VLAN Port Types: Trunk vs. Access
VLAN port types, trunk and access, serve distinct roles in managing VLAN traffic within a network. An access port is configured to carry traffic for a single VLAN, typically used for end devices like PCs or printers, where the device is unaware of VLAN tagging. It strips VLAN tags from incoming frames before delivering them to the device and adds tags to outgoing frames based on its configured VLAN. In contrast, a trunk port carries traffic for multiple VLANs, tagging each frame with its VLAN ID to maintain separation between VLANs as the traffic traverses switches. Trunk ports are essential for interconnecting switches or connecting to devices like routers or servers that handle multiple VLANs. This distinction is necessary to segregate and manage network traffic efficiently, enabling secure and logical network segmentation across different parts of an organization while supporting scalability and traffic isolation.
