What are two benefits of implementing VLANs in an enterprise network

A Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) is a technology through which all the devices in the local area network (LAN) can connect logically. LAN (Local Area Network) is a computer network where all different computers are connected to each other by a cable, Wi-Fi, or any other means and share data with each other easily and quickly.

To create a computer network, we need this type of equipment in which network devices like hub switches or routers. Which connect our computers to each other according to the need and help us a lot in creating networks. Usually, the local area network of a LAN is built in a limited space, so it is called a specialized network used to connect computers.

All types of different devices connected to a local area network (LAN) are part of the same broadcast domain. Which is used to transfer the existing LAN network to all the devices connected to each other’s data network in different broadcast domains. It is not limited to LAN networks it is quite a large LAN network that is difficult to manage. VLANs are used to solve this type of problem. So let’s know in detail what a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) is.

What is VLAN?

Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Instead of a physical (Local Area Network) VLAN, we can connect devices from different networks to a single logical network. VLAN is a subnetwork where we divide large broadcast domains into smaller broadcast domains to enhance and reduce network traffic on the network, bandwidth loss, and network security based on network security needs without modifying the existing IT network infrastructure.

A Virtual Local Area Network is a virtual network consisting of one or more LANs (Local Area Networks) that operate in a simplified manner at the OSI Model Layer 2 (Data Link Layer). Virtual LAN is a technology network by which we can easily connect the host (device) of one LAN to another LAN depending on the needs. Hosts connected via VLAN cables act as if they are physically connected to that LAN.

Computer networking devices are connected to a single switch configured on one or more LANs in a network and even though they are in the LAN network segment as computers connected to different switches, they are connected with each other in such a way that those parts Refer to only one network in the same network that can communicate. If all the devices of computer networking are connected by the same cable then it is called VLAN. A VLAN is a purely logical network partition and is therefore much more flexible than physical connections in those parts.

In a VLAN, all such workstations, servers, and network devices are connected to the virtual network in this manner. VLAN allows security, scalability, and ease of network management of all devices connected to the network. Thus one of the objectives of using different geographical distribution VLANs is to enhance the performance of the network and enhance the security, and scalability features.

How does VLAN work?

The switch only sends data to the port on which the VLAN is configured on the specified port, performing address learning, filtering, and loop elimination processes like a separate physical bridge. The VLAN is created in an Ethernet switch, then the ports of the switch are assigned to the VLAN created.

VLANs are typically used in their data center when there are more than 200 devices in the LAN to separate traffic within a business. Because having different network sections on more switches increases LAN traffic which is difficult for users or low-priority traffic to manage the rest of the network. A single switch in a VLAN network acts as a layer 2 or multiple switches of the OSI model.

Example of VLAN

If we connect to a LAN network due to the wide office and large team, many organizations have broadcast messages sent to their sections through the sections. This allows for wide transmission across the network, and in this case, having multiple VLANs greatly reduces bandwidth in network activity and often makes large networks difficult to manage.

If we don’t want the message and network signal of one department to pass through another department’s system easily in the redistribution of users in VLAN and each department has its own network then connect all the systems to the same LAN then we have to physically connect the department To separate the same amount of interdepartmental grouping would require more network equipment and cables.

The VLAN is configured on the switch so that more data can be shared. Where we tell the switch that we need to secure the information technology and analyst of the switch on the target PC of one section and distribute them to the other section and achieve high-efficiency goals. By using VLAN we create VLAN because we have to split 3 segments into one LAN or VLAN to get different logic. We create a Product Division, Manufacturing Department, Facilitation, and Sales Department VLAN and connect each department’s computer to that VLAN while using some specific VLAN flexible teamwork commands on the efficient network partition switch.

Types of VLANs (Virtual Local Area Network)

There are three types of VLANs which are as follows:-

Port-Based VLAN

In port-based VLANs, Virtual Local Area Networks are grouped by ports which are also known as the Static VLANs. With this port-based VLAN, the switch port is manually configured and the device connected to the VLAN port is the same broadcast in which the network administrator assigns a port to the switch or bridge to create a virtual network. Port-Based VLAN is the best network device that provides communication in simple and easy ways.

Protocol Based VLAN

A Protocol Based is a VLAN in which traffic, depending on the protocol, is smoothly supplied to the non-tagged packets via tags filtering criteria tags. Protocol VLANs are layer 3 protocols in a virtual local area network.

MAC Based VLAN

This type of MAC-based VLAN allows you to easily assign unmarked packets and segment traffic based on the source address of the packet and the network administrator device to the VLAN features. By VLAN network mapping we easily configure the MAC address in the VLAN table.

