What is a characteristic of RSTP that allows for faster convergence compared to STP?

One of the key characteristics of Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) that contributes to its faster convergence compared to Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is the handling of edge ports. In RSTP, edge ports are those ports that are connected to end devices or terminals, which do not participate in the spanning tree for convergence purposes. These ports do not process Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) once they are determined to be edge ports.

This means that if a port is designated as an edge port, it can transition to the forwarding state immediately upon detection of a link, thereby eliminating the delays typically associated with the learning and listening states found in traditional STP. This immediate transition allows for a quicker recovery and convergence in network topology changes, thus making RSTP significantly faster in terms of reconverging when compared to STP, where all ports would need to wait for BPDU processing.

This characteristic is pivotal for reducing convergence times in networks, as environments with numerous devices and dynamic connections benefit immensely from the ability of edge ports to skip straight to the forwarding state. The prompt transition directly influences the overall efficiency and reliability of the network.