Introduction Cisco system has became an unrivaled worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, Its networking solutions

can easily connect users who word from diverse devices on disparate networks . Cisco products make it simple for people to access and transfer information without regard to differences in time, place , or platform. Cisco system offers such a broad range of networking or the Internet can do so unhindered, making Ciscos wares indispensable A VLAN is a logically separate IP subnetwork. VLANs allow multiple IP networks and subnets to exist on the same switched network. The figure shows a network with three computers. For computers to communicate on the same VLAN, each must have an IP address and a subnet mask that is consistent for that VLAN. The switch has to be configured with the VLAN and each port in the VLAN must be assigned to the VLAN. A switch port with a singular VLAN configured on it is called an access port. Remember, just because two computers are physically connected to the same switch does not mean that they can communicate. Devices on two separate networks and subnets must communicate via a router (Layer 3), whether or not VLANs are used. You do not need VLANs to have multiple networks and subnets on a switched network, but there are definite advantages to using VLANs. VTP allows a network manager to configure a switch so that it will propagate VLAN configurations to other switches in the network. The switch can be configured in the role of a VTP server or a VTP client. VTP only learns about normal-range VLANs (VLAN IDs 1 to 1005). Extended-range VLANs (IDs greater than 1005) are not supported by VTP. It is clear that computer networks are critical components of most small- and medium-sized businesses. Consequently IT administrators have to implement redundancy in their hierarchical networks. However adding extra links to switches and routers in the network introduces traffic loops that need to be managed in a dynamic way; when a switch connection is lost, another link needs to quickly take its place without introducing new traffic loops. In this chapter you will learn how spanning-tree protocol (STP) prevents loop issues in the network and how STP has evolved into a protocol that rapidly calculates which ports should be blocked so that a VLAN-based network is kept free of traffic loops.