Operating notes on VLAN MAC address

  • The ip-recv-mac-address command allows you to configure only one MAC address for a specified VLAN. If you re-enter the command to configure another MAC address, the previously configured MAC address is overwritten.

  • Enter the no form of the command to remove a configured MAC address and restore the default MAC address of the switch.

  • When you configure a VLAN MAC address, you may also specify a heartbeat interval. The interval seconds parameter is optional.

  • After you configure a VLAN MAC address:

    • IP router and MAC ARP replies to other VLAN devices contain the user-defined MAC address as the Ethernet sender hardware address.

    • Outbound VLAN traffic contains the switch MAC address, not the configured MAC address, as the source MAC address in packet headers.

  • Immediately after you configure a VLAN MAC address or remove a configured MAC address, a gratuitous ARP message is broadcast on the connected segment to announce the change of the IP-to-MAC address binding to all connected IP-based equipment.

  • A configured VLAN MAC address supports proxy ARP and gracious ARP.

  • A new MIB variable, ifRcvAddressTable, is introduced to support VLAN MAC configuration.

  • You cannot configure a VLAN MAC address using the WebAgent or menu interface. You must use the CLI.

  • VRRP is not supported on a VLAN interface with a user-configured MAC address.

Configuring a MAC address

The following example shows how to configure a MAC address on VLAN 101. 

switch(config)# configure terminal
switch(config)# vlan 101
switch(vlan-101)# ip-recv-mac-address 0060b0-e9a200 interval 100