The Ultimate Networking Quiz: VLAN

The correct answer is 802.1Q. This protocol is used to carry multiple VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) over a single trunk. It adds a VLAN tag to the Ethernet frame, allowing the network devices to identify and separate the VLAN traffic. This helps in improving network efficiency and scalability by allowing multiple VLANs to coexist on the same physical network infrastructure.

The correct answer is "show ip route" because this command is used to view the routing table on a multilayer switch. The routing table contains information about the network destinations and the routes to reach them. By using this command, network administrators can see the routes that the switch has learned and make necessary adjustments or troubleshoot any routing issues.

If you are running ISL (Inter-Switch Link) on an external router interface, you would need to use a Trunk link on the switch port. A Trunk link allows for the transmission of multiple VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) over a single link, which is necessary when using ISL. This allows the switch and the router to communicate and exchange VLAN information effectively.

To view the configuration of the virtual hardware address (SVI) assigned to VLAN2 on a multilayer switch, you can use the command "show interface vlan 2". This command will display the interface details and configuration settings specifically for VLAN2.

This configuration is described as "router-on-a-stick". In this setup, a single trunk link between the router's FastEthernet port and the switch port is used for interVLAN routing. The router acts as a gateway for the VLANs, allowing them to communicate with each other. By using a single trunk link, it simplifies the network design and reduces the number of physical connections required.

The correct answer is "Switch(config)#int vlan 1 Switch(config-if)#ip address 208.211.78.200 255.255.255.240". This is the correct command sequence to configure VLAN 1 on a switch with the given IP address and subnet mask. The "int vlan 1" command is used to enter the interface configuration mode for VLAN 1, and the "ip address" command is used to assign the IP address and subnet mask to the interface.

A correct configuration for a subinterface on an external router would be "int fa0/0.3980". This means that the subinterface is on the FastEthernet 0/0 interface and has a VLAN ID of 3980.

With subinterfaces on a FastEthernet interface, you can create up to 1000 VLANs. Subinterfaces allow for the division of a physical interface into multiple logical interfaces, each capable of supporting a different VLAN. Therefore, by creating subinterfaces, you can effectively increase the number of VLANs that can be created on a FastEthernet interface to a maximum of 1000.

The distinction between Layer 2 and Layer 3 operations at the core is that the Layer 2 core manages its redundant links using STP (Spanning Tree Protocol), while the Layer 3 core manages redundant links using a routing protocol. STP is a protocol that prevents loops in a network by blocking redundant links, ensuring a loop-free topology. On the other hand, a routing protocol is used in Layer 3 to determine the best path for data packets to reach their destination. Therefore, the Layer 2 core focuses on link redundancy management, while the Layer 3 core focuses on routing and path selection.

Directly connected subnets automatically appear in the routing table on a multilayer switch when routing between directly connected VLANs. Therefore, no routing protocols need to be configured in this scenario.

Multilayer switches have the advantage of high-speed routing because the router is integrated within the switch. This integration allows for faster processing of routing tasks compared to a separate router. As a result, multilayer switches can efficiently handle the switching of Layer 2 packets between switch ports while also performing routing functions. This integration eliminates the need for a separate router-on-a-stick configuration, making multilayer switches a more efficient solution for routing tasks.

The correct answer is "no switchport". This command is used to remove the switchport configuration from a physical port on a Catalyst switch and enable routing on that port. By removing the switchport configuration, the port is no longer treated as a Layer 2 switchport and can be configured with Layer 3 IP addressing and routing protocols.

In networks with few VLANs, individual router physical interfaces can be used for InterVLAN routing instead of a router-on-a-stick configuration. This is because the number of VLANs is small, and each VLAN can be assigned to a separate physical interface on the router. This allows for direct routing between the VLANs without the need for a trunk link and subinterfaces.

A Layer 3 switch is the most scalable inter-VLAN routing option because it combines the functionality of a router and a switch. It can route traffic between VLANs at wire speed, making it faster and more efficient than a router. Additionally, a Layer 3 switch can handle a larger number of VLANs and has more advanced routing capabilities, such as support for dynamic routing protocols. This makes it the ideal choice for large networks that require high-performance inter-VLAN routing.

Layer 2 switches break up collision domains by default. Collision domains are segments of a network where packets can collide with each other, causing data loss and network congestion. Layer 2 switches use MAC addresses to forward packets only to the intended recipient, effectively separating devices into different collision domains. This improves network performance and reduces the likelihood of collisions.

The primary advantage of using a trunk link is the reduction of router and switch ports. Trunking allows multiple VLANs to be carried over a single physical link, reducing the number of ports required on both the router and the switch. This helps to optimize the use of available ports and simplifies network management.

The answer "4.2 billion" suggests that a FastEthernet port can have a very large number of subinterfaces created on it. This indicates that there is no specific limit to the number of subinterfaces that can be created on a FastEthernet port.

The correct answer is Switch(config-subif)#encap isl 3. This command configures the VLAN 3 interface on the switch to use the ISL encapsulation protocol when communicating with an external router.

The command "mac-address mac_address" is used to set a virtual hardware address on a VLAN interface. This command allows the user to specify a specific MAC address to be assigned to the VLAN interface, which is important for network communication and identification purposes. By setting a virtual hardware address, the user can ensure that the VLAN interface is uniquely identified within the network.

To view the configuration of the virtual hardware address (SVI) assigned to VLAN2 on a multilayer switch, you would use the "show run" command. This command displays the running configuration of the switch, including any SVI configurations.