Dell PowerConnect 7048P User Manual - Page 574

Table 21-1 provides an overview of the types of VLANs you can use to logically divide the network. Table 21-1. VLAN Assignment VLAN Assignment Port-based (Static) IP Subnet MAC-Based Protocol Description This is the most common way to assign hosts to VLANs. The port where the traffic enters the switch determines the VLAN membership. Hosts are assigned to a VLAN based on their IP address. All hosts in the same subnet are members of the same VLAN. The MAC address of the device determines the VLAN assignment. This type of VLAN is useful when a host might not always connect to the network through the same port but needs to be on the same VLAN. Protocol-based VLANs were developed to separate traffic based on the protocol type before IP traffic became the de facto standard in the LAN. Use a protocol-based VLAN on networks where you might have a group of hosts that use IPX or another legacy protocol. With protocol-based VLANs, you can segregate traffic based on the EtherType value in the frame. Switchport Modes You can configure each port on a PowerConnect 7000 Series switch to be in one of the following modes: • Access - Access ports are intended to connect end-stations to the system, especially when the end-stations are incapable of generating VLAN tags. • Trunk - Trunk-mode ports are intended for Switch-to-Switch links, where in general all traffic is tagged. • General - General ports can be either access or trunk ports. VLAN membership rules that apply to a port are based on the switchport mode configured for the port. Table 21-2 shows the behavior of the three switchport modes. 574 Configuring VLANs