Segment enterprise network traffic using 802.1Q virtual local area networks.
Take your network engineering skills to the enterprise tier in interactive NetLab environments. Understand why flat networks fail under broadcast storms, segment departmental traffic with IEEE 802.1Q VLAN access ports, interconnect multi-floor switches with trunks, route between VLANs using Router-on-a-Stick, prevent severe Layer 2 loops with Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), and harden physical cubicle ports with Port Security.
Learn step by step. Each chapter includes practical tasks and an interactive topology.
Examine the hidden dangers of unsegmented "flat" Layer 2 networks: broadcast domain bloat, CPU interrupt overhead, and the absence of departmental traffic isolation.
Divide a single physical switch into isolated logical broadcast domains. Configure access ports for VLAN 10 (Sales) and VLAN 20 (Engineering) to enforce departmental security.
Scale VLANs across multi-floor office buildings. Understand the IEEE 802.1Q 4-byte tag header and bundle multiple broadcast domains over a single high-speed trunk uplink.
Bridge isolated VLANs securely at Layer 3. Configure 802.1Q subinterfaces on a Cisco router to route traffic between Sales and Engineering over a single trunk link.
Understand the dangers of physical switching loops, the Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) election process, and how STP dynamically blocks redundant links to prevent broadcast storms.
Harden campus switch ports against unauthorized devices. Configure MAC address limits, sticky learning, and enforce shutdown violation actions to protect corporate cubicles.
