[Ntop] detecting loopbacks on a network switch

[Gary Gatten]

I doubt ntop would find this, but if spanning tree is configured correcty you won't have this problem to begin with.

----- Original Message -----
From: ntop-bounces at unipi.it <ntop-bounces at unipi.it>
To: ntop at unipi.it <ntop at unipi.it>
Sent: Fri Nov 07 18:59:01 2008
Subject: [Ntop] detecting loopbacks on a network switch

Hi All,
Please excuse my ignorance if the answer to this question is easy:
We've had a couple of times now in our school campus where a member of 
staff accidentally  picks up a UTP cable and plugs it back into a switch 
not knowing that it is already plugged into the same switch in another 
port. So a loopback was created. As a result of this, our entire network 
goes crazy effectively rendering it useless until the loopback 
connection is unplugged.
My aim is to be able to detect via ntop the port on the main managed 
switch which is exhibiting the huge excessive broadcasts which result 
from this loopback. From this port  I can track down the location of the 
loopback.
Last time we had this problem I was on leave and the entire campus 
network was down for 1 whole day. I had to come back from leave and 
track down where the loopback was.

Any help would be appreciated.
thanks
sam

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