VLAN and Subnet are both developed to deal with segmenting or partitioning a portion of the network. And they also share such similarities as restricting broadcast domains or ensuring security through isolation of different sub-networks. However, there are obvious differences between them on operation, functionality and deeper objectives. This post will focus on VLAN vs Subnet: what's the difference?
VLAN vs Subnet: What Are They?
Subnet is a small network composed by a group of IP addresses. It is part of a larger network. Any IP address within the same Subnet can communicate with each other without using routing devices. To be clear, we can think Subnet as the department of a company, people in the same department can talk freely without going out of their department. If you want to reach a address outside of your Subnet, you will have to go through a router or modern Gigabit Ethernet switch with router functionality. Since Subnet is related to IP address, it often works at layer 3.
VLAN, also known as virtual LAN, is a group of devices on one or more LANs in regardless of physical location. That’s to say, it allows devices to be grouped together even though they are not connected on the same fiber switch. However, it often requires the network hardware/software to support VLAN functionality, for example, VLAN switch is essential for setting up a VLAN network. In VLAN, configuration of the network can be done via software extensively. Basically, VLANs are used at layer 2 to break up broadcast domains.
VLAN vs Subnet: What’s the Difference?
As mentioned above, VLAN and Subnet are totally different things in a close look. The following chart lists the differences between VLAN and Subnet in details:
VLAN vs Subnet: Which One Do You Like?
VLAN and Subnet both have their advantages and limits. For example, VLAN allows for creation of different logical and physical networks while Subnet only allows for creation of different logical networks. However, if a network sniffer is employed, users from one Subnet can discover the existence of other Subnets, this will not happen to users of different VLANs. So VLAN vs Subnet: which do you prefer?
Originally Published at http://www.fiber-optic-transceiver-module.com/vlan-vs-subnet.html
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