Redundant Link Problems in Computer

Network
Basically, redundant links are used to prevent nasty network failure. These are used to
provide redundancy, i.e back up when a link fails, i.e a frame can be forwarded out
through another path but it can cause problems also.

Here are some of these problems:

1. Broadcast Storm –
 A switch forwards out the broadcast frame, generated by another device, to all its
ports. If no loop avoidance schemes are applied then the switches will flood
broadcasts endlessly throughout the network which consumes all the available
bandwidth. This phenomenon is called a broadcast storm.

A broadcast storm is a serious network problem and can shut down the entire network in
seconds.

Example:

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 Redundant Link Problems in Computer
Network
Here, there are 3 switches connected to each other in order to provide redundancy. When
host A generates a broadcast for host B, it is first received by switch A which in turn
floods the traffic to all its ports. As switch B and Switch, C is also connected to switch A
therefore, these switches also receive the broadcast frame and flood the frame through all
its ports.

As a result, switch A and switch C will also receive the broadcast frame generated by
switch B. Also, switch C will also generate a broadcast frame for switch B and switch A.
This will result in a loop that will consume all the available bandwidth and can lead to the
shutting down of a network.

2. Multiple copies –
A device can receive multiple copies of the same frame if a frame arrives from
different network segments at the same time.

Example:

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 Redundant Link Problems in Computer
Network
Here is a small topology in which a router is connected with 2 switches. Switch A is
connected to host A and switch C. On the other hand, switch B is connected to switch C
and host B. Suppose, if host A wants to send a unicast frame to the router then it will
forward out the frame to switch A. Switch A in turn forward out it to the router and
switch C. At this time, the router will receive the packet.

But switch C in turn forwards the packet to Switch B and Switch B will forward it out to
the router. At this time, the router will receive multiple copies of a single frame. This is a
problem as most protocols cannot correctly handle duplicate transmissions.

3. MAC table thrashing –

Switches use the MAC address table to forward out the frames. When a switch
receives a frame, it makes an entry of the device mac address with the switch port on
which the frame is received but if the switch receives the frame of the same source
from more than one link then it will be confusing for the switch to make an entry in
the MAC table. It will lead to instability of the MAC table.

Example:

In the given topology, if host A sends a unicast frame for host B then switch A will
receive the frame. Switch A will forward it out to both switch B and switch D which in
turn both forward it out to switch C. Now, switch C will receive the frame on two
different ports with the same source mac address therefore it will lead to instability in the

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 Redundant Link Problems in Computer
Network
MAC table in switch C. Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is used to prevent these loops. It
will block down a (port) path using its own mechanism by which a single path is
available for frame delivery at a time. If one path goes down, then the blocked path
becomes active and frame transmission can take place from that path (in switches).

Prepared By Digvijay Singh