Wireshark will provide you with the version of the STP type (STP, RSTP, or MST) running on the network by looking at the Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs). BPDUs are the update frames that are multicast between switches.
The protocol versions are:
- For STP, the protocol version ID equals 0
- For RSTP/MST, the protocol version ID equals 3
In the standards, you will not find the word switch; it will always be bridge or multiport bridge. In this book, we will use the terms bridge and switch.