Which of the following statements is TRUE about trunk ports?
A.
A trunk port connects an end-user workstation to a switch.
B.
A trunk port uses 802.1q to identify traffic from different VLANs.
C.
A trunk port supports a single VLAN.
D.
A trunk port uses a straight-through Ethernet cable when connecting two switches.
Explanation:
A switch port can operate as an access port or a trunk port. An access port is used to connect to an end-user
device, such as a workstation, server, or printer, while a trunk port is used to connect to neighboring switches or
routers. The trunk link is responsible for carrying data between workstations connected to different switches, or
a switch and a router configured for inter-VLAN routing. For example, in the diagram below where VLANs are in
use on both switches and inter-VLAN routing is configured, the interfaces will operate as follows:
SW1 – Fa0/1 and Fa0/2 are trunk links, Fa0/0 is an access link
SW2 – Fa0/0 is trunk link and Fa0/1 is an access link
RTR – Fa0/2 is a trunk link
With the exception of frames traveling on the native VLAN, data frames crossing a trunk link must be frame
tagged over the link to identify the VLAN that sourced the frame. The receiving switch sees the VLAN ID, and
uses this information to forward the frame appropriately. 802.1q and ISL are the two possible frame tagging
methods between Cisco switches. In summary, some facts about access and trunk ports:
Access ports:
Carry traffic for a single VLAN
Connect end user workstations to the switch
Use a straight-through cable to connect to the device
Trunk ports:
Facilitate inter-VLAN communication when connected to a Layer 3 device
Carry traffic from multiple VLANs
Use 802.1q to identify traffic from different VLANs
When a new trunk link is created on a switch, all VLANs are allowed to use the trunk, by default.
Trunk ports are used between switches and routers, and do not connect to end-user workstations.
Trunk ports support all VLANs known to the switch by default, so that devices in the same VLAN can
communicate across multiple switches. Trunk ports are not limited to a single VLAN, as access ports are.Trunk ports connected between switches using crossover Ethernet cables, not straight-through Ethernet
cables. Trunk ports between switches and routers use straight-through cables.
Objective:
LAN Switching Fundamentals
Sub-Objective:
Configure, verify, and troubleshoot interswitch connectivityHome > Articles > Network Technology > General Networking > VLANs and Trunking
