Question

Difficulty: EasyVLAN Configuration and 802.1Q Trunking

Match each VLAN configuration or 802.1Q trunking component on the left with its correct operational description on the right.

  • Access PortCarries traffic for a single assigned VLAN and connects directly to end-user devices.
  • Trunk PortCarries traffic for multiple VLANs across a single physical link using frame encapsulation.
  • Native VLANTransmits and receives untagged frame traffic across an 802.1Q trunk link.
  • 802.1Q HeaderInserts a 4-byte field into the Ethernet frame containing a 12-bit VLAN ID (VID).

Answer

Access Port matches 'Carries traffic for a single assigned VLAN and connects directly to end-user devices.', Trunk Port matches 'Carries traffic for multiple VLANs across a single physical link using frame encapsulation.', Native VLAN matches 'Transmits and receives untagged frame traffic across an 802.1Q trunk link.', and 802.1Q Header matches 'Inserts a 4-byte field into the Ethernet frame containing a 12-bit VLAN ID (VID)'.
Each VLAN term corresponds directly to its standard IEEE 802.1Q definition: Access ports connect single-VLAN end devices, trunk ports transport multi-VLAN traffic across switches, native VLANs process untagged frames on a trunk, and 802.1Q headers insert 4 bytes of tagging information containing the VLAN ID.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the role of an Access Port
Connects end-user devices and carries traffic for only one assigned VLAN.
Access ports strip tags before forwarding traffic to host endpoints.
2
Identify the role of a Trunk Port
Carries traffic from multiple VLANs between switches or switches and routers.
Trunks allow multiple logical networks to share a single physical cabling interface.
3
Identify the purpose of the Native VLAN
Manages untagged frame transmission over 802.1Q trunk connections.
By default, 802.1Q trunk links process untagged frames on the assigned native VLAN.
4
Identify the function of the 802.1Q Header
Inserts a 4-byte tag into the Ethernet frame specifying the 12-bit VLAN ID.
Frame tagging allows receiving switch ports to identify which VLAN the frame belongs to.

Key Concept

VLAN Trunking and 802.1Q Tagging Basics
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