Question

What are Virtual LANs (VLANs) and what are the advantages of using them?

Answer 1

A VLAN is a logical grouping of network users and resourcesconnected to administratively defined ports on a switch. When you create VLAN's, you're given the ability to create smaller broadcast domains within layer 2 switched internet work y assigning different ports on the switch to service different subnetworks. A VLAN is treated like its own subnet or broadcast domain, meaning that frames broadcast onto the network are only switched between the ports logically grouped within the same VLAN.

So,does this mean we no longer need routers? Maybe yes; maybe no. It really depends on what your particular networking needs and goals are. By default, hosts in a specific VLAN can't communicate with hosts that are members of another VLAN, so if you want inter-VLAN communication, the answer is still need a router or Inter-VLAN Routing (IVR).

Here's a short list of ways VLAN simplify network management:

• Network adds, moves, and changes are achieved with ease by just configuring a port into the appropriate VLAN.
• A group of users that need an usually high level of security can be put into its own VLAN so that users outside of that VLAN can't communicate with the group's users.
• As a logical grouping of users by function, VLANs can be considered independent from their physical or geographic location.
• VLANs greatly enhance network security if implemented correctly.
• VLANs increase the number of broadcast domains while decreasing their size.

The advantages of using VLANs:-

• Security
• Performance/Bandwidth
• Broadcasts/Traffic flow
• Departments/Specific job types