What technology is used to prevent loops in switch networks?

The Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is designed specifically to prevent loops in switched networks. In Ethernet networks, multiple paths can exist between switches, which can lead to broadcast storms and network instability if those loops are not managed. STP identifies and selectively disables these redundant paths to ensure that there is only one active path between any two switches. This protocol effectively builds a loop-free logical topology, allowing for redundancy without compromising the integrity and performance of the network.

Using STP, switches exchange information about their ports and the network topology. The protocol elects a root bridge and calculates the shortest path to that bridge from all other switches, placing other redundant paths into a blocked state to prevent loops. This dynamic ability to adapt to changes in the network, such as a link going down or coming back up, maintains the robustness of the connectivity without creating multiple active paths.

Other options such as EtherChannel and Link Aggregation focus on increasing bandwidth and combining multiple physical links into a single logical link, but they do not inherently prevent loops. VLANs are useful for segmenting networks, improving management, and enhancing security, but they do not address the issue of loops by themselves. Therefore, STP is the primary technology employed to prevent loops in a switched network