What is the length of the MAC Address field in the STP Bridge ID?

The length of the MAC Address field in the STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) Bridge ID is 48 bits. This is significant because the Bridge ID is composed of two parts: the Bridge Priority and the MAC Address of the bridge. The MAC Address, being 48 bits, uniquely identifies each device on a network at the data link layer.

In the context of STP, the Bridge ID plays a crucial role in determining which bridge will be the root bridge in a spanning tree topology. During the election process for the root bridge, the protocol uses the Bridge ID to compare the bridge priorities first and, if priorities are equal, it then compares the MAC addresses. The use of a 48-bit MAC address ensures a large address space, reducing the likelihood of address conflicts in a network environment.

The incorrect options do not align with the standardized address lengths defined in networking. For instance, 6 bits and 24 bits are too short to be practical for any addressing scheme in networking, while 96 bits exceeds the typical MAC address size used in current Ethernet networking technologies. Therefore, understanding that the MAC Address in the Bridge ID is 48 bits is essential for comprehending how STP manages network topology and the roles of different bridges within