Cisco 300 Series Administration Guide

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Cisco Small Business 200, 300 and 500 Series Managed Switch Administration Guide (Internal Version) 231
Spanning Tree
This section describes the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) (IEEE802.1D and
IEEE802.1Q) and covers the following topics:
• STP Flavors
• Configuring STP Status and Global Settings
• Defining Spanning Tree Interface Settings
• Configuring Rapid Spanning Tree Settings
• Multiple Spanning Tree
• Defining MSTP Properties
• Mapping VLANs to a MSTP Instance
• Defining MSTP Instance Settings
• Defining MSTP Interface Settings
STP Flavors
STP protects a Layer 2 Broadcast domain from Broadcast storms by selectively
setting links to standby mode to prevent loops. In standby mode, these links
temporarily stop transferring user data. After the topology changes so that the
data transfer is made possible, the links are automatically re-activated.
Loops occur when alternate routes exist between hosts. Loops in an extended
network can cause switches to forward traffic indefinitely, resulting in increased
traffic load and reduced network efficiency.
STP provides a tree topology for any arrangement of switches and
interconnecting links, by creating a unique path between end stations on a
network, and thereby eliminating loops.

Cisco 300 Series Specifications

General

Model	Cisco 300 Series
Category	Switch
Dimensions	Varies by model
Weight	Varies by model
Power over Ethernet (PoE)	Available on select models
Management	Web-based GUI, SNMP, CLI
VLANs	Up to 256
Security Features	ACLs, 802.1X, Port Security
Humidity	10% to 90% non-condensing
Ports	8, 16, 24, 48