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Virtual LANs (VLANs):
Switches are utilized to set up a local area network (LAN). VLAN stands for a virtual local area network. By default, all of the ports on a Cisco switch would be considered as a part of the same default VLAN (VLAN1) and therefore the same network. A VLAN is a network and a network is considered as a broadcast domain. If you would be configuring various switch ports so as to separate VLANs, then the devices on those ports would be belonging to separate VLANs and therefore, would be segmented into separate broadcast domains as well as networks. This is efficiently like dividing a switch into multiple switches. This would be considered as cost-effective because instead of having multiple switches, each for a different network, you could have one switch configured for multiple VLANs as well as you could assign the ports on that switch so as to belong to whatever VLAN you would need the host to belong to. Before we discuss the types of the VLAN, if you wish to have more knowledge regarding this, you would be able to do that by joining courses, that are being offered by the SPOTO.
VLAN Types
Data VLAN:
A Data VLAN would be carrying only user data not management data, voice data or control data.
Default VLAN:
On a Cisco switch, the default VLAN is considered to be VLAN1. This would be meaning that by default, when a Cisco would be switch boots up for the first time all the ports are going to be automatically assigned to the default VLAN, VLAN1. You couldn’t delete or rename VLAN1 but you would be assigning the ports on the switch to a different VLAN. It would be considered the best practice to make the entire user ports on the switch which would be belonging to a different default VLAN, one other than VLAN1. In this way, control data like the CDP and STP (spanning tree protocol) which would be considered by default carried on VLAN1 would be on a separate VLAN from user data.
Native VLAN
The native VLAN, if not explicitly would be configured, will default to the default VLAN, (VLAN1). The Native VLAN is going to be configured for an 802.1Q Trunk port. 802.1Q trunks would be carrying traffic from multiple VLANs by tagging the traffic with VLAN identifiers (Tagged Traffic) which would be identifying which packets would be associating with which VLANs and they would also be carrying non VLAN traffic from legacy switches or non 802.1Q compliant switches (Untagged Traffic). The switch would be placed untagged traffic on the Native VLAN by utilizing a PVID identifier. Native VLAN traffic isn’t tagged by the switch. It would be considered as a best practice to configure the Native VLAN so as to be different than VLAN1 and to configure it on both ends of the trunk.
Management VLAN:
The management VLAN is considered as any VLAN you would be configuring to allow a host to connect to the switch as well as remotely manage it. The management VLAN would be needed to be configured with an IP address as well as subnet mask to allow a manager to connect to the switch by either a web interface (HTTP), Telnet, SNMP, or SSH.
VLAN Trunking:
If you would be having a switch that would be having ports variously configured on four different VLANs, then that switch would be having four different networks on it. When you connect that switch to a router or to another switch you would be needed four ethernet connections or links, one for each VLAN or network. A more cost-effective model to connect a switch within multiple VLANs to a router or switch would be to configure a Trunk.
If you wish to have more information regarding this, you would be able to gain it through the prep courses defined by the SPOTO.
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