10-13-2009 11:26 AM - edited 03-04-2019 06:21 AM
Sounds silly question, But want to explanin to my management. Can everyone explain to me in detail how the loop is created in switch? What causes the loop? Appriciated.
10-13-2009 11:40 AM
Hello Ken,
Lan switches try to avoid bridging loops using STP to manage link redundancy all the time.
Bridging loops can occur from time to time in campus networks.
A bridging loop forms when there are two paths betweeen two switches in a given Vlan (topology) that are both active at the same time.
the effect can be dramatic: broadcast frames are actually "multiplied" at each trip in the loop.
Quickly the campus network can become unusable and someone needs to break the loop by unplugging a cable or using shut if the switch is still manageable.
Shortly:
STP is really needed and modern trends try to use routed access layer to to limit STP range.
Hope to help
Giuseppe
10-13-2009 11:47 AM
Ken
Just to give another perspective -
switch 1 = SW1
switch 2 = SW2
SW1 is connected to SW2 with 2 different connections. So
SW1 gi0/1 -> gi0/1 SW2
SW1 gi0/2 -> gi0/2 SW2
So there is in effect a loop between the switches ie. a packet sent from SW1 on gi0/1 to gi0/1 on SW2 could actually be then sent from SW2 on gi0/2 back to SW1 on gi0/2.
As Giuseppe noted Cisco usually run an STP instance per vlan (MST being an exception). So lets say that each port gi0/1, gi0/2 on SW1 and gi0/1, gi0/2 on SW2 are in the same vlan. A broadcast packet is sent from SW1 on gi0/1 to SW2 on gi0/2. A L2 switch will forward a broadcast out of all ports (within that vlan) except the port it was received on. So SW2 sends the broadcast out of gi0/2 to SW1 on gi0/2. And SW1 then resends out gi0/1 etc...
It doesn't have to be a broadcast packet it can be a unicast packet as well with each switch learning the mac-address on the different interfaces.
That is a loop. STP should block one of these links so that there is no loop between the switches.
Jon
10-13-2009 12:01 PM
Hello Jon,
Thank you for the detail. I am still confused. why the SW2 sends the broadcast out of gi0/2 to SW1 on gi0/2? and why the SW1 resends out gi0/1 again? Also, can you explain the loop from MAC perspective?
Thanks,
Ken
10-13-2009 12:55 PM
Ken
A switch will forward a broadcast out of all it's ports except the one it receives it on.
So SW1 forwards a broadcast packet to SW2 out of gi0/1. SW2 receives this packet on it's gi0/1. Now bearing in mind the rule about how a switch handles broadcasts SW2 will not send the packet back out of gi0/1 because it received the packet on this port. But it will send it out of gi0/2.
SW1 now receives the same packet on it's gi0/2 interface. Again SW1 won't send it back out of gi0/2 because it received it on this port but it will send it out of gi0/1 etc...
Jon
10-13-2009 01:08 PM
Ken
Jon provides a good explanation based on the behavior of broadcast packets. Since you asked about an explanation from MAC perspective let me give one: assume that SW1 has received a frame with destination MAC address of 00-22-19-03-7B-F7 and looks in the switch forwarding table. If the switch does not find a match in the forwarding table then the switch forwards the frame to all ports in the VLAN. So SW1 will forward the frame over Gi0/1 to SW2. SW2 looks in its switch forwarding table for MAC 00-22-19-03-7B-F7 and does not find it. So SW2 forwards the frame. SW2 received the frame on Gi0/1 and will not send it over that port but will forward it over Gi0/2. So SW1 receives a frame on Gi0/2 with destination MAC of 00-22-19-03-7B-F7 and looks in its switch forwarding table. When it does not find a match it forwards the frame out Gi0/1... and the loop goes on and on.
HTH
Rick
10-22-2009 07:51 AM
Hello Rick,
"SW2 received the frame on Gi0/1 and will not send it over that port but will forward it over Gi0/2." Can you explain to me why the port Gi0/1 is not forward the packet instead of the port Gi0/2?
Thanks,
Ken
10-22-2009 08:19 AM
Ken
It is one of the basic properties of the Catalyst switch that the switch will not forward a frame back out the same interface on which it received the frame.
So if a switch receives a frame on Gi0/1 it can forward that frame on any other port but not on Gi0/1.
HTH
Rick
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