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VLANs across two switches 14 — Printers and Sales on both floors
Enterprise Intermediate 6 devices 5 checked tasks 100 points Plan lab
Scenario — Ranchi has two floors, each with its own switch, and Printers and Sales sit on both. Create VLAN 36 (PRINTERS) and VLAN 37 (SALES) on both switches, put each PC in its department's VLAN (Fa0/1 = Printers, Fa0/2 = Sales), and join the floors with a trunk on Gi0/1 so a department is one broadcast domain across the building. You build it in a browser, type real commands at each device, and every task below is
checked against the running configuration — so you find out it is wrong before anybody else does.
Open this lab in the simulator
The simulator runs in your browser with nothing to install. This lab is part of the full simulator: open it free for 7 days with a new account, then with a plan. It needs an account, which keeps your progress.
The scenario
Ranchi has two floors, each with its own switch, and Printers and Sales sit on both. Create VLAN 36 (PRINTERS) and VLAN 37 (SALES) on both switches, put each PC in its department's VLAN (Fa0/1 = Printers, Fa0/2 = Sales), and join the floors with a trunk on Gi0/1 so a department is one broadcast domain across the building.
Your role: a network engineer on the enterprise team. Level: Intermediate Done when: all 5 goals show as passed (100 points).
Network status
Devices: 2 switchs, 4 PCs, cabled as drawn. No Layer 1 or Layer 2 faults: every link is connected and up. Printers-1F is a host with 192.168.33.11/24. Sales-1F is a host with 192.168.133.21/24. Printers-2F is a host with 192.168.33.12/24. Sales-2F is a host with 192.168.133.22/24. SW-Ranchi, SW-Amritsar start with an empty configuration. Known problems
None: nothing is misconfigured. The network is simply not finished: what the goals list is what you have to build or secure. Goals
Both switches know VLAN 36 and VLAN 37 (20 pts) Every PC port is an access port in its department's VLAN (25 pts) The floors are joined by a trunk on Gi0/1 (25 pts) Printers on the first floor reaches Printers on the second (15 pts) Sales on the first floor reaches Sales on the second (15 pts) The activity, in order
Both switches know VLAN 36 and VLAN 37 Why: A port assigned to a VLAN that does not exist carries nothing. Verify with: show vlan brief Every PC port is an access port in its department's VLAN Why: A VLAN is a separate broadcast domain; the port’s VLAN decides which devices can talk without a router. Verify with: show vlan brief The floors are joined by a trunk on Gi0/1 Why: A trunk carries many VLANs over one cable, tagged with 802.1Q. Both ends must agree. Verify with: show interfaces trunk Printers on the first floor reaches Printers on the second Why: A ping needs a route in BOTH directions. This is the end-to-end proof that everything before it worked. Verify with: ping 192.168.33.12 Sales on the first floor reaches Sales on the second Why: A ping needs a route in BOTH directions. This is the end-to-end proof that everything before it worked. Verify with: ping 192.168.133.22 Tips
Work in the order given: later goals depend on the earlier ones. After every change, run the verify command before moving on; do not guess. Stuck? Read the verify output first. It names the interface, neighbour or route that is wrong. Common mistake: A VLAN created on one switch only — its frames die at the trunk Common mistake: Leaving one end of the link as an access port Common mistake: Forgetting switchport mode access and keeping dynamic negotiation Why this matters
A VLAN is a broadcast domain, and a trunk carries several of them over one cable tagged with 802.1Q. The same VLAN has to exist on both ends, otherwise its frames are dropped at the far switch.
What you will be able to do
Create the same VLANs on two switches
Configure a trunk and read what it carries
Prove a VLAN spans two switches
The network
Catalyst 2960-24TT, PC — 6 devices in all, already cabled.
Gi0/1 Gi0/1 Fa0/1 Fa0 Fa0/2 Fa0 Fa0/1 Fa0 Fa0/2 Fa0 SW-Ranchi SW-Amritsar Printers-1F 192.168.33.11/24 Sales-1F 192.168.133.21/24 Printers-2F 192.168.33.12/24 Sales-2F 192.168.133.22/24 Drawn from this lab: devices, cables, ports and the addresses already set. Device Model Address already set
SW-Ranchi Catalyst 2960-24TT configure it SW-Amritsar Catalyst 2960-24TT configure it Printers-1F PC 192.168.33.11 / 255.255.255.0 Sales-1F PC 192.168.133.21 / 255.255.255.0 Printers-2F PC 192.168.33.12 / 255.255.255.0 Sales-2F PC 192.168.133.22 / 255.255.255.0
Cabling
SW-Ranchi Gi0/1 ↔ SW-Amritsar Gi0/1 SW-Ranchi Fa0/1 ↔ Printers-1F Fa0 SW-Ranchi Fa0/2 ↔ Sales-1F Fa0 SW-Amritsar Fa0/1 ↔ Printers-2F Fa0 SW-Amritsar Fa0/2 ↔ Sales-2F Fa0
What is configured at the start
Nothing is configured to start with beyond the addresses above: you build the configuration from a clean start.
Tasks, and how each one is checked
Every task is decided by reading the live network — a neighbour in FULL, a ping that succeeds, a line in the running configuration — not by looking for a keyword you typed. The same command shows you what the lab sees.
# Task Pts How to verify it yourself
1 Both switches know VLAN 36 and VLAN 37 20 On SW-Ranchi: show vlan brief lists VLAN 36. and On SW-Ranchi: show vlan brief lists VLAN 37. and On SW-Amritsar: show vlan brief lists VLAN 36. and On SW-Amritsar: show vlan brief lists VLAN 37. 2 Every PC port is an access port in its department's VLAN 25 On SW-Ranchi: show vlan brief — Fa0/1 is an access port in VLAN 36. and On SW-Ranchi: show vlan brief — Fa0/2 is an access port in VLAN 37. and On SW-Amritsar: show vlan brief — Fa0/1 is an access port in VLAN 36. and On SW-Amritsar: show vlan brief — Fa0/2 is an access port in VLAN 37. 3 The floors are joined by a trunk on Gi0/1 25 On SW-Ranchi: show interfaces trunk lists Gi0/1. and On SW-Amritsar: show interfaces trunk lists Gi0/1. 4 Printers on the first floor reaches Printers on the second 15 On Printers-1F: ping 192.168.33.12 must succeed. 5 Sales on the first floor reaches Sales on the second 15 On Sales-1F: ping 192.168.133.22 must succeed.
Stuck? Ask the coach
Tell the coach what you see or what you tried. It gives you a hint, not the answer, the way a senior engineer would. Included with a free trial or any plan.
Ask the coach
Common mistakes
A VLAN created on one switch only — its frames die at the trunk
Leaving one end of the link as an access port
Forgetting switchport mode access and keeping dynamic negotiation
Reference solution
Try it yourself first — the lab checks your work either way. This is one configuration that makes every task pass, device by device:
SW-Ranchi vlan 36
name PRINTERS
exit
vlan 37
name SALES
exit
interface fa0/1
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 36
exit
interface fa0/2
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 37
exit
interface g0/1
switchport mode trunk
exit SW-Amritsar vlan 36
name PRINTERS
exit
vlan 37
name SALES
exit
interface fa0/1
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 36
exit
interface fa0/2
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 37
exit
interface g0/1
switchport mode trunk
exit Where this is examined
CCNA 2.0 VLANs and trunking.
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