Advantages of VLAN

• VLAN broadcasting reduces the size of the broadcast domain.
• VLAN device provides more security.
• Device management through VLAN is simple and easy.
• It is easy and fast to add, remove or make changes
• The network devices in the network as an extra layer of security.
• VLAN network communication allows the creation of logical groups so that the devices work in their own network.

Disadvantages of VLAN

• The risk to the network is high, this virus can spread from one system.
• All different logical network segment networks.
• VLANs cannot forward network traffic to each other in interoperability.
• In VLAN packets are more likely to leak from one VLAN to another VLAN.
• More problems have to face in controlling latency than WAN but less efficient than LAN.
• VLANs require an additional router to easily handle workloads in large networks.

Conclusion

We have given all the above information about “What is VLAN and how it works” and its types, and benefits of VLAN. VLAN is a technology through which we can realize a virtual workgroup by dividing any LAN devices into each network segment logically connected to that LAN but as you know this connection is logical rather than physical.

Hi,

My name's Errol. Thanks for joining us. Today I'm going to talk about VLANs and the top five benefits of implementing them. A VLAN basically stands for Virtual Local Area Network. In its simplest form what that is is basically talking a layer two network that might be sizable and splitting it up into multiple networks. What that does is improve performance, improve security, lower your cost, gets over some of the location barriers that you have, and simplifies management.

Switches are pretty complicated but when you first plug them in and they're set to factory defaults basically anything can get to anything. This is all in one VLAN. Usually it's the default VLAN. As you add more switches that holds true. This is three switches right here. Anything plugged into this one can get to this. All this can communicate with each other. It's one big broadcast domain. As your network grows from one switch to three switches to a hundred switches that creates a problem right off the bat, and the problem is performance.

Being that this is all one broadcast domain, as you add devices to your network and they try to locate each other, traffic becomes more intense, it slows down your network. That's the first thing that a VLAN does is improve performance. How it does that is splits it up into multiple broadcast domains, so that actually anything in this red VLAN right here can't talk to anything in a green VLAN. It makes it smaller and more manageable as far as traffic goes.

When you first plug in a switch everything's in the same broadcast domain. It's pretty much a flat network. That's when everything's in the same VLAN. The second problem with that is what if you're in a company where you have maybe sales is this red switch right here and accounting is this other switch, and you don't want to them to talk to each other. Or maybe you're in education and you have students and faculty and administration. You don't want the students sneaking in to see their grades or answers to the tests.

How you would separate in a flat network is you wouldn't. Everybody can get to everybody. One way to separate that is to put a layer three device like a router in between. That way anybody on this switch can't get to anybody on this switch. The problem with that is that there's a cost to that; it's more expensive. VLANs pretty much keep it inexpensive by having the same switch. Maybe the red one is our students and the green is faculty and administrators, and they can't talk to each other. Students can't get their grades. Sales reps can't see their reviews or what other people are making by plugging into HR.

I already touched on cost a little bit, which is number three. I'm going to touch on it a little more. A third scenario is what if you have students in this location and faculty in this location, students in this location and faculty in this location. Without VLANs basically what you have to do is have a switch for each branch that you want. If you want students in this location you'll have to have a switch just for students, administrative switch just for administrators. Same thing with HR and sales. Sales are usually all over the place. This is one building and this is one building. You need a switch for each one. That gets expensive. You've got to buy the layer three device router. You've got to by a switch for each type of department.

When you have VLANs you don't need to do that. Basically there are two types of ports. There's an access port and a trunk port. VLANs can span over multiple switches. What you do is you create a VLAN here in this building, the red VLAN which would be students, the green VLAN which would be administrators. They can't talk to each other. These are access ports which means they only belong to one VLAN. Trunk ports can carry the information from multiple VLANs to another switch, so that way when you go over to the other building you have the same VLANs here. These green people right here, which are faculty, can get to these and it basically logically looks like this but it's really configured like this. Same thing with the students. They can't touch this or this but they can talk to the red. That's how you would get over location barriers and keep the cost down for that.

Number five is management. It simplifies management because let's say if you have a new student come in, a new employee, and you know that this employee is going to be in sales or this student is going to be at a certain part of the dorm or anything like that. Then what you can do is you already have the VLAN set up, you create a port, put them in a student VLAN, put it in a sales VLAN, plug it in, and all his credentials are set and he can go only where you want him to go. You don't have to configure each one individually. You just configure the port for what you want him in as far as VLANs go and then he's all set, and that simplifies management.

Once again, I want to thank you for tuning in. I hope this video on VLANs and the benefits of it helps you with your understanding of it. If you have any more questions, feel free to contact us.