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Stackable NWay Ethernet Switch User's Guide
packets in a data stream to arrive in the same order they were sent.
A trunk connection can be made with any other switch that
maintains host-to-host data streams over a single trunk port. A
trunk connection cannot be made with switches that perform load-
balancing on a per-packet basis.
VLAN
VLANs are a collection of switch ports grouped together in a secure,
autonomous broadcast and multicast domain. VLANs allow a
network to be segmented in order to reduce the size of broadcast
domains. All Ethernet packets (unicast, broadcast, multicast,
unknown, etc.) entering a VLAN will only be forwarded to the ports
that are members of that VLAN.
Another benefit of VLANs is that you can change the network
topology without physically moving stations or changing cable
connections. Stations can be "moved" simply by changing VLAN
settings from one VLAN (the sales VLAN, for example) to another
VLAN (the marketing VLAN). This allows VLANs to accommodate
network moves, changes, and additions with the utmost flexibility.
VLANs can also provide a level of security to your network. Port-
based VLANs allow you to configure p orts to not send or receive
packets outside of the VLAN.
The untagging feature of IEEE 802.1Q VLANs allow VLANs to work
with legacy switches and NICs that don't recognize VLAN tags in
packet headers. The tagging feature allows VLANs to span multiple
802.1Q-compliant switches through a single physical connection and
allows Spanning Tree to be enabled on all ports and work normally.
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Switch Management Concepts
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