Question

Difficulty: MediumTroubleshooting VLAN, Trunking, and Switching Issues

A network administrator is troubleshooting a scenario where IP phones connected to an access switch are unable to obtain IP addresses or reach the gateway on VLAN 50. Meanwhile, workstations on VLAN 10 connected to the same switch are functioning normally across the 802.1Q trunk link to the core switch. Reviewing the access switch configuration reveals that VLAN 50 traffic is being dropped at the trunk port, and VLAN 50 does not appear in the switch's local VLAN database. Which TWO actions must the administrator perform on the access switch to restore network connectivity for the IP phones? (Select TWO)

  1. Create VLAN 50 in the switch global configuration mode.Answer
  2. B
    Change the native VLAN on the trunk interface to VLAN 50 so IP phone traffic bypasses 802.1Q tagging.
  3. Add VLAN 50 to the allowed VLAN list on the 802.1Q trunk interface.Answer
  4. D
    Decrease the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) bridge priority value on the access switch for VLAN 50.

Answer

The administrator must create VLAN 50 in the global configuration mode and explicitly add VLAN 50 to the allowed VLAN list on the trunk interface.
To forward Layer 2 traffic for a specific subnet/VLAN across a switched network, the VLAN must exist in the switch's local VLAN database and must be permitted on the 802.1Q trunk port connecting to the rest of the network. Creating VLAN 50 globally and adding VLAN 50 to the trunk's allowed VLAN list directly resolves both root causes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify missing Layer 2 VLAN definition
Recognize that a switch will not originate or forward traffic for a VLAN if the VLAN ID is not present in its local VLAN database.
VLANs must be explicitly defined in the switch configuration before ports can actively participate in that broadcast domain.
2
Identify trunk interface filtering restrictions
Determine that trunk links configured with allowed VLAN lists drop traffic for unlisted VLAN IDs.
Adding VLAN 50 to the trunk port's allowed list ensures tagged frames for VLAN 50 can traverse the link between switches.

Key Concept

VLAN Trunking and VLAN Database Configuration
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