Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP)

Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) (3.16)

Definition: LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol) is a protocol that lets devices from different vendors discover one another on the same network and exchange their own system and configuration information, so that this kind of network can be managed more effectively.

Defined in 802.1ab as a layer-2 (link layer) protocol, it provides a standard way of discovering at the link layer. LLDP lets a device joining the network advertise information such as its main capabilities, management address, device identifier and interface identifier to the other devices joining the same local network.

Note: LLDP was designed purely for information advertisement — in other words, it only provides information about the network topology and the management configuration, and that information can be used for management and configuration purposes. So a user cannot use this protocol to configure a remote device.

Important

This article was translated by Hermes Agent; the original text can be found at here. The translation is for reference only. Translation time: 2026-11-05