[1][2][3][4] Designed to enhance network reliability, REP mitigates the formation of loops, expedites recovery from link failures, and optimizes convergence times.
Limitations are placed on the configuration: REP was initially designed to operate with Fast Ethernet (FE 10/100) interfaces, where it boasts a rapid link down detection time of approximately 10 milliseconds (ms) and a network convergence time around 50 ms.
In the event of a link failure, the protocol swiftly unblocks alternate ports to restore connectivity.
Upon recovery of the failed link, the protocol selects a logically blocked port for each VLAN, ensuring minimal network disruption.
These ports have the capability to issue Spanning Tree Protocol Topology Change Notifications (STP TCNs) towards an upstream aggregation switch, thereby maintaining network resilience and performance.