Moxa PT-7528-20MSC-4TX-4GSFP-HV-HV [62/116] Benefits of vlans

PT-7528 Series Advanced Settings

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Benefits of VLANs

The main benefit of VLANs is that they provide a network segmentation system that is far more flexible than

traditional networks. Using VLANs also provides you with three other benefits:

• VLANs ease the relocation of devices on networks: With traditional networks, network administrators

spend much of their time dealing with moves and changes. If users move to a different subnetwork, the

addresses of each host must be updated manually. With a VLAN setup, if a host orignally on VLAN Marketing,

for example, is moved to a port on another part of the network, and retains its original subnet membership,

you only need to specify that the new port is on VLAN Marketing. You do not need to do any re-cabling.

• VLANs provide extra security: Devices within each VLAN can only communicate with other devices on

the same VLAN. If a device on VLAN Marketing needs to communicate with devices on VLAN Finance, the

traffic must pass through a routing device or Layer 3 switch.

• VLANs help control traffic: With traditional networks, congestion can be caused by broadcast traffic that

is directed to all network devices, regardless of whether or not they need it. VLANs increase the efficiency

of your network because each VLAN can be set up to contain only those devices that need to communicate

with each other.

VLANs and the Rackmount switch

Your Moxa switch provides support for VLANs using IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998. This standard allows traffic from

multiple VLANs to be carried across one physical link. The IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998 standard allows each port on

your Moxa switch to be placed as follows:

• On a single VLAN defined in the Moxa switch

• On several VLANs simultaneously using 802.1Q tagging

The standard requires that you define the 802.1Q VLAN ID for each VLAN on your Moxa switch before the switch

can use it to forward traffic:

Managing a VLAN

A new or initialized Moxa switch contains a single VLAN—the Default VLAN. This VLAN has the following

definition:

• VLAN Name—Management VLAN

• 802.1Q VLAN ID—1 (if tagging is required)

All the ports are initially placed on this VLAN, and it is the only VLAN that allows you to access the management

software of the Moxa switch over the network.

Switch A

Switch B

Department 1

VLAN 1

Department 2

VLAN 2

Department 3

VLAN 3

Backbone connects multiple switches