Question

Difficulty: MediumTroubleshooting VLAN, Trunking, and Switching Issues

Match each switch log message or port status indicator on the left with its corresponding root cause on the right.

  • %CDP-4-NATIVE_VLAN_MISMATCH: Native VLAN mismatch discovered on GigabitEthernet0/1 (10), with Switch-B GigabitEthernet0/1 (20).Mismatched untagged VLAN IDs configured on opposing trunk interface endpoints
  • Interface GigabitEthernet0/2 status shows increasing late collisions and FCS frame check sequence errors under high load.Duplex mismatch caused by hardcoding one end to full-duplex while auto-negotiation fails on the other
  • %SPAN-4-PORT_BLOCKING: Port GigabitEthernet0/24 blocked by Spanning Tree Protocol due to receiving a superior BPDU.STP root bridge priority misconfiguration or introduction of a rogue switch with a lower priority value
  • Access port FastEthernet0/5 is assigned to VLAN 40, but connected hosts cannot communicate and show interface down/line protocol down (inactive VLAN).Missing VLAN entry in the switch local VLAN database (vlan.dat)

Answer

The CDP native VLAN mismatch log corresponds to mismatched untagged VLAN IDs across a trunk link. Increasing late collisions and FCS errors correspond to a duplex mismatch between connected interfaces. The STP superior BPDU blocked port log corresponds to an unexpected switch advertising a lower STP priority. The inactive access port condition corresponds to a missing VLAN definition in the local switch VLAN database.
Each switch log or status symptom maps directly to a distinct Layer 2 misconfiguration: CDP warning logs pinpoint native VLAN mismatches, late collisions indicate duplex mismatches, superior BPDU logs indicate STP priority conflicts, and inactive port assignments indicate uncreated local VLANs.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the CDP native VLAN mismatch syslog notification
Identified explicit native VLAN mismatch (VLAN 10 vs VLAN 20) on trunk interface GigabitEthernet0/1.
802.1Q trunks must agree on the native VLAN ID to prevent cross-VLAN traffic leaks and CDP error logging.
2
Analyze the interface error counters showing late collisions and FCS errors
Identified classic duplex mismatch diagnostic indicators.
Half-duplex interfaces listen before transmitting, but when connected to a full-duplex port, collisions occur late in frame transmission.
3
Analyze the Spanning Tree Protocol port blocking message
Associated superior BPDU receipt with STP root bridge election dynamics.
A superior BPDU contains a lower Bridge ID (Priority + MAC), causing STP to block or re-evaluate path priorities to prevent loops.
4
Analyze the inactive access port state for assigned VLAN 40
Correlated the inactive port symptom with missing database configuration.
Access ports assigned to a non-existent VLAN cannot forward traffic until the VLAN is defined in the VLAN database.

Key Concept

Troubleshooting Layer 2 switching issues including native VLAN mismatches, duplex misconfigurations, STP topology dynamics, and missing VLAN database entries.
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