CSE3151

COMPUTER NETWORKS

DR. ASIF ZAMAN

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, CSE, RU
 Definition
• Virtual Local Area Network
• Logical group of network users
• Associate with ports on a switch
• Unique ID and NAME
• VLANs could span multiple switches

2
 Problems with flat network
• Broadcast domain become too large
• No security control for individual switch ports
• Inflexible because subnets are created only
with addition of routers

Net B
Net A Net C
Router
A flat network
Net D
3
 What does VLAN do?

• Create smaller broadcast domains by

grouping users according to
– Location
– Department
– etc
• Improve security by preventing anyone in
the same LAN from monitoring the network
traffic (eavesdropping)
4
 What does VLAN do?
• Increase flexibility and scalability by letting
system administrators to create virtual
subnets without adding routers

5
 Broadcast in flat network

Receive
Receive
Receive
Switch

Receive
Receive
Receive
Router Switch

Receive
Receive
BROADCAST
Switch

6
 Broadcast in VLAN
VLAN A VLAN B VLAN C

RECEIVE
Switch

Router Switch RECEIVE

BROADCAST
Switch

7
 Routing between VLAN
• Switches do not route data between VLANs
• Routing has to be done in routers, the same
way as with ordinary subnets