Vlan

VLAN

Diane Brazdzionis

IT 242

September 23, 2013

In this scenario, the company I am working for is going through some drastic changes in growth. They will be moving employees around to different floors and buildings; however they need their communication paths to remain the same. The best method to use to achieve this is a virtual LAN. A VLAN is extremely beneficial to this company because it can create the needed subgroups using software without the need of a physical location. Each subnetwork will be connected to the main network through flow based layer 3 switches. I believe this is the best choice because it will contain each section, meaning if one subnetwork has a collision or is down, it will not affect the other segments of the network. Layer 3 switches will also increase the network's overall performance. By segmenting the network, it divides the large network into smaller and more practicable sections. Instead of all the computers trying to access the same connection point, having them broken down into clusters will improve the overall speed. Using layer 3 switches with the VLAN will also increase the network's security. We will be able to break up the network and avoid general traffic from flowing through more sensitive areas of the company. For example, the finance department will be separated from the main call center department. The network will also require users to log-in; avoiding unauthorized users from accessing secured data. VLAN protocol will help the switches stay connected to one another. I recommend using VTP V3 because it offers a higher level of security and more efficient data transmission. It is also compatible with VLAN port base over a physical set-up. I believe that the VLAN membership should be static type. This means that whichever switch the user is connected to designate the group that they belong to. It will make it easier to segment the different departments inside the company. As a back-up plan...