Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

What are three advantages of VLANs?

1. VLANs provide less broadcast traffic, enhance network security, and conserve IP addresses.

2. VLANs allow access to services based on location, provide a method for routing, and enhance performance.

3. VLANs establish broadcast domains, simplify network management, and allow access based on department.

4. VLANs help connect to different locations, provide redundancy, and reduce overhead.

The correct answer is: VLANs establish broadcast domains, simplify network management, and allow access based on department.

VLANs, or Virtual Local Area Networks, play a crucial role in network design and management, offering several significant advantages. Establishing broadcast domains is a primary benefit; VLANs segment a network into distinct broadcast domains, which helps contain broadcast traffic to each VLAN rather than allowing it to propagate across the entire network. This containment reduces congestion, improves performance, and minimizes unnecessary traffic. Simplifying network management is another key advantage. VLANs enable administrators to group users and devices by the function or department rather than their physical locations. This logical grouping makes it easier to apply policies, manage permissions, and troubleshoot issues specific to certain user groups. VLANs help in organizing the network, making it more efficient to manage changes and scaling. The allowance for access based on department further reinforces the administrative benefits. By assigning devices to VLANs according to departmental needs, network managers can enforce security policies that align more closely with organizational structure. For instance, sensitive HR data can be restricted to a specific VLAN accessible only to authorized personnel within the HR department. Thus, these advantages highlight how VLANs enhance not only efficiency in resource use but also improve security and simplify the administration of complex networks.