Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of the IEEE 802.1 working group's VLAN multiplexing method?
What is the primary goal of the IEEE 802.1 working group's VLAN multiplexing method?
What is the main difference between ISL and IEEE 802.1Q tagging?
What is the main difference between ISL and IEEE 802.1Q tagging?
What is the maximum number of VLANs supported by IEEE 802.1Q?
What is the maximum number of VLANs supported by IEEE 802.1Q?
What is the purpose of Cisco VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP)?
What is the purpose of Cisco VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP)?
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What is the comparable IEEE standard to VTP?
What is the comparable IEEE standard to VTP?
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What is an advantage of IEEE 802.1Q over ISL?
What is an advantage of IEEE 802.1Q over ISL?
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What is the purpose of IEEE 802.1ad?
What is the purpose of IEEE 802.1ad?
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What is the current status of ISL protocol?
What is the current status of ISL protocol?
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What is the name of the ports that are used to pass traffic from multiple VLANs?
What is the name of the ports that are used to pass traffic from multiple VLANs?
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What is the purpose of adding identification tags to frames in a trunk port?
What is the purpose of adding identification tags to frames in a trunk port?
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What happens to untagged frames when they reach a trunk end?
What happens to untagged frames when they reach a trunk end?
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What is VLAN Encapsulation?
What is VLAN Encapsulation?
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Which type of traffic will not cross VLAN boundaries?
Which type of traffic will not cross VLAN boundaries?
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What type of tags are added to frames by switches with trunk ports?
What type of tags are added to frames by switches with trunk ports?
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What is the purpose of a trunk link?
What is the purpose of a trunk link?
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What happens to tagged frames when they reach the receiving switch?
What happens to tagged frames when they reach the receiving switch?
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What is the primary function of the Tag Protocol ID (TPID) in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the primary function of the Tag Protocol ID (TPID) in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the maximum number of unique VLANs that can be supported on a single Ethernet network using 802.1q encapsulation?
What is the maximum number of unique VLANs that can be supported on a single Ethernet network using 802.1q encapsulation?
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What is the purpose of the Canonical Format Indicator (CFI) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the purpose of the Canonical Format Indicator (CFI) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the length of the VLAN tag in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the length of the VLAN tag in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the purpose of VLAN cross connect (CC or VLAN-XC) mechanism?
What is the purpose of VLAN cross connect (CC or VLAN-XC) mechanism?
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What is the standard that specifies the characteristics of physical layer and Media Access Control (MAC) layer for wired Ethernet connections?
What is the standard that specifies the characteristics of physical layer and Media Access Control (MAC) layer for wired Ethernet connections?
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What is the purpose of recalculating the Frame Check Sequence (FCS) in 802.1q encapsulation?
What is the purpose of recalculating the Frame Check Sequence (FCS) in 802.1q encapsulation?
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What is the purpose of the Priority (PRI) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the purpose of the Priority (PRI) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the primary purpose of STP in a network?
What is the primary purpose of STP in a network?
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What is the IEEE standard for STP protocol?
What is the IEEE standard for STP protocol?
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What is the effect of redundancy in a network without STP?
What is the effect of redundancy in a network without STP?
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What is the purpose of Spanning Trees in STP?
What is the purpose of Spanning Trees in STP?
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What is the effect of enabling STP on switch interfaces?
What is the effect of enabling STP on switch interfaces?
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What is the purpose of QinQ in a Broadband Network?
What is the purpose of QinQ in a Broadband Network?
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What is the limitation of Spanning Tree?
What is the limitation of Spanning Tree?
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What is the necessity of using VLAN, QinQ, and STP together?
What is the necessity of using VLAN, QinQ, and STP together?
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What is the primary purpose of VLANs in a network?
What is the primary purpose of VLANs in a network?
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How do VLANs manage broadcast traffic?
How do VLANs manage broadcast traffic?
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What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
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What happens when a network is broken up into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
What happens when a network is broken up into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
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What is the main reason why switches do not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
What is the main reason why switches do not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
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What is the benefit of VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
What is the benefit of VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
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What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
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What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
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What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
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How do VLANs manage broadcast traffic?
How do VLANs manage broadcast traffic?
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What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
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What happens when a network is broken up into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
What happens when a network is broken up into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
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Why do switches not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
Why do switches not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
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What is the benefit of using VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
What is the benefit of using VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
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What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
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What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
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What is the primary function of STP in a network?
