Layer 2 topology: link types

Devices in a network may be connected to each other in various ways: through cable (Ethernet, Fiber-optic) or Mesh and have different properties (link aggregation, blocked by STP). Plasma Cloud detects and visualizes different link types in the Layer 2 topology to give an accurate network overview. How different link types are represented and what information is available about them is explained in this article.

Link Types

Links can appear in different shapes depending on the link type as depicted in the graphic below. The type of link is written above the link line for easy comparison.

You can click on a link line to retrieve detailed information the device connected. After clicking, the link line will appear thicker to indicate which link you have selected. It will also open a popup providing information on link type (Ethernet or fiber), speed, status (e.g., blocked by STP) and connected ports.

• Ethernet link - a standard network cable connection represented by a continuous line;

• Fiber link - a fibre-optic cable connection using SFP/SFP+ ports represented by a continuous line;

• STP-blocked link - when a bridge loop is detected, either over Ethernet of Fiber, STP automatically disables the link to resolve the loop. STP-blocked links are represented by a dashed line;

• Mesh link - a wireless connection between Access Points represented by a dotted line.

When the current link speed equals the maximum link speed, the popup will provide a single speed info. In case the current link speed is slower than the maximum link speed, the popup displays the current speed and max speed fields instead. 

Link information of third party devices is limited. In this case, you will find a limited information icon in the link pop up. To learn more about third party devices, please see this article.