Configuring Access & Trunk Ports

1. Title
Configuring access & trunk ports

2. • To configure an interface to be an access interface,
the switchport mode access interface command is
used. This type of interface can be assigned only to a
single VLAN.
• To configure a trunk interface, the switchport mode
trunk interface command is used. This type of interface
can carry traffic of multiple VLANs.

3.
An example will help you understand the concept.

4. • Host A and host B are in different VLANs, VLAN 1
and VLAN 2. These ports need to be configured as
access ports and assigned to their respective VLANs
by using the following sequence of commands:
Because the link between SW1 and SW2 needs to
carry traffic of multiple VLANs, it needs to be
configured as a trunk interface

5. This is done by using the following commands on both
SW1 and SW2:
On SW1:
On SW2:
Now the link between SW1 and SW2 can carry traffic from both
the VLAN1 and VLAN2.

6. You can verify that an interface is indeed a trunk interface
by using the show interface Fa0/3 switchport command on
SW1:

7. • NOTE – VLAN 1 doesn't have to be created, it exists
by default. Also, by default, all ports are in the VLAN 1,
so Fa0/1 doesn't need the switchport access vlan 1
command.