What is the primary function of STP in a network?
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What is the purpose of Spanning Trees in STP?
What is the purpose of Spanning Trees in STP?
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What is the effect of enabling STP on switch interfaces?
What is the effect of enabling STP on switch interfaces?
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What is the necessity of using VLAN, QinQ, and STP together?
What is the necessity of using VLAN, QinQ, and STP together?
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What is the main benefit of using VLANs in a network?
What is the main benefit of using VLANs in a network?
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What can VLANs be used to separate based on?
What can VLANs be used to separate based on?
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What is the limitation of Spanning Tree?
What is the limitation of Spanning Tree?
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What is the result of grouping hosts together using VLANs?
What is the result of grouping hosts together using VLANs?
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What is the purpose of QinQ in a Broadband Network?
What is the purpose of QinQ in a Broadband Network?
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What do VLANs allow devices to do?
What do VLANs allow devices to do?
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What is the effect of redundancy in a network without STP?
What is the effect of redundancy in a network without STP?
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Why is switching necessary in data network?
Why is switching necessary in data network?
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What is a potential security risk when using VLANs?
What is a potential security risk when using VLANs?
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How do VLANs improve network security?
How do VLANs improve network security?
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What is a common use of VLANs in Internet hosting services?
What is a common use of VLANs in Internet hosting services?
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What is a result of using VLANs in a network?
What is a result of using VLANs in a network?
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What is the typical VLAN identifier used by the default VLAN?
What is the typical VLAN identifier used by the default VLAN?
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What type of device serves as the backbone for network traffic going across different VLANs?
What type of device serves as the backbone for network traffic going across different VLANs?
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What is necessary for a technician to determine VLAN to port associations?
What is necessary for a technician to determine VLAN to port associations?
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What type of link carries multiple VLANs, identified by labels or tags inserted into their packets?
What type of link carries multiple VLANs, identified by labels or tags inserted into their packets?
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What is the term used to describe separating ports by VLAN groups?
What is the term used to describe separating ports by VLAN groups?
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What is the protocol most commonly used today to support VLANs?
What is the protocol most commonly used today to support VLANs?
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What happens when communications occur between ports on two different switches?
What happens when communications occur between ports on two different switches?
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What is the benefit of using VLANs in a network?
What is the benefit of using VLANs in a network?
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What is the main function of digital switches in a telephone exchange?
What is the main function of digital switches in a telephone exchange?
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What type of switches do not have an interface for configuration purposes?
What type of switches do not have an interface for configuration purposes?
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What is a common method used to manage a managed switch?
What is a common method used to manage a managed switch?
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What is a virtual LAN (VLAN)?
What is a virtual LAN (VLAN)?
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What is the main difference between unmanaged switches and managed switches?
What is the main difference between unmanaged switches and managed switches?
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What is an example of a configuration change that can be made on a managed switch?
What is an example of a configuration change that can be made on a managed switch?
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What is a benefit of using managed switches in a network?
What is a benefit of using managed switches in a network?
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What is the purpose of digital switches in a telephone company's back-end network?
What is the purpose of digital switches in a telephone company's back-end network?
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What is the main advantage of using VLANs in a network?
What is the main advantage of using VLANs in a network?
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What is the primary function of VLANs in a network?
What is the primary function of VLANs in a network?
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How do VLANs manage network traffic?
How do VLANs manage network traffic?
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What is the purpose of configuring network equipment to subdivide a network into VLANs?
What is the purpose of configuring network equipment to subdivide a network into VLANs?
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What is the primary purpose of STP in a network?
What is the primary purpose of STP in a network?
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What is the benefit of using VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
What is the benefit of using VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
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What is the standard that governs the STP protocol?
What is the standard that governs the STP protocol?
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What can happen if precautions are not taken to prevent traffic 'escaping' from a given VLAN?
What can happen if precautions are not taken to prevent traffic 'escaping' from a given VLAN?
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What happens to redundant links in a network with STP enabled?
What happens to redundant links in a network with STP enabled?
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What is the purpose of grouping hosts together using VLANs?
What is the purpose of grouping hosts together using VLANs?
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What is the limitation of Spanning Tree?
What is the limitation of Spanning Tree?
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What is the effect of using VLANs on network management?
What is the effect of using VLANs on network management?
