CHAPT ER
9-1
Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Cisco IOS Software Configuration Guide—Release 12.1 E
78-14099-04
9
Configuring VLANs
This chapter describes how to configure VLANs on the Catalyst 6500 series switches.
Note For complete syntax and usage information for the commands used in this chapter, refer to the
Catalyst 6500 Series Switch Cisco IOS Command Reference publication.
This chapter consists of these sections:
Understanding How VLANs Work, page 9-1
VLAN Default Configuration, page 9-6
VLAN Configuration Guidelines and Restrictions, page 9-8
Configuring VLANs, page 9-9

Understanding How VLANs Work

The following sections describe how VLANs work:
VLAN Overview, page 9-1
VLAN Ranges, page 9-2
Configurable VLAN Parameters, page 9-3
Understanding Token Ring VLANs, page 9-3

VLAN Overview

A VLAN is a group of end stations with a common set of requirements, independent of physical location.
VLANs have the same attributes as a physical LAN but allow you to group end stations even if they are
not located physically on the same LAN segment.
VLANs are usually associated with IP subnetworks. For example, all the end stations in a particular IP
subnet belong to the same VLAN. Traffic between VLANs must be routed. LAN port VLAN
membership is assigned manually on an port-by-port basis.