Virtual local area network (VLAN)

A virtual local area network (VLAN) is a logical group of workstations, servers, and network devices that appear to be on the same LAN despite their geographical distribution. A VLAN allows a network of computers and users to communicate in a simulated environment as if they exist in a single LAN and are sharing a single broadcast and multicast domain. virtual local area network (VLANs) are implemented to achieve scalability, security, and ease of network management and can quickly adapt to changes in network requirements and relocation of workstations and server nodes. Higher-end switches allow the functionality and implementation of VLANs. The purpose of implementing a virtual local area network (VLAN) is to improve the performance of a network or apply appropriate security features. A broadcast domain is a network segment in which if a device broadcasts a packet then all the devices in the same broadcast domain will receive it. The devices in the same broadcast domain will receive all the broadcast packet but it is limited to switches only as routers don’t forward out the broadcast packet. To forward out the packets to different virtual local area network (VLAN) (from one VLAN to another) or broadcast domain, inter Vlan routing is needed. Through VLAN, different small size sub-networks are created which are comparatively easy to handle.