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Course Code Product Product Version Course Version

V5R2 V1R1

Author/ID Date Reviewer/ID New/ Update

Shi Miaomiao/swx791350 2019.10.23

age 1 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Inter-VLAN Communication

age 2 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Forewor
d

By default, a Layer 2 switching network is a broadcast domain, which brings
many problems. Virtual local area network (VLAN) technology isolates such
broadcast domains, preventing users in different VLANs from communicating
with each other. However, such users sometimes need to communicate.

This course describes how to implement inter-VLAN communication.

age 3 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Objective
s

On completion of this course, you will be able to understand:

Methods of implementing inter-VLAN communication.

How to use routers (physical interfaces or sub-interfaces) to implement inter-
VLAN communication.

How to use Layer 3 switches to implement inter-VLAN communication.

How Layer 3 packets are forwarded.

age 4 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Content
s
1. Background
2. Using Routers' Physical Interfaces or Sub-interfaces to Implement Inter-
VLAN Communication
3. Using VLANIF Interfaces to Implement Inter-VLAN Communication
4. Layer 3 Communication Process

age 5 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Inter-VLAN Communication (1)

In real-world network deployments, different IP address segments are assigned to different VLANs.

PCs on the same network segment in the same VLAN can directly communicate with each other without
the need for Layer 3 forwarding devices. This communication mode is called Layer 2 communication.

Inter-VLAN communication belongs to Layer 3 communication, which requires Layer 3 devices.

Layer 2 switch

Layer 2 Layer 2
communicatio communication
n

VLAN VLAN
10
192.168.10.0/2 20
192.168.20.0/2
4 4

Layer 3 communication

age 6 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Inter-VLAN Communication (2)

Common Layer 3 devices: routers, Layer 3 switches, firewalls, etc.

Inter-VLAN communication is implemented by connecting a Layer 2 switch to a
Layer 3 interface of a Layer 3 device. The communication packets are routed by the
Layer 3 device. 3
3
2 Layer 2
interface Rout 2
3 Layer 3 2
er Layer 2 switch
interface 2
2
2 2

VLAN VLAN
10
192.168.10.0/2 20
192.168.20.0/2
4 4

age 7 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Content
s
1. Background
2. Using Routers' Physical Interfaces or Sub-interfaces to Implement
Inter-VLAN Communication
3. Using VLANIF Interfaces to Implement Inter-VLAN Communication
4. Layer 3 Communication Process

age 8 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Using Physical Using Sub-
Interfaces interfaces

Using a Router's Physical Interfaces

Physical Connection
• The Layer 3 interfaces of the router function as
R
1 gateways to forward traffic from the local
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2 network segment to other network segments.
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.25 • The Layer 3 interfaces of the router cannot
4 process data frames with VLAN tags. Therefore,
GE 0/0/3 GE 0/0/4
the interfaces of the switch connected to the
Access (VLAN Access (VLAN 20) router must be set to the access type.
10) • One physical interface of the router can function
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2 as the gateway of only one VLAN, meaning that
Access (VLAN Access (VLAN 20)
SW the number of required physical interfaces are
10)
1 determined by the quantity of the deployed
VLAN VLAN VLANs.
10 20 • A router, mainly forwarding packets at Layer 3,
PC1 PC2
192.168.10.2/24 192.168.20.2/24
provides only a small number of physical
Default gateway: Default gateway: interfaces. Therefore, the scalability of this
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254
solution is poor.
age 9 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Using Physical Using Sub-
Interfaces interfaces

Using a Router's Sub-interfaces

Physical Connection

A sub-interface is a logical interface created on
R a router's Ethernet interface and is identified by
1
a physical interface number and a sub-interface
GE 0/0/1.10 GE 0/0/1.20 number. Similar to a physical interface, a sub-
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254
interface can perform Layer 3 forwarding.

G 0/0/24 
Different from a physical interface, a sub-
Trunk VLANs 10
interface can terminate data frames with VLAN
20
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2 tags.
Access (VLAN 10) SW Access (VLAN 20)
1

You can create multiple sub-interfaces on one
physical interface. After connecting the physical
VLAN VLAN
10 20 interface to the trunk interface of the switch,
PC1 PC2
192.168.10.2/24 192.168.20.2/24
the physical interface can provide Layer 3
Default gateway: Default gateway:
forwarding services for multiple VLANs.