Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) ✅Purpose: Prevents network loops in Ethernet networks. ✅Functionality: STP creates a loop-free logical topology by identifying and blocking redundant paths in the network. It dynamically adjusts to changes in the network topology, ensuring that there is only one active path between two network devices at any time. ♻Variants: Includes Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) and Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) for faster convergence and support for multiple VLANs. #