RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol) is an evolution of STP. It was originally introduced as IEEE 802.1w standard and in 2004 IEEE decided to replace STP with RSTP in 802.1D standard. Finally, in 2011, in the IEEE decided to move all the RSTP details into 802.1Q standard.

This article describes how to configure and verify Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) on Cisco IOS switches.

While STP can take 30 to 50 seconds to transit from a blocking state to a forwarding state, RSTP is typically able to respond less than 10 seconds of a physical link failure. RSTP works by adding an alternative port and a backup port compared to STP.

2019年3月28日 · STP is designed for a single, flat network topology, while RSTP can handle more complex topologies, including mesh and ring topologies. This makes RSTP a better choice for larger networks with multiple switches and diverse topologies. Additionally, RSTP supports VLANs, allowing for better segmentation and management of network traffic.

What is RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol)? This articles explains how the Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) works and compares it to the operation of standard STP.

2021年11月29日 · RSTP is the more improved and advanced version of STP which is a layer 2 protocol that prevents bridge loops and broadcast storms in local networks with redundant connections. Rapid spanning tree protocol has faster convergence and it is also backward-compatible with STP.

2021年9月16日 · One of the improved versions is RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree protocol). It uses various enhancements to find loops, and improve convergence. Another version is MSTP (Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol), but we’re focusing on RSTP here. The core features of spanning-tree (AKA Classic Spanning-Tree, or CST) have not changed.

2024年11月21日 · STP/RSTP uses three timers for its functions. These timers control and define the time STP needs to reach convergence. These timers are Hello, Max age, and Forward delay. The root bridge dictates these timers in BPDUs. The following table lists these timers.

Rapid spanning tree protocol is the enhanced version of the legacy STP 802.1D which was designed primarily to improve the original STP. Its main objective is to prevent loops as well as reduce convergence time. Because, the IEEE 802.1D takes 30-50 seconds to fully functional, which is a great delay in modern digital networks.

2019年4月12日 · The main difference between STP and RSTP is that RSTP is faster in re-converging the network after a topology change. RSTP detects changes in the network topology faster than STP and requires less time to converge the network to its new topology after a switch failure or link issue.