# Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol

The Rapid Spanning Tree protocol (RSTP or IEEE 802.1w) reduces the recovery time after a network breakdown. It also maintains a backward compatibility with the IEEE 802.1d which was the Spanning Tree implementation prior to RSTP. In certain configurations, the recovery time of RSTP can be reduced to less than 1 second.

RSTP also reduces the amount of flooding in the network by enhancing the way the Topology Change Notification (TCN) packet is generated.

| Note
| You can access the RSTP menu command only after the switch is operating in the RSTP mode.