Spanning Tree
Spanning Tree Interface Settings
Cisco 500 Series Managed Switch Administration Guide 300
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NOTE It is recommended to set the value to Auto so that the device sets 
the port to fast link mode if a host is connected to it, or sets it as a regular 
STP port if connected to another device. This helps avoid loops. 
• Root Guard—Enables or disables Root Guard on the device. The Root 
Guard option provides a way to enforce the root bridge placement in the 
network. 
Root Guard ensures that the port on which this feature is enabled is the 
designated port. Normally, all root bridge ports are designated ports, unless 
two or more ports of the root bridge are connected. If the bridge receives 
superior BPDUs on a Root Guard-enabled port, Root Guard moves this port 
to a root-inconsistent STP state. This root-inconsistent state is effectively 
equal to a listening state. No traffic is forwarded across this port. In this way, 
Root Guard enforces the position of the root bridge. 
• BPDU Guard—Enables or disables the Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) 
Guard feature on the port. 
The BPDU Guard enables you to enforce the STP domain borders and keep 
the active topology predictable. The devices behind the ports that have 
BPDU Guard enabled cannot influence the STP topology. At the reception of 
BPDUs, the BPDU guard operation disables the port that has BPDU 
configured. In this case, a BPDU message is received, and an appropriate 
SNMP trap is generated.
• BPDU Handling—Select how BPDU packets are managed when STP is 
disabled on the port or the device. BPDUs are used to transmit spanning tree 
information. 
- Use Global Settings—Select to use the settings defined in the STP 
Status and Global Settings page.
- Filtering—Filters BPDU packets when Spanning Tree is disabled on an 
interface.
- Flooding—Floods BPDU packets when Spanning Tree is disabled on an 
interface.
• Path Cost—Set the port contribution to the root path cost or use the default 
cost generated by the system. 
• Priority—Set the priority value of the port. The priority value influences the 
port choice when a bridge has two ports connected in a loop. The priority is 
a value from 0 to 240, set in increments of 16.
• Port State—Displays the current STP state of a port.