Network switches
CCNA
Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU): Frame Format, Fields, and How Root Bridge Election Actually Works
Every root bridge election, every port role assignment, and every failover this series has covered so far runs on one underlying mechanism: switches exchanging Bridge Protocol Data Units, or BPDUs. This article breaks down the BPDU frame field by field, walks through exactly how cost increments as a BPDU propagates through a topology, and clears...
CCNA
Spanning Tree Root Bridge: Election, Bridge ID, and Configuration
Every spanning-tree-enabled switched network has a single switch designated as the root bridge. It serves as the reference point every other switch in the broadcast domain measures its path against, and the spanning tree algorithm uses it to determine which redundant paths to block. The root bridge is chosen through an automatic election process every...