Part III: Ethernet LANs: Design, VLANs, and Troubleshooting

Chapter 10: Analyzing Ethernet LAN Designs

Chapter 11: Implementing Ethernet Virtual LANs

Chapter 12: Troubleshooting Ethernet LANs

Part III Review

Part III of this book builds on the basics of implementing Ethernet in Part II by taking the concepts, configuration, and troubleshooting another step or two deeper.

Now that you know the basics of how to build a small Ethernet LAN with Cisco switches, Part III begins by looking at typical Ethernet LAN designs. Understanding how a small LAN with one or two switches works is a great place to start, but understanding why an experienced network engineer might build a larger LAN a particular way helps you understand how LANs work in real networks.

VLANs are one of the most powerful design tools for a network designer. VLANs also have a huge impact on how a switch works, which then impacts how you verify and troubleshoot the operation of a campus LAN. The second chapter in this part of the book shows the details of VLAN operation, along with VLAN trunking.

The final chapter in this part of the book ends the chapters that focus on Ethernet. The Ethernet troubleshooting chapter, of course, discusses many details of how to troubleshoot an Ethernet LAN after you have implemented it. From a learning perspective, it also serves as a great review of many of the topics in Parts II and III of the book.