How to Select Switch as Root Bridge

A

In a network using the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), the root bridge is the central point that controls the network topology by selecting the best path between switches to avoid network loops. Each switch in the network has a Bridge ID, which is a combination of a priority value and a MAC address. The switch with the lowest Bridge ID becomes the root bridge.

To select a switch as the root bridge, you can change its Bridge ID priority value. The lower the priority value, the higher the chances of the switch becoming the root bridge. Therefore, option A "make lower priority" is the correct answer.

Note that the default priority value for a switch is 32768, and the priority can be set in increments of 4096. For example, a priority value of 4096 is lower than 8192, which is lower than 12288, and so on.

Option B "make higher priority" is incorrect because it would have the opposite effect. Increasing the priority value would make the switch less likely to become the root bridge.

Option C "make lower path cost" is also incorrect. Path cost refers to the total cost of traversing a particular link from one switch to another switch. Lower path cost values indicate a better path. However, changing the path cost does not directly affect the selection of the root bridge.

Option D "make higher path cost" is also incorrect for the same reason as option C.