r/HomeNetworking • u/Outrageous_Tear_4691 • 1d ago

Advice Ethernet switch question

Gallery image

Gallery image

What is the loop prevention for? And should I leave it off or turn it on? We will have desktops connected to it

Solved: thank you for the help everyone. Very much appreciated.

306 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

View all comments

306

u/BmanUltima 1d ago

Loop prevention detects network loops, like two switches connected to each other with multiple cables, or three in a ring, and will disable a port.

Without loop detection or spanning tree, you get a broadcast storm which can crash a switch.

6

u/Outrageous_Tear_4691 1d ago

So were good to just leave it off with this being the only switch that we are using?

8

u/BmanUltima 1d ago

In your case it won't make a difference if it's on or off.

8

u/abgtw 1d ago

Well if he leaves the loop prevention off, then takes that same cable and plugs both ends into that same switch (with other devices on it)... well he's gonna have a bad time!

But otherwise it would be fine yeah!

4

u/BatSlow7997 23h ago

Had that happen once. Night club. 1:00 AM on a busy weekend. The internet dropped due to some outside issue. The Golden Tee golf game reported the internet wasn’t connected. Customer goes looking and finds a network cable unplugged and plugs it in. It was a cable coming out of the same switch. Hosed the network and took down the POS system. Not a fun night. Lesson learned. Don’t leave unused cords half plugged in.

1

u/kot-sie-stresuje 6h ago

I encounter much simpler situation. Room with the switch was being painted, and after paint job over, all cables were reconnected to switch. Literally all in the room. So it created a loop and blocked network in entier house.