User`s manual

TN-5516/5518 Series Featured Functions
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• Usage groups—You could have one VLAN for email users and another for multimedia users.
Benefits of VLANs
The main benefit of VLANs is that they provide a network segmentation system that is far more flexible than
traditional networks. Using VLANs also provides you with three other benefits:
• VLANs ease the relocation of devices on networks. With traditional networks, network administrators
spend much of their time dealing with moves and changes. If users move to a different subnetwork, the
addresses of each host must be updated manually. With a VLAN setup, if a host on VLAN Marketing, for
example, is moved to a port in another part of the network, and retains its original subnet membership, you
only need to specify that the new port is on VLAN Marketing. You do not need to carry out any re-cabling.
• VLANs provide extra security. Devices within each VLAN can only communicate with other devices on
the same VLAN. If a device on VLAN Marketing needs to communicate with devices on VLAN Finance, the
traffic must pass through a routing device or Layer 3 switch.
• VLANs help control traffic. With traditional networks, congestion can be caused by broadcast traffic that
is directed to all network devices, regardless of whether or not they need it. VLANs increase the efficiency
of your network because each VLAN can be set up to contain only those devices that need to communicate
with each other.
VLANs and the ToughNet switch
Your TN-5500 provides support for VLANs using IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998. This standard allows traffic from
multiple VLANs to be carried across one physical link. The IEEE Std 802.1Q-1998 standard allows each port on
your TN-5500 to be placed as follows:
• In a single VLAN defined on the TN-5500.
• In several VLANs simultaneously using 802.1Q tagging.
The standard requires that you define the 802.1Q VLAN ID about each VLAN on your TN-5500 before the switch
can use it to forward traffic:
Managing a VLAN
A new or initialized TN-5500 contains a single VLAN—the Default VLAN. This VLAN has the following definition:
• VLAN Name—Management VLAN.
• 802.1Q VLAN ID—1 (if tagging is required).
All the ports are initially placed in this VLAN, and it is the only VLAN that allows you to access the management
software of the TN-5500 over the network.