Configuring VLANs on Cisco switches - help on basics please!

[raphaelrosenthal]

Hi people.

I'm buying Cisco switches to my home lab to practice VLAN and have some doubts, would someone kindly help me?

I'm thinking of buying two 300 series switches for the servers (VMware boxes), configure two separate VLANs for VMs and two other VLANs for desktop computers, in order to simulate a small office with a datacenter and two floors (one VLAN for each floor).

I presume that the connection between each floor switch and the 300 series core switch will be via trunk mode on both, not access port mode, is that correct?

Another question: for the desktop switches, the ports that are going to connect to the desktops (which runs windows with non-vlan tagging aware nic), will be configured with the correct VLAN, and the operating system will just communicate normally as if there was no VLAN tag on the frames?

Since I need inter-vlan routing only on the core switch (the 300 series), for the desktops switches I can purchase some 200 series, right?

And the last question: presuming that I configure a third VLAN and add a third floor switch, but this time a 100 series switch that is not VLAN capable, so connecting this switch to the 300 switch, will it work, or not?

Thank you!

[Rajeev Sharma]

Hey,

Regarding your questions:

I presume that the connection between each floor switch and the 300 series core switch will be via trunk mode on both, not access port mode, is that correct? - Yes, trunk links are required to carry multiple vlans.

Another question: for the desktop switches, the ports that are going to connect to the desktops (which runs windows with non-vlan tagging aware nic), will be configured with the correct VLAN, and the operating system will just communicate normally as if there was no VLAN tag on the frames? - Correct again, these host ports will be configured as access link.

Since I need inter-vlan routing only on the core switch (the 300 series), for the desktops switches I can purchase some 200 series, right? - Yes, C2900 series switches are L2 only.

And the last question: presuming that I configure a third VLAN and add a third floor switch, but this time a 100 series switch that is not VLAN capable, so connecting this switch to the 300 switch, will it work, or not? - Yes, bit make sure that link between these two switches should be an access link, i.e must carry only third vlan.

HTH.

Regards,

RS.

[raphaelrosenthal]

Hi! Thanks for the rapid answers!

I have a couple more based on the same questions:

I presume that the connection between each floor switch and the 300 series core switch will be via trunk mode on both, not access port mode, is that correct? - Yes, trunk links are required to carry multiple vlans.

So, I could also use multiple links with LAG/LACP carrying all vlans between switches?

And the last question: presuming that I configure a third VLAN and add a third floor switch, but this time a 100 series switch that is not VLAN capable, so connecting this switch to the 300 switch, will it work, or not? - Yes, bit make sure that link between these two switches should be an access link, i.e must carry only third vlan.

So, If I understand correctly, if having one vlan per floor in an office building, for economical reasons you could deploy simple non-managed and non-vlan capable switches, and in the data center, a core switch with the vlans configured for each floor?

And viewing from a technical perspective, what would be the advantages of deploying in each floor a vlan capable switch configured with the correct vlan?

And which method mentioned above is more common deployed for endpoint floor switches?

Thanks!

[Rajeev Sharma]

Hey,

See answers inline:

So, I could also use multiple links with LAG/LACP carrying all vlans between switches? - Indeed you may use either PaGP or LACP

So, If I understand correctly, if having one vlan per floor in an office building, for economical reasons you could deploy simple non-managed and non-vlan capable switches, and in the data center, a core switch with the vlans configured for each floor? - You may; however need to consider the size of broadcast and collision domain.

And viewing from a technical perspective, what would be the advantages of deploying in each floor a vlan capable switch configured with the correct vlan? - You will have greater control over  broadcast and collision domain management.

And which method mentioned above is more common deployed for endpoint floor switches? - I would suggest manageable boxes but cost is a big factor as these boxes will be little costly so check your requirements.

HTH.

Regards,

RS.