In STP, what is the state of the root ports?

In Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), the state of the root ports is forwarding. Root ports are the ports on a bridge or switch that have the best path cost to the root bridge. Their primary function is to forward traffic towards the root bridge, enabling communication between devices on the local network and the root switch.

When a port is in the forwarding state, this means that it actively sends and receives Ethernet frames, allowing it to participate in the data path without restrictions. The forwarding state is essential for ensuring that data can flow through the network efficiently and without unnecessary delays.

In contrast, ports in blocking, learning, or listening states are either preventing data from being sent (blocking), preparing to send data by learning MAC addresses (learning), or listening for BPDU (Bridge Protocol Data Unit) messages without forwarding frames (listening). Each of these states serves a specific purpose in preventing loops and maintaining network stability, but they do not allow traffic to flow like the forwarding state does. Therefore, for root ports, forwarding is the state that enables effective communication towards the root bridge.