What state are non-designated ports in according to STP?

In the context of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), non-designated ports are in a blocking state to prevent any loops in the network topology. The primary role of non-designated ports is to ensure that there are no redundant paths that could potentially cause broadcast storms or looping frames.

In a switched network, designated ports are selected on each segment to forward traffic, while non-designated ports remain inactive and do not forward frames. By maintaining non-designated ports in a blocking state, STP effectively manages the network topology and ensures that there is only one active path between any two network components.

The other states such as forwarding, listening, and learning are related to ports that are either actively participating in the data transmission process or transitioning states as part of STP’s convergence process. However, non-designated ports specifically serve the crucial function of being blocked from sending traffic to maintain a stable and loop-free network environment.