Unveil the Mystery Behind VLANs: A Network/Internet Primer

The meaning of ‘VLAN’ in Network/Internet is ‘Virtual Local Area Network’.

Meaning of ‘VLAN’

A Virtual Local Area Network, or VLAN, is a network of computers and other devices that are connected together in a virtual environment. It is designed to allow users to access resources from any location within the network. VLANs are used by organizations to segregate networks for security and operational purposes.

A VLAN is a logical grouping of computers and other networking devices that share the same broadcast domain. This means that all of the devices within the same VLAN can communicate with each other without having to go through a router or switch. Each device within the VLAN has its own IP address, allowing them to communicate with each other directly.

VLANs are typically used by enterprises for segmenting traffic, providing segmentation for security reasons or for isolating different departments within an organization. For example, if there are two departments using the same physical network infrastructure but have different requirements, they can be placed in separate VLANs and secured at layer 2 rather than layer 3 (the network layer). This reduces the risk of unauthorized access between departments as each department’s data remains confined only to their designated VLAN.

In addition to providing security benefits, VLANs can also be used as a way to improve performance on certain types of networks such as Voice over IP (VoIP) systems which require low latency communication between phones and gateways. Using multiple distinct VLANs allows VoIP traffic to be isolated from other types of traffic so that it does not interfere with those services or cause delays in voice communications.

VLANs also provide effective scalability since they can be configured dynamically and quickly when new users need access to resources that may not already be available on the existing network infrastructure. Furthermore, they make it easier for administrators who need to manage multiple networks because they can easily configure each VLAN separately without having to reconfigure entire networks every time changes occur.

Finally, using multiple distinct VLANs also makes it easier for organizations to implement Quality of Service (QoS) policies on their networks since applications running in different virtual local area networks can be prioritized differently depending on their importance or purpose.

The concept behind Virtual Local Area Networks has become increasingly important in today’s information technology landscape due its versatility and ability to help organizations better secure their data while improving overall performance and scalability. By utilizing multiple distinct virtual local area networks within an organization’s internal infrastructure, organizations can benefit from enhanced security measures while still maintaining high levels of availability and reliability for their applications and services.

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