ABSTRACT
The second way VLANs can be segmented is by MAC address. In this method, switches maintain tables of MAC addresses with their VLAN membership. With this form of membership, the nodes on a shared segment need not belong to the same VLAN. However, the fact that members of two VLANs reside in a single collision domain will diminish some of the traffic containment advantages ofVLANs. Because MAC addresses are tightly associated with NICs, this Layer 2 VLAN definition has the advantage of portability. Wherever a workstation or laptop is plugged in across the switched network, the switches will recognize it as a member of the assigned VLAN.
