Lab 19: VTP — Central VLAN Management
Create VLANs once, everywhere: a VTP server switch propagates the VLAN database to clients over trunks. Powerful — and famously dangerous without its safety rules. Difficulty: Intermediate · Time: ~25 min.
Lab objectives
- Configure VTP domain + server/client modes
- Trunk the inter-switch link
- Create VLANs on the server, watch clients learn them
- Know the revision-number safety rule
Topology & addressing
2× 2960 switches trunked together. SW1 = VTP server, SW2 = client, domain ATTILA.
Step-by-step configuration
SW1: vtp domain ATTILAvtp mode server | The authority for VLAN definitions |
SW2: vtp domain ATTILAvtp mode client | Receives and applies the database |
SW1: vlan 10, vlan 20, vlan 30 | Create once, on the server only |
Verification
show vlan brief on SW2 — VLANs 10/20/30 appeared without local config. show vtp status — matching domain and a synchronized revision number. Safety habit for real gear: before adding ANY switch, reset its revision (change its domain name and back) so a stale high-revision database can never overwrite production.
Next lab: labs hub · test yourself: CCNA practice test.
Frequently asked questions
What problem does VTP solve?
Manual VLAN creation on every switch — the server propagates VLAN add/rename/delete to all clients in the domain over trunks.
What is the famous VTP danger?
A switch with a HIGHER revision number can overwrite the whole domain's VLAN database — even deleting production VLANs. Always zero a switch's revision before connecting.
Does VTP assign ports to VLANs?
No — it syncs VLAN definitions only; port assignments stay per-switch.
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