Which protocol prevents Layer 2 loops by creating a tree of paths and blocking redundant links?

Which protocol prevents Layer 2 loops by creating a tree of paths and blocking redundant links?

• A. Spanning Tree Protocol
• B. Star topology
• C. Spoofing (MAC)
• D. Spyware

Answer: (A)

Preventing Layer 2 loops comes from creating a loop-free topology, and Spanning Tree Protocol does exactly that. It builds a tree of active paths by electing a root bridge and then selecting one forwarding path to every network segment. All other redundant links are put into a blocked state, so there’s only a single active path between any two devices. This stops broadcast storms and frame duplication caused by switching loops. If a link fails, STP can re-enable a blocked path to maintain connectivity, with newer variants like Rapid Spanning Tree improving convergence speed. The other options don’t provide this loop-prevention mechanism: a star topology is a physical layout, spoofing is an attack on MAC addresses, and spyware is malware.

Preventing Layer 2 loops comes from creating a loop-free topology, and Spanning Tree Protocol does exactly that. It builds a tree of active paths by electing a root bridge and then selecting one forwarding path to every network segment. All other redundant links are put into a blocked state, so there’s only a single active path between any two devices. This stops broadcast storms and frame duplication caused by switching loops. If a link fails, STP can re-enable a blocked path to maintain connectivity, with newer variants like Rapid Spanning Tree improving convergence speed. The other options don’t provide this loop-prevention mechanism: a star topology is a physical layout, spoofing is an attack on MAC addresses, and spyware is malware.