VLANs

Understanding VLANs

Configuring static VLANs for port-based or protocol-based operation:

HP wired switches are 802.1Q VLAN-enabled and allow for up to 256 static VLANs and 2048 total static and dynamic VLANs. Static VLANs are configured with a name, VLAN ID number (VID), and port members. With 802.1Q compatibility, you can assign each switch port to multiple VLANs.

A group of networked ports assigned to a VLAN form a broadcast domain configured on the switch. On a given switch, packets are bridged between source and destination ports that belong to the same VLAN.

VLANs enable grouping users by logical function not physical location. They manage bandwidth usage in networks by:

  • Enabling grouping high-bandwidth users on low-traffic segments.

  • Organizing users from different LAN segments according to their need for common resources and individual protocols.

  • Improving traffic control at the edge of networks by separating traffic of different protocol types.

  • Enhancing network security by creating subnets to control in-band access to specific network resources.

  • Cross-domain broadcast traffic in the switch is eliminated and bandwidth saved by not allowing packets to flood out all ports.

Static VLANs are configured with a name, VLAN ID number (VID), and port members. For dynamic VLANs, see GVRP. 802.1Q compatibility enables you to assign each switch port to multiple VLANs.

Task

Plan your VLAN strategy

When configuring VLANS, you will need to:

  1. Configure static VLANs with:

    • a name

    • VLAN ID number (VID)

    • port members

  2. Include port configuration planning to use dynamic VLANs.

  3. Create a map of the logical topology.

  4. Create a map of the physical topology.

  5. Consider the interaction between VLANs and other features:

    • Spanning Tree Protocol

    • port trunking

    • IGMP

  6. Configure at least one VLAN in addition to the default VLAN.

  7. Configure all ports that pass traffic for a particular subnet address on the same VLAN.

  8. Assign the desired switch ports to the new VLANs.

  9. Ensure that the VLAN through which you manage the switch has an IP address, if you are managing VLANs with SNMP in an IP network.

For information on the procedure and restrictions when you configure an IP address on a VLAN interface, see Comparing port based and protocol based VLAN.