What type of VLAN is used to separate the network into groups of users or devices?
- data VLAN
- management VLAN
- voice VLAN
- native VLAN
Answers Explanation & Hints: Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) are a way to logically separate a physical network into multiple logical networks. Each VLAN is a broadcast domain, which means that a broadcast sent by a device in one VLAN will not be forwarded to devices in another VLAN. VLANs are used to group devices with similar network requirements, such as departmental or functional groups, and to enhance network security by restricting communication between devices in different VLANs.
Data VLANs are the most common type of VLAN and are used to separate user devices, such as computers, printers, and servers, from each other. By default, all ports on a switch are assigned to the data VLAN, which carries normal user traffic.
Voice VLANs are designed to provide a high-quality voice over IP (VoIP) experience by reserving bandwidth and applying quality of service (QoS) policies to prioritize voice traffic. Voice VLANs are used to separate VoIP traffic from normal data traffic and ensure that voice packets receive priority over other types of traffic.
Management VLANs are used to separate network management traffic, such as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Telnet, and SSH, from normal data traffic. This helps to improve security by restricting access to network management functions and provides better performance for network management tasks.
Native VLANs are used to carry untagged traffic, such as traffic from legacy devices or devices that do not support VLAN tagging. By default, the native VLAN on a Cisco switch is VLAN 1, but it is recommended to change this to improve security.
Overall, VLANs provide a flexible and powerful way to manage network traffic and improve network performance and security.