Discussion on:

Speed up the switch port initialization process

Very nice article, but you missed one important point when discussing speed and duplex settings. If you hard code one side (e.g. the switch port) you need to hard code the other side (e.g. the client) or you will most likely end up with a duplex mismatch. The reason is that the side that is setup to do autonegotiation will send out a request to negotiate and not get a response. It will then assume it is attached to a device that can't do autonegotiation and will set it's duplex to half.

Not "most likely end up with a duplex mis match" but you will end up with a mismatch if the hard coded side is not set to 10/half and your switch honors the autonegotion standards. In other words, if one side of the connection is set to auto and the other is hard coded to anything other than 10/half, the auto side (by IEEE design) will set itself to 10/half.

Thanks, it is a nice article. Check out the command "switchport host" also

h1-c2950(config-if)#switchport host
switchport mode will be set to access
spanning-tree portfast will be enabled
channel group will be disabled

h1-c2950(config-if)#do sh run int f0/6
...
interface FastEthernet0/6
switchport mode access
spanning-tree portfast
...

I'm a bit confused on one part of the article. "STP is the IEEE 802.1d protocol, and it prevents loops in a LAN. Testing this switch port is necessary; enabling STP can create a loop on a LAN." I am wondering how STP prevents loops in a LAN, but enabling STP can create a loop in a LAN? Does that mean it can create a loop if configued wrong?

I was also wondering if you could or have already written an article on Smartports? We just upgraded all of our old hubs to Cisco 2950 switches. I noticed via the web interface that they have something called smartports. I'm not sure what they do or how they work. If you could send me a link or something that would be awesome. Thanks for the wealth of knowledge you provide us.

quote:
"enabling STP can create a loop on a LAN."

It's propably a slip-up. It should say: "disabling STP can create a loop on a LAN."

Sir,
I am harish(CCNA).As per most of book cover CCNA course mention that from Blocking,Listing,Learning,Forwading and Disable
take aroung 30-50 Seconds.
If we enable on port Spanning tree port fast command. Then it take 15 second .

Thanks
Harish

Thanks