Switching cornfusion

First question - how can one tell which is the root bridge on a specific vlan when you only have access to one switch in the entire network? I have access to some switches at work, but only one console hooked up & telnet is not enabled on the other switches

2nd question - say you have ports fa0/1, fa0/2, fa0/3, and fa0/4 on VLAN 2, fa0/5, fa0/6, fa0/7, fa0/8 on Vlan 3, and fa0/12 as your trunk port. If you get a frame with a SOURCE MAC that came in on port fa0/4, but when you issue the show mac-address-table command, it is not shown, so of course it hasn't found it yet.. what ports will it forward out to 'find' this mac address as its not in the table?

3rd question - Say you have all VTP Clients and one VTP server. The VTP server has 4 named VLANs on it while the client's somehow have 5 VLAN's on it. If the vtp server is removed, it will remove all VLANS except the default VLAN right (Vlan 1)?

4th Question - How can one tell what switch it learned VTP/VLAN information from when it is connected to the Root Bridge AND connected to a fellow VTP client?

Trying to come up with some study stuff for myself and it seems im weak on some technology and switching basics, and id like to get them down pat before i reschedule. any help is appreciated.

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Comments

mikej412

What's the source of these questions?

Plazma

Actually im trying to make them up as I go and think of how I can figure out different ways to solve a problem

last time i took a ccna exam, i recall them being very articulate and cunning in the wording of their questions.. you have to pay attention and hang on every letter they are saying to really understand, or it can me utter doom for your test.

I have also written my own labs (pending approval to get put on the site) and these are a few of them to really 'hone' my switching/vlan skills as it was an area i WAS weak on.. its getting better but I still need to focus on a few other areas.

The 2nd question I do know I have asked other fellow cisco guys and they tell me it only forwards out the same vlan the source port is in BECAUSE vlan's make broadcast domains and yada yada...

Basically, to draw it out, im trying to train my brain to work like a 'mesh'/spiderweb as larry wall puts it "There is more than one way to do it" so if i can master the ways and tell the difference between certain things, then I feel ill be ready.

Plazma

Some of the questions i feel i know the answers too, but i just want to see if the forum members answers match mine and vice versa so I can tell if im on the right track, or just way off.

Plazma

Well i think i got my answers by browsing cisco's doc' site (the universal cd ?) and with some other cisco notes that I have

I guess the only thing left now is a bit of confusion on 'native vlan'

borumas

Plazma wrote:

First question - how can one tell which is the root bridge on a specific vlan when you only have access to one switch in the entire network? I have access to some switches at work, but only one console hooked up & telnet is not enabled on the other switches

2nd question - say you have ports fa0/1, fa0/2, fa0/3, and fa0/4 on VLAN 2, fa0/5, fa0/6, fa0/7, fa0/8 on Vlan 3, and fa0/12 as your trunk port. If you get a frame with a SOURCE MAC that came in on port fa0/4, but when you issue the show mac-address-table command, it is not shown, so of course it hasn't found it yet.. what ports will it forward out to 'find' this mac address as its not in the table?

3rd question - Say you have all VTP Clients and one VTP server. The VTP server has 4 named VLANs on it while the client's somehow have 5 VLAN's on it. If the vtp server is removed, it will remove all VLANS except the default VLAN right (Vlan 1)?

4th Question - How can one tell what switch it learned VTP/VLAN information from when it is connected to the Root Bridge AND connected to a fellow VTP client?

Trying to come up with some study stuff for myself and it seems im weak on some technology and switching basics, and id like to get them down pat before i reschedule. any help is appreciated.

1. The show spanning-tree command should be of help, also show cdp neighbor can be of help
2. if would forward it out the other interfaces on the same vlan, so fa0/1, fa0/2, and fa0/3
3. I believe it would, sounds right but don't know for certain
4. use the show vtp status command for helpful info

Plazma

borumas wrote:

Plazma wrote:

First question - how can one tell which is the root bridge on a specific vlan when you only have access to one switch in the entire network? I have access to some switches at work, but only one console hooked up & telnet is not enabled on the other switches

2nd question - say you have ports fa0/1, fa0/2, fa0/3, and fa0/4 on VLAN 2, fa0/5, fa0/6, fa0/7, fa0/8 on Vlan 3, and fa0/12 as your trunk port. If you get a frame with a SOURCE MAC that came in on port fa0/4, but when you issue the show mac-address-table command, it is not shown, so of course it hasn't found it yet.. what ports will it forward out to 'find' this mac address as its not in the table?

3rd question - Say you have all VTP Clients and one VTP server. The VTP server has 4 named VLANs on it while the client's somehow have 5 VLAN's on it. If the vtp server is removed, it will remove all VLANS except the default VLAN right (Vlan 1)?

4th Question - How can one tell what switch it learned VTP/VLAN information from when it is connected to the Root Bridge AND connected to a fellow VTP client?

Trying to come up with some study stuff for myself and it seems im weak on some technology and switching basics, and id like to get them down pat before i reschedule. any help is appreciated.

1. The show spanning-tree command should be of help, also show cdp neighbor can be of help
2. if would forward it out the other interfaces on the same vlan, so fa0/1, fa0/2, and fa0/3
3. I believe it would, sounds right but don't know for certain
4. use the show vtp status command for helpful info

Thanks! This is exactly what I ended up coming up with except #3. From what i understand VTP doesnt care much about where its at and so long as the vtp database is in tact on teh same switch getting 'moved', nothing should happen to the vlans.

networker050184

3. Yes you can removce the server without causing loss of VLAN information. Servers and clients send vtp information to other switches in the domain. With out a server you will not be able to add new VLANs to the domain so this wouldn't be very practical in a real network.