How Spanning Tree Works Spanning Tree is a forwarding protocol for data packets. It’s one part traffic cop and one part civil engineer for the network highways that data travels through.

Occasionally we encounter a network where the spanning tree protocol has been purposely ... Many organizations use VLAN number 1, which has some security implications on Cisco switches.

In a small network with one or two switches, the spanning tree protocol (STP) has little value; however, in a large network where many switches are connected to each other via bridges, redundant ...