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What is the primary purpose of QinQ in a Broadband Network?
What is the primary purpose of QinQ in a Broadband Network?
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What happens when a network is broken up into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
What happens when a network is broken up into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
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Why are VLANs, QinQ, and STP used together?
Why are VLANs, QinQ, and STP used together?
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What is the effect of redundancy in a network without STP?
What is the effect of redundancy in a network without STP?
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What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
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Why do routers between VLANs filter broadcast traffic?
Why do routers between VLANs filter broadcast traffic?
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What is the result of breaking up a large network into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
What is the result of breaking up a large network into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
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What is the purpose of VLANs in terms of network segmentation?
What is the purpose of VLANs in terms of network segmentation?
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What is the primary purpose of QinQ in Metro Ethernet network topologies?
What is the primary purpose of QinQ in Metro Ethernet network topologies?
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What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
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What is the formal name of the QinQ protocol?
What is the formal name of the QinQ protocol?
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What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
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What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
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What is the purpose of the outer VLAN tag in a QinQ frame?
What is the purpose of the outer VLAN tag in a QinQ frame?
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What is the term used to describe the multiple VLAN headers in a QinQ frame?
What is the term used to describe the multiple VLAN headers in a QinQ frame?
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Why do switches not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
Why do switches not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
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What is the advantage of using QinQ in a Broadband Network?
What is the advantage of using QinQ in a Broadband Network?
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What is the result of implementing QinQ in a network?
What is the result of implementing QinQ in a network?
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What is the purpose of the inner VLAN tag in a QinQ frame?
What is the purpose of the inner VLAN tag in a QinQ frame?
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What is the primary purpose of the VLAN ID field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the primary purpose of the VLAN ID field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the length of the VLAN tag in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the length of the VLAN tag in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the benefit of using QinQ in a Metro Ethernet network?
What is the benefit of using QinQ in a Metro Ethernet network?
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What is the purpose of recalculating the Frame Check Sequence (FCS) in 802.1q encapsulation?
What is the purpose of recalculating the Frame Check Sequence (FCS) in 802.1q encapsulation?
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What is the purpose of the Priority (PRI) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the purpose of the Priority (PRI) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the advantage of using VLAN cross connect (CC or VLAN-XC) mechanism?
What is the advantage of using VLAN cross connect (CC or VLAN-XC) mechanism?
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What is the standard that specifies the characteristics of physical layer and Media Access Control (MAC) layer for wired Ethernet connections?
What is the standard that specifies the characteristics of physical layer and Media Access Control (MAC) layer for wired Ethernet connections?
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What is the primary purpose of the Tag Protocol ID (TPID) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
What is the primary purpose of the Tag Protocol ID (TPID) field in an IEEE 802.1q frame?
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What is the limitation of using 802.1q encapsulation?
What is the limitation of using 802.1q encapsulation?
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What is the primary function of VLANs in a network?
What is the primary function of VLANs in a network?
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What is the result of breaking up a large network into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
What is the result of breaking up a large network into smaller independent segments using VLANs?
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How do VLANs manage broadcast traffic?
How do VLANs manage broadcast traffic?
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What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
What is the relationship between VLANs and IP subnets?
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What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
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What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
What happens when the number of peers on a network grows?
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What is a common infrastructure shared across VLAN trunks used for?
What is a common infrastructure shared across VLAN trunks used for?
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What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
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Why do switches not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
Why do switches not bridge network traffic between VLANs?
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Why are VLANs invented?
Why are VLANs invented?
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What is a benefit of placing cloud-based virtual machines on VLANs?
What is a benefit of placing cloud-based virtual machines on VLANs?
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What is a benefit of VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
What is a benefit of VLANs in terms of network infrastructure?
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What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
What is a limitation of networks without VLAN capability?
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What is a common use of VLANs in cloud computing?
What is a common use of VLANs in cloud computing?
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What is a characteristic of VLANs in terms of network requirements?
What is a characteristic of VLANs in terms of network requirements?
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What is a type of network technology that supports VLANs?
What is a type of network technology that supports VLANs?
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What is the primary function of a switch in a computer network?
What is the primary function of a switch in a computer network?
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What is the difference between a hub and a switch?
What is the difference between a hub and a switch?
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What is the benefit of using segmentation in a network?
What is the benefit of using segmentation in a network?
