VLAN

Stands for "Virtual Local Area Network," or "Virtual LAN." A VLAN is a custom network created from one or more existing LANs. It enables groups of devices from multiple networks (both wired and wireless) to be combined into a single logical network. The result is a virtual LAN that can be administered like a physical local area network.

Say a company has three divisions within a single building — finance, marketing, and development. Even if these groups are spread across several locations, VLANs can be configured for each one. For instance, each member of the finance team could be assigned to the "finance" network, which would not be accessible by the marketing or development teams. This configuration limits unnecessary access to confidential information and provides added security within a local area network.

4,094 VLANs can be created within an Ethernet network using the 802.1Q protocol, but in most network configurations only a few VLANs are needed. Wireless devices can be included in a VLAN, but they must be routed through a wireless router that is connected to the LAN.

Published: 2009