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Network Design and Implementation Flashcards

7 cards from real STP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Network Design and Implementation flashcards as text

  1. In an MST network design, a switch connecting an MST region to a PVST+ region must perform which function to ensure interoperability?

    Answer: Simulate PVST+ behavior by sending per-VLAN BPDUs on the boundary port

    MST boundary switches simulate PVST+ by generating per-VLAN BPDUs on ports connected to PVST+ switches, ensuring interoperability between the two STP variants.

  2. A network design uses EtherChannel (LACP) between distribution and core switches. How does STP treat an EtherChannel bundle?

    Answer: STP treats the entire EtherChannel as a single logical link with combined bandwidth

    STP sees an EtherChannel as a single logical interface; BPDUs are sent over the bundle, and STP cost is calculated based on the aggregate bandwidth.

  3. An engineer is designing a campus network and wants to prevent STP from running on user-facing ports while still protecting against accidental switch connections. Which combination of features should be deployed?

    Answer: PortFast + BPDU Guard

    PortFast enables rapid port transition for end devices, while BPDU Guard shuts down the port if a switch is accidentally connected and sends BPDUs.

  4. In a network running MSTP, how many STP instances can be associated with a single MST instance?

    Answer: Multiple VLANs can be mapped to a single MST instance

    MSTP allows multiple VLANs to be grouped into a single MST instance, reducing the number of spanning tree processes compared to PVST+.

  5. During a network upgrade, a technician accidentally connects a hub between two switches. What is the expected STP port role on the switch port connected to the hub's other side?

    Answer: Backup port

    When two switch ports connect to the same shared-medium segment (e.g., a hub), one becomes the Designated port and the other becomes a Backup port in RSTP.

  6. A network design requires fast failover (under 1 second) when a distribution switch uplink fails. Which STP configuration best achieves this goal?

    Answer: RSTP with pre-configured Alternate ports on access switches

    RSTP's Alternate port can transition to Forwarding almost immediately upon root port failure, achieving sub-second convergence without timer dependencies.

  7. Which STP design principle helps prevent asymmetric routing issues in a network with multiple VLANs and redundant uplinks?

    Answer: Aligning the STP root bridge with the routing gateway for each VLAN

    When the STP root and default gateway are on the same switch for a given VLAN, traffic flows toward the gateway along the same path STP forwards, preventing suboptimal routing.