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What is the role of switches in most modern Ethernet local area networks (LANs)?
What is the role of switches in most modern Ethernet local area networks (LANs)?
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What is the purpose of a switch in a small office/home office (SOHO) application?
What is the purpose of a switch in a small office/home office (SOHO) application?
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What is the advantage of using a switch over a hub in a network?
What is the advantage of using a switch over a hub in a network?
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What is the purpose of using multiple linked managed switches in a mid-to-large sized LAN?
What is the purpose of using multiple linked managed switches in a mid-to-large sized LAN?
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What is the role of a switch in managing data flow across a network?
What is the role of a switch in managing data flow across a network?
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What is the primary method of assigning VLAN membership in a static VLAN?
What is the primary method of assigning VLAN membership in a static VLAN?
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What is the purpose of a VLAN Management Policy Server (VMPS) in a dynamic VLAN?
What is the purpose of a VLAN Management Policy Server (VMPS) in a dynamic VLAN?
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What is the purpose of protocol-based VLANs?
What is the purpose of protocol-based VLANs?
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What is the primary characteristic of a native port?
What is the primary characteristic of a native port?
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What is the primary difference between a tagged port and a native port?
What is the primary difference between a tagged port and a native port?
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What is the primary advantage of using dynamic VLANs?
What is the primary advantage of using dynamic VLANs?
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What is the primary purpose of Multiple VLAN Registration Protocol (MVRP) in a dynamic VLAN?
What is the primary purpose of Multiple VLAN Registration Protocol (MVRP) in a dynamic VLAN?
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What is the primary limitation of static VLANs?
What is the primary limitation of static VLANs?
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What is the main characteristic of untagged ports?
What is the main characteristic of untagged ports?
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What happens when untagged frames reach a trunk end?
What happens when untagged frames reach a trunk end?
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What is the purpose of VLAN Encapsulation?
What is the purpose of VLAN Encapsulation?
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What is the primary function of a trunk link?
What is the primary function of a trunk link?
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What type of traffic is isolated by VLANs?
What type of traffic is isolated by VLANs?
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What is the primary function of a switch with a trunk port?
What is the primary function of a switch with a trunk port?
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What happens when a switch receives a tagged frame?
What happens when a switch receives a tagged frame?
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What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
What is the primary benefit of using VLANs in a network?
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Study Notes
VLAN Fundamentals
- VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) allow multiple VLANs to share bandwidth on a single interconnect (trunk) using VLAN tagging.
- VLAN trunks can use link aggregation, quality-of-service prioritization, or both to route data efficiently.
- VLANs address issues such as scalability, security, and network management by providing network segmentation.
Benefits of VLANs
- VLANs help manage broadcast traffic by forming multiple broadcast domains, reducing the amount of broadcast traffic each network device and network segment has to bear.
- VLANs can create multiple layer 3 networks on a single physical infrastructure.
- VLANs are data link layer (OSI layer 2) constructs, analogous to Internet Protocol (IP) subnets, which are network layer (OSI layer 3) constructs.
VLAN Tagging
- IEEE 802.1Q tagging performs explicit tagging, tagging the frame itself with VLAN information.
- IEEE 802.1Q uses a frame-internal field for tagging, allowing it to work on both access and trunk links using standard Ethernet hardware.
- The maximum number of VLANs on a given Ethernet network is 4,094 (4,096 values provided by the 12-bit VID field minus reserved values at each end of the range, 0 and 4,095).
VLAN Trunking Protocols
- Cisco Inter-Switch Link (ISL) is a Cisco proprietary protocol used to interconnect switches and maintain VLAN information as traffic travels between switches on trunk links.
- VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) is a Cisco proprietary protocol that propagates the definition of VLANs on the whole local area network.
- GARP VLAN Registration Protocol (GVRP) or Multiple VLAN Registration Protocol (MVRP) are comparable IEEE standards used by other manufacturers.
VLAN Ports
- Untagged ports (also referred to as access ports) do not need to accommodate an additional identification tag as they are involved in exchanging traffic with a single end device.
- Tagged ports (also referred to as trunk ports) add identification tags to the frames to distinguish between frames from different VLANs.
VLAN Encapsulation
- VLAN Encapsulation is a process where switches add tags to the frames for identification before forwarding them on the trunk.
