After a network technician has added a new workstation and cabling to the network, users report
the network is very slow. The activity lights on all switches are blinking rapidly, showing large
amounts of traffic. Which of the following is the BEST explanation for the traffic?
A.
The new user is downloading large files.
B.
The router failed, flooding the network with beacons.
C.
The new user’s IP address is a duplicate.
D.
A switching loop was created.
Explanation:
A Switching loop or Bridge loop occurs in computer networks when there is more than one Layer 2
(OSI model) path between two endpoints (e.g. multiple connections between two network switches
or two ports on the same switch connected to each other). The loop creates broadcast radiation as
broadcasts and multicasts are forwarded by switches out every port, the switch or switches will
repeatedly rebroadcast the broadcast messages flooding the network.