What does VLAN stand for and what is its purpose?

VLAN stands for Virtual Local Area Network, and its primary purpose is to segment a network into separate logical networks. This segmentation allows network administrators to create distinct broadcast domains within the same physical network infrastructure. By doing so, VLANs improve network management, enhance security, and reduce network congestion.

This logical separation means that devices on the same physical network can be grouped together based on their function or department rather than their physical location. For example, all devices within the sales department can be assigned to the same VLAN, while devices in the engineering department can be on a different VLAN. This allows for improved control over traffic flow and can enforce policies or security measures specific to each group.

Using VLANs enables easier troubleshooting and flexibility in managing networks, as devices can be added or moved within the network without needing to reconfigure the physical topology.