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VLANs 52 — Servers (32) and Admin (33)
Enterprise Beginner 5 devices 6 checked tasks 100 points Free lab
One switch, two departments. Create VLAN 32 (SERVERS) and VLAN 33 (ADMIN), put Fa0/1-2 in the first and Fa0/3-4 in the second, and prove the pair in each VLAN still reaches each other. 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 is a free lab: it stays open on the free plan. It needs an account, which keeps your progress.
The scenario
One switch, two departments. Create VLAN 32 (SERVERS) and VLAN 33 (ADMIN), put Fa0/1-2 in the first and Fa0/3-4 in the second, and prove the pair in each VLAN still reaches each other.
Your role: a network engineer on the enterprise team. Level: Beginner Done when: all 6 goals show as passed (100 points).
Network status
Devices: 1 switch, 4 PCs, cabled as drawn. No Layer 1 or Layer 2 faults: every link is connected and up. Servers-1 is a host with 192.168.71.11/24. Servers-2 is a host with 192.168.71.12/24. Admin-1 is a host with 192.168.171.21/24. Admin-2 is a host with 192.168.171.22/24. SW-Meerut starts 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
VLAN 32 exists (10 pts) VLAN 33 exists (10 pts) Fa0/1 and Fa0/2 are access ports in VLAN 32 (25 pts) Fa0/3 and Fa0/4 are access ports in VLAN 33 (25 pts) The Servers PCs reach each other (15 pts) The Admin PCs reach each other (15 pts) The activity, in order
VLAN 32 exists Why: A port assigned to a VLAN that does not exist carries nothing. Verify with: show vlan brief VLAN 33 exists Why: A port assigned to a VLAN that does not exist carries nothing. Verify with: show vlan brief Fa0/1 and Fa0/2 are access ports in VLAN 32 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 Fa0/3 and Fa0/4 are access ports in VLAN 33 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 Servers PCs reach each other Why: A ping needs a route in BOTH directions. This is the end-to-end proof that everything before it worked. Verify with: ping 192.168.71.12 The Admin PCs reach each other Why: A ping needs a route in BOTH directions. This is the end-to-end proof that everything before it worked. Verify with: ping 192.168.171.22 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: Assigning a port to a VLAN that does not exist (older IOS) or forgetting switchport mode access Common mistake: Expecting different VLANs to talk without a router Common mistake: Typing the wrong range Why this matters
A VLAN is a broadcast domain defined in the switch, not by cables. Putting departments in separate VLANs keeps their broadcasts, and their mistakes, apart.
What you will be able to do
Create and name VLANs
Assign access ports to a VLAN
Verify with show vlan brief
The network
Catalyst 2960-24TT, PC — 5 devices in all, already cabled.
Fa0/1 Fa0 Fa0/2 Fa0 Fa0/3 Fa0 Fa0/4 Fa0 SW-Meerut Servers-1 192.168.71.11/24 Servers-2 192.168.71.12/24 Admin-1 192.168.171.21/24 Admin-2 192.168.171.22/24 Drawn from this lab: devices, cables, ports and the addresses already set. Device Model Address already set
SW-Meerut Catalyst 2960-24TT configure it Servers-1 PC 192.168.71.11 / 255.255.255.0 Servers-2 PC 192.168.71.12 / 255.255.255.0 Admin-1 PC 192.168.171.21 / 255.255.255.0 Admin-2 PC 192.168.171.22 / 255.255.255.0
Cabling
SW-Meerut Fa0/1 ↔ Servers-1 Fa0 SW-Meerut Fa0/2 ↔ Servers-2 Fa0 SW-Meerut Fa0/3 ↔ Admin-1 Fa0 SW-Meerut Fa0/4 ↔ Admin-2 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 VLAN 32 exists 10 On SW-Meerut: show vlan brief lists VLAN 32. 2 VLAN 33 exists 10 On SW-Meerut: show vlan brief lists VLAN 33. 3 Fa0/1 and Fa0/2 are access ports in VLAN 32 25 On SW-Meerut: show vlan brief — Fa0/1 is an access port in VLAN 32. and On SW-Meerut: show vlan brief — Fa0/2 is an access port in VLAN 32. 4 Fa0/3 and Fa0/4 are access ports in VLAN 33 25 On SW-Meerut: show vlan brief — Fa0/3 is an access port in VLAN 33. and On SW-Meerut: show vlan brief — Fa0/4 is an access port in VLAN 33. 5 The Servers PCs reach each other 15 On Servers-1: ping 192.168.71.12 must succeed. 6 The Admin PCs reach each other 15 On Admin-1: ping 192.168.171.22 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
Assigning a port to a VLAN that does not exist (older IOS) or forgetting switchport mode access
Expecting different VLANs to talk without a router
Typing the wrong range
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-Meerut vlan 32
name SERVERS
exit
vlan 33
name ADMIN
exit
interface range fa0/1 - 2
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 32
exit
interface range fa0/3 - 4
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 33
exit Where this is examined
CCNA 2.0 Network Access (VLANs); Network+ 2.3 switching.
This lab practises these topics in the zNetLaB certification courses:
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