; One switch that is chosen as common reference point, and all other switches choose ports that have the best-cost ...
Breaking the Loop: Understanding Spanning Tree Protocol What is Spanning Tree Protocol? Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a Layer 2 link-management (IEEE 802.1D bridge) protocol, provides path red...
Understand Dynamic Trunking Protocol (DTP) Normally switchports are manually configured using either switchport mode access or switchport mode trunk. However, DTP allows Cisco switches to negotiat...
Before we dive into concept of virtual local area network (VLAN), let’s see what is a local area network and why do we need VLANs. Local Area Network (LAN) A Local Area Network in computer networ...
What is Autonegotiation? It’s a Layer 1 (physical layer) mechanism for two directly connected links to agree on the best speed automatically. Why Autonegotiation is required? It is required to eli...
Limitations of Simulated and Emulated Labs Following lab and output of switch’s CLI (command line interface) shows two multilayer switches in Cisco packet tracer version 8.2.2 does not have comman...
Layer 2 Switch Staging: A Step-by-Step Guide to Expanding Network Capacity Expanding your network by adding new switches is a common need in growing IT environments. Whether it’s to support additi...
Cisco Switch Password Security Configuration Proper password security is essential for protecting your Cisco switch from unauthorized access. Below is a simple checklist and step-by-step guide to ...
Welcome to my another blogpost, this document will cover routing protocol OSPF (Open Shortest Path First). But before we dive into OSPF specifics, we needs to understand routing and types of routin...
Boot process of a switch involves several steps that allows switch to initialize and become operational. The specific steps can varies between different models of switches or vendors but the basic ...