Grading Checklist: Network Experiencing Broadcast Storm and High CPU on Switches

• Identified the symptoms as consistent with a Layer 2 loop / broadcast storm
• Checked switch CPU utilization and correlated with broadcast traffic
• Examined MAC address table for thrashing/flapping indicators
• Checked STP status on all switches and identified misconfiguration or disabled STP
• Identified the physical loop (port or link creating the loop)
• Proposed immediate mitigation: shut down the port(s) causing the loop
• Explained how STP prevents loops and why the failure occurred (STP disabled, BPDU filtered)
• Recommended enabling BPDU Guard on all access ports
• Recommended enabling storm control as a safety net
• Discussed root bridge election and STP best practices
• Mentioned enabling loop guard or root guard for additional protection
• Included post-incident verification (CPU normalized, MAC table stable, no flapping)