What feature prevents a newly connected switch from taking over as the root bridge?

Root Guard is a feature utilized in spanning tree protocol (STP) configurations to maintain stable network topology and prevent unwanted switches from becoming the root bridge. When enabled on a switch port, Root Guard monitors the port for any bridge with a superior bridge identifier attempting to take over the role of the root bridge. If a superior bridge is detected, the port is put into a "root-inconsistent" state, which effectively blocks it from participating in STP as a root bridge. This ensures that the designated root bridge remains the one that was intended, preventing disruptions in the network's topology and maintaining predictability in the network's behavior.

In contrast, the other features mentioned serve different purposes:

• Bridge Identifier represents the unique combination of the Bridge Priority and MAC address that determines the root bridge but does not actively prevent a new root bridge from being elected.

• Loop Guard is designed to prevent bridging loops by ensuring that a port receives STP BPDUs; if it ceases to receive them, it will block the port to maintain stability.

• Bridge Priority, while part of the Bridge Identifier and impacting which switch becomes root, does not enforce restrictions on newly connected switches and does not actively prevent a takeover.

By implementing Root Guard, network administrators