Advanced Management; Virtual Lans (Vlans); What Are Vlans; Benefits Of Vlans - 3Com SuperStack II Switch 3000 10/100 User Manual

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Virtual LANs (VLANs)

Setting up Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) on
the Switch 3000 10/100 provide less time-consum-
ing network administration and more efficient net-
work operation.
The following sections explain more about the con-
cept of VLANs and explain how they can be imple-
mented on the Switch 3000 10/100.

What are VLANs?

A VLAN is defined as a group of location- and
topology-independent devices that communicate as
if they are on the same physical LAN. This means
that LAN segments are not restricted by the hard-
ware which physically connects them; the segments
are defined by flexible user groups that you create
using software.
M
ANAGEMENT

Benefits of VLANs

With VLANs, you can define your network according
to:
Departmental groups — For example, you can
have one VLAN for the Marketing department,
another for the Finance department, and
another for the Development department.
Hierarchical groups — For example, you can
have one VLAN for directors, another for manag-
ers, and another for general staff.
Usage Groups — For example, you can have
one VLAN for users of e-mail, and another for
users of multimedia.
Implementing VLANs on your network has three
main advantages:
It eases the change and movement of devices on
IP networks
It helps to control broadcast traffic
It provides extra security