- IEEE802.1Q, also referred to as DOT1Q or 1Q, is the networking standard that supports virtual LANs (VLANs) on an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet network.
IEEE 802.1Q Frame Format
- The dot1Q frame standard accommodates a VLAN tag in the original Ethernet frame.
- The VLAN tag is 4 bytes long and consists of:
- Tag Protocol ID (TPID): identifies the frame as IEEE 802.1q frame.
- Priority (PRI): indicates frame priority level.
- Canonical Format Indicator (CFI): now known as Drop Eligibility Indicator (DEI), used to indicate frames that can be dropped during congestion.
- VLAN ID: unique for each VLAN, helps in identifying which VLAN the current frame belongs to.
QinQ
- QinQ is a mechanism that allows a single Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) header to be inserted into an Ethernet frame.
- VLAN cross connect (CC or VLAN-XC) uses IEEE 802.1ad frames where the S Tag is used as a Label as in MPLS.
STP
- STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) is a protocol designed to support redundant links by preventing switching loops in the network.
- STP is a Layer 2 protocol used for link management that runs on bridges and switches.
- STP protocols are standardized as IEEE 802.1D by IEEE.
- Spanning trees use an algorithm to search for the redundant links in the LAN and select the best paths.
- STP puts all links in either forwarding or blocking states, with redundant links being in the blocking state.
Digital Switching
- Digital switches manage digital signals in a telephone exchange and forward them to the telephone company's back-end network.
- They are faster in performance compared to analog switches.
Types of Switches
-
Unmanaged switches:
- Have no interface for configuration.
- Are plug and play.
- Typically the least expensive switches, often used in small office/home office environments.
- Can be desktop or rack mounted.
-
Managed/Manageable switches:
- Have one or more methods to modify the operation of the switch.
- Common management methods include: CLI, telnet, Secure Shell, embedded SNMP agent, or web interface.
- Examples of configuration changes include: enabling features like Spanning Tree Protocol, setting port bandwidth, creating/modifying VLANs, etc.
VLAN (Virtual LAN)
- A VLAN is a broadcast domain partitioned and isolated in a computer network at the data link layer (OSI layer 2).
- VLANs work by applying tags to network frames and handling these tags in networking systems.
- They can keep network applications separate despite being connected to the same physical network, without requiring multiple sets of cabling and networking devices.
- VLANs allow network administrators to group hosts together even if they are not directly connected to the same network switch.
- They can simplify network design and deployment, and provide gains in simplicity, security, traffic management, and economy.
VLAN Benefits
- Allow devices that must be kept separate to share the cabling of a physical network and yet be prevented from directly interacting with one another.
- Can be used to separate traffic within a business based on individual users or groups of users, their roles, or traffic characteristics.
- Are used by Internet hosting services to separate customers' private zones from one another.
VLAN Security
- VLANs can help manage broadcast traffic by forming multiple broadcast domains.
- Routers between VLANs filter broadcast traffic, enhance network security, perform address summarization, and mitigate network congestion.
- VLANs can help create multiple layer 3 networks on a single physical infrastructure.
VLAN Trunks
- A VLAN trunk is a network link carrying multiple VLANs, identified by labels (or tags) inserted into their packets.
- Such trunks must run between tagged ports of VLAN-aware devices, often switch-to-switch or switch-to-router links rather than links to hosts.
Protocols and Design
- The protocol most commonly used to support VLANs is IEEE 802.1Q.
STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)
- STP is a protocol designed to support redundant links by preventing switching loops in the network.
- It is a Layer 2 protocol used for link management that runs on bridges and switches.
- STP protocols are standardized as IEEE 802.1D by IEEE.
- Redundancy in a network is required to increase its reliability, but it may adversely affect the network when switches flood traffic out all ports.
- STP uses an algorithm to search for redundant links in the LAN and select the best paths.
- It is mainly used to put all links in either forwarding or blocking states.
- Spanning Tree never uses multiple links to the same destination, and there is no load-sharing feature with Spanning Tree.
VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks)
- VLANs work by applying tags to network frames and handling these tags in networking systems, creating the appearance and functionality of network traffic that is physically on a single network but acts as if it is split between separate networks.
- VLANs can keep network applications separate despite being connected to the same physical network, without requiring multiple sets of cabling and networking devices to be deployed.
- VLAN membership can be configured through software, greatly simplifying network design and deployment.
