ELRP or Spanning Tree for access port loop protection?

[FredrikB]

Do you use ELRP or Spanning Tree for access port loop protection? I have no mercy for spanning tree to build “redundant” networks. That should be done with CWDM, MLAG or stacks in my opinion and not with a protocol that was great in the 70’s and 80’s. What I need is a mechanism to prevent a user from causing a broadcast storm by looping two ports in a switch (or between switches). I have customers that use ELRP for this and it’s working quite well nowadays as ELRP has improved over the years. The downside is of course that adding another vendor’s equipment is impossible since no one else supports ELRP. That’s where spanning tree (purely) for access port loop protection comes in. What do you use? Any downsides for either method? Upsides?

[davidj_cogliane]

Fredrik,

We use ELRP for loop protection.

Depending on the customer’s preference we set it for either a permanent or 5 minute disable. Thought being that if someone plugs something in and it doesn't work they will move the cable to another drop so when the port gets enabled the loop will be gone. This allows things ports to function without user intervention which would be needed with a permanent disable. 

Pro:

• ELRP is easy to configure 
• Simply works

Con:

• It is not state-full