CDP: Reasons and Benefits for Network Administrators

Two Reasons to Use CDP: Network Discovery and Device Tracking

Question

What are two reasons a network administrator would use CDP? (Choose two.)

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Explanations

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CDP ( Cisco Discovery Protocol) is a proprietary Cisco protocol used by network devices to share information about themselves with other directly connected Cisco equipment. Here are two reasons why a network administrator might use CDP:

  1. To obtain VLAN information from directly connected switches:

CDP can provide information about neighboring Cisco switches, including the names of the switches, the type of device, and the connected interface. This information can be helpful for determining VLAN information. For example, if a switch port is connected to another switch port, the network administrator can use CDP to obtain VLAN information about the connected switch, such as which VLANs are configured on the connected switch. This information can be helpful in troubleshooting VLAN connectivity issues.

  1. To verify Layer 2 connectivity between two devices when Layer 3 fails:

If there is a Layer 3 failure in a network, such as a routing issue, network administrators may use CDP to verify the Layer 2 connectivity between two devices. CDP can provide information about the directly connected devices, including the device type, the connected interface, and the port speed. This information can help network administrators identify connectivity issues, such as a port that has been disabled or a misconfigured interface.

In summary, CDP is a protocol used by Cisco devices to share information about themselves with other directly connected Cisco equipment. Network administrators may use CDP to obtain VLAN information from directly connected switches and to verify Layer 2 connectivity between two devices when Layer 3 fails.