When you understand how a switch and router operate, how they communicate, and how to configure basic security, you can move on to understanding an expanded network. VLANs contribute to network performance by separating large broadcast domains into smaller segments. A VLAN allows a network administrator to create logical groups of network devices. These devices act as if they were in their own independent network, even though they share a common infrastructure with other VLANs. This course explains how to implement and verify VLANs and trunking.
Routing is the process of determining where to send data packets that are destined for addresses outside of the local network. Routers gather and maintain routing information to enable the transmission and receipt of data packets. For traffic to cross from one VLAN to another, a Layer 3 process is necessary. This course describes the basics of inter-VLAN routing operations, including subinterfaces and router on a stick.
Originally, network administrators had to manually configure the host address, default gateway, and other network parameters on each host. However, DHCP provides these parameters dynamically. This lesson describes the use of a Cisco router as a DHCP server, which decreases the administrative burden of assigning IP addresses by using DHCP.
