ISYS 1002 - Lab 4: Configuring VLANs on Switches

Lab 4: Configuring VLANs on Switches Objectives of this Lab: The goal of this lab is to configure Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) in Packet Tracer. Instructions: Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) VLANs are a logical grouping of networking devices. When we connect devices into the switch ports, switch creates one broadcast domain for all ports. Switch forwards a broadcast frame from all possible ports. In a large network having hundreds of computers, it could create performance issue. Switch has a unique solution to broadcast issue known as VLAN. Each VLAN has a separate broadcast domain. Each VLAN requires a unique network number known as VLAN ID. Devices with same VLAN ID are the members of same broadcast domain and receive all broadcasts. These broadcasts are filtered from all ports on a switch that are not members of the same VLAN. Advantages of VLANs VLANs provide following advantages; • Solve broadcast problem • Reduce the size of broadcast domains • Allow us to add additional layer of security • Make device management easier • Allow us to implement the logical grouping of devices by function instead of location. Lab 4: Configuring VLANs on Switches Trunk Ports: A trunk port is a port that is assigned to carry traffic for all the VLANs that are accessible by a specific switch, a process known as trunking. Trunk ports mark frames with unique identifying tags – either IEEE 802.1Q tags or Inter-Switch Link (ISL) tags – as they move between switches. Therefore, every single frame can be directed to its designated VLAN. A switch interface can either function as a trunk port or as an access port, but not both at the same time. A trunk port is capable of having more than one VLAN set up on the interface. As a result, it is able to carry traffic for numerous VLANs at the same time. Today’s Lab: Create the network topology below in Packet Tracer