I have a network with redundant links between switches and STP is blocking ports I need. I understand STP prevents loops but how do I control which ports get blocked? How do I check which switch is the root bridge? And should I use portfast on access ports?
I know TTL decrements at each hop but what exactly happens when it hits zero? Does the packet just disappear? Does the router send something back? And how does this relate to traceroute? I've seen TTL mentioned in ping output but never really understood the mechanics.
I set up two PCs with IPs on the same subnet and connected them through a router. The IPs are definitely correct but ping times out. What should I check? I feel like I'm missing something obvious. Any troubleshooting checklist would be really helpful.
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