802.1w Switch States

DE

Port States -

There are only three port states left in RSTP that correspond to the three possible operational states. The 802.1D disabled, blocking, and listening states are merged into a unique 802.1w discarding state.

The 802.1w is a standard protocol for Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) used in a network to prevent loops and ensure reliable communication. RSTP allows for faster convergence of the network by reducing the time it takes for the network to recognize topology changes.

The valid switch states for 802.1w are:

1. Learning State: In this state, the switch actively learns MAC addresses by receiving frames from other switches and updating its MAC address table. The switch listens to incoming frames on its designated port and forwards the frames out of its root port.

2. Discarding State: In this state, the switch does not forward frames and discards all incoming frames, including BPDU packets. The switch enters the discarding state when it receives a topology change notification (TCN) from a neighbor switch or detects a change in its own topology. The switch then sends out BPDUs to all its ports to inform other switches in the network of the topology change.

Therefore, the correct answer to this question is options D (Learning) and E (Discarding). The other options, such as A (listening), B (backup), and C (disabled), are not valid switch states for 802.1w.