Hi everybody, I am currently a student and learning about Cisco and routing, etc. The teacher I currently have is the type that throws you in the environment and makes you figure out everything yourself. I am having a hard time because this is the intermediate class, and honestly I shouldn't be in it yet. My beginner class was kind of a joke and way too easy and now this is all too much lol

Anyway, I was wondering if I can get some answers to these questions, and why? I know I could use google and find answers, but google doesn't tell me why that's the answer. I want to learn. I could read the book I have but it's just gonna be something generic I've heard a thousand times.

1. Describe the Spanning Tree Protocol. Explain the election process and different port states.
2. Provide some example commands to troubleshoot Spanning Tree issues.
3. Provide some example commands on how to tune OSPF to converge faster.
4. Describe VLAN trunking Protocol. Provide an example configuration.

So those are the questions. I've noticed in our Packet Tracer labs that we do that I use "Spanning-tree portfast" a lot...yet I have no clue what it does.

Any help would be appreciated..thanks

What do you have so far?

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http://blog.alwaysthenetwork.com

Well I just have what I have found on the internet.

1. Spanning tree protocol is a link management protocol that provides path redundancy while preventing undesirable loops in the network. I don't know what the election process or link states are.
2. I haven't answered this question yet but I have been reading this link: http://www.informit.com/library/content ... &seqNum=42
3. I don't understand..I know what OSPF is and I have it configured on my current Packet Tracer network but I don't understand what converge faster means.
4. VLAN trunking protocol reduces administration in a switched network. Im still trying to understand what trunking is.

So far you seem to be going in the right direction.
The problem you are facing is that to understand those technologies means a lot of reading and that puts people off the networking field.
You have found out quite a bit on your own so far, so I would suggest that you get a good CCNA book to go along with your course and read it, quite a few times. Even if some one answers your questions you probably won't understand the answer. The networking field is very hard to get in to and very hard to get started in. You are doing the right thing so far so keep at it and you'll get there, it won't happen overnight.

1. Describe the Spanning Tree Protocol. Explain the election process and different port states.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk389/t ... 467c.shtml

2. Provide some example commands to troubleshoot Spanning Tree issues.

3. Provide some example commands on how to tune OSPF to converge faster.
Converge means to come together, so in relation to a routing protocol what could that mean? If there are 3 routers and they converged what would that mean? http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/104/1.pdf

4. Describe VLAN trunking Protocol. Provide an example configuration.
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk389/t ... 4c52.shtml

When searching use the string, technology cisco, where technology is what you want to know about.
Happy hunting.

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Good Luck,

David

This is all you need to know ......

Trust me... study this guys blog and you will be dumbfounded at what you will learn ....

http://ciscoiseasy.blogspot.com/

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Awesomesauce!!!!

Is there a simulator I can use to simulate the router/switch for the L01 lesson with minicom?