- VLANs allow devices that must be kept separate to share the cabling of a physical network and yet be prevented from directly interacting with one another.
- VLANs can be used to separate traffic within a business based on individual users or groups of users or their roles, or based on traffic characteristics.
Benefits of VLANs
- Simplify network design and deployment
- Increase security
- Improve traffic management
- Enhance economy
- Group hosts together even if they are not directly connected to the same network switch
VLAN Configuration and Security
- VLANs share bandwidth, and a VLAN trunk can use link aggregation, quality-of-service prioritization, or both to route data efficiently.
- Precautions are needed to prevent traffic "escaping" from a given VLAN, an exploit known as VLAN hopping.
- Network architects set up VLANs to provide network segmentation.
- Routers between VLANs filter broadcast traffic, enhance network security, perform address summarization, and mitigate network congestion.
VLAN Tags and Frames
- IEEE802.1Q, often referred to as DOT1Q or 1Q, is the networking standard that supports virtual LANs (VLANs) on an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet network.
- The dot1Q frame standard accommodates a VLAN tag in the original Ethernet frame, which is 4 bytes long and consists of the fields:
- Tag Protocol ID (TPID): 0x8100
- Priority (PRI): frame priority level
- Canonical Format Indicator (CFI): Drop Eligibility Indicator (DEI)
- VLAN ID: unique for each VLAN, 12 bits long, supporting 2^12 (4096) unique VLANs on a single Ethernet network
QinQ ( IEEE 802.1ad)
- QinQ allows multiple VLAN tags to be inserted into a single frame, essential for implementing Metro Ethernet network topologies.
- QinQ extends 802.1Q and is extended by other Metro Ethernet protocols.
- A QinQ frame is a frame that has 2 VLAN 802.1Q headers (double-tagged).
- QinQ is used in broadband networks to identify the end user uniquely and segregate the users' traffic using an outer VLAN and inner VLAN tag.
STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)
- STP is a protocol that prevents switching loops in the network by supporting redundant links.
- STP is a Layer 2 protocol used for link management that runs on bridges and switches.
- STP protocols are standardized as IEEE 802.1D by IEEE.
- Redundancy in networks is required to increase reliability, but STP prevents broadcast traffic from looping in the network.
- Spanning trees use an algorithm to search for the redundant links in the LAN and select the best paths.
- Spanning Tree never uses multiple links to the same destination and does not have a load-sharing feature.
Switching
- Switching plays a vital role in modern Ethernet local area networks (LANs), managing the flow of data across a network by transmitting received data frames only to the intended devices.
- A switch is a device that connects other devices together, allowing communication between different networked devices.
- Switches operate at the data link layer (layer 2) and create separate collision domains for each switch port, improving overall network throughput.
VLANs
- VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) address issues such as scalability, security, and network management.
- VLANs can help manage broadcast traffic by forming multiple broadcast domains, reducing the amount of broadcast traffic each network device and network segment has to bear.
- VLANs can logically group networks to decouple the users' network location from their physical location, allowing for simplified administration.
- VLANs can provide a measure of security with great flexibility and a relatively low cost, but they can be defeated if not implemented carefully.
VLAN Membership
- VLAN membership can be established either statically or dynamically.
- Static VLANs are also referred to as port-based VLANs, where ports are assigned to a VLAN.
- Dynamic VLANs are created using software or by protocol, such as a VLAN Management Policy Server (VMPS).
VLAN Enabled Ports
- VLAN enabled ports can be categorized into two types:
- Untagged or Native ports: accept traffic from a single VLAN and are used to link end devices like routers, servers, and terminals.
- Tagged or Trunk ports: used to pass traffic from multiple VLANs and are used to link switches, adding identification tags to the frames to distinguish between VLANs.
VLAN Tagging
- VLAN tagging is a process where switches add identification tags to the frames for identification, allowing the switch on the other side of the trunk to forward the frames to the right destinations.
- VLAN tagging is also known as VLAN Encapsulation.
QinQ and STP
- QinQ (802.1Q-in-Q) is a technique used to add a second VLAN tag to a frame, allowing for multiple VLANs to be carried over a single link.
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is used to prevent network loops and improve network reliability, ensuring that there is only one active path from any source node to any destination on the network.
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Learn about VLANs, their benefits, and how they improve network scalability, security, and management by providing network segmentation.