A VLAN is a Virtual Local Area Network. It's a logical grouping of devices on a network, usually based on location or function. For example, all computers in a school's library could be assigned to the "Library" VLAN, while all computers in the school's computer lab could be assigned to the "Computer Lab" VLAN. In this way, VLANs can improve the efficiency and flexibility of a local area network.
A VLAN can improve security and performance by isolating traffic on your network. It can also make it easier to manage your network by grouping devices that need similar settings. Although VLANs are most commonly used in Ethernet networks, they can also be used in other network types, such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) and Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI).
How Does a VLAN Work?
A VLAN is created by adding a tag, or header, to each Ethernet frame. This tag tells the network which VLAN the frame should be sent to. Devices in different VLANs can't see each other's traffic unless connected to a router configured to allow it.
There are many benefits to using VLANs.
1. Security
By isolating traffic on different VLANs, you can prevent unauthorized users from snooping on network traffic.
2. Performance
VLANs can improve performance by reducing broadcast traffic. Broadcast traffic is traffic sent to all devices on a network, regardless of whether they need it. By putting devices in different VLANs, you can reduce the amount of broadcast traffic your network has to deal with.
3. Flexibility
VLANs can make it easier to add or remove devices from your network. For example, if you want to add a new device to your network, you can simply assign it to the appropriate VLAN. You don't need to reconfigure your whole network.
4. Management
VLANs can make it easier to manage your network by grouping devices that require similar settings. For example, you can put all the devices in your sales department on the same VLAN. This way, you can easily apply the same security and performance settings to all the devices in that group.
