3.4.2 - Port Status Indicators

Flashcards about Port Status Indicators

What does a solid green light on a switch port typically indicate?

The link is connected, but there is no traffic.

What does a flickering green light on a switch port typically indicate?

The link is operating normally (with traffic). The blink rate indicates the link speed.

What does no light on a switch port typically indicate?

The link is not working, or the port is shut down.

What does a blinking amber light on a switch port typically indicate?

A fault has been detected (duplex mismatch, excessive collisions, or redundancy check errors, for instance).

What does a solid amber light on a switch port typically indicate?

The port is blocked by the spanning tree algorithm, which works to prevent loops within a switched network.

When troubleshooting layer 1 or layer 2 problems, where should you check LED status indicators?

On the NIC at one end and the switch/router port at the other.

What additional resource might you need to interpret the LEDs on a NIC or switch/router port?

Vendor documentation.