CHAPTER
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Catalyst2950 and Catalyst2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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14
Configuring STP
This chapter describes how to configure the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) on port-based VLANs on
your Catalyst 2950 or Catalyst 2955 switch. The switch uses the per-VLAN spanning-tree plus (PVST+)
protocol based on the IEEE 802.1D standard and Cisco proprietary extensions, or it can use the rapid
per-VLAN spanning-tree plus (rapid-PVST+) protocol based on the IEEE 802.1w standard.
For information about the Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) and how to map multiple VLANs
to the same spanning-tree instance, see Chapter15, “Configuring MSTP.”
For information about other spanning-tree features such as Port Fast, UplinkFast, root guard, and so
forth, see Chapter 16, “Configuring Optional Spanning-Tree Features.”
Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, refer to the command
reference for this release.
This chapter consists of these sections:
Understanding Spanning-Tree Features, page 14-1
Configuring Spanning-Tree Features, page 14-11
Displaying the Spanning-Tree Status, page 14-24

Understanding Spanning-Tree Features

These sections describe how basic spanning-tree features work:
STP Overview, page 14-2
Spanning-Tree Topology and BPDUs, page 14-3
Bridge ID, Switch Priority, and Extended System ID, page 14-4
Spanning-Tree Interface States, page 14-4
How a Switch or Port Becomes the Root Switch or Root Port, page 14-7
Spanning Tree and Redundant Connectivity, page 14-8
Spanning-Tree Address Management, page 14-8
Accelerated Aging to Retain Connectivity, page 14-8
Spanning-Tree Modes and Protocols, page 14-9
Supported Spanning-Tree Instances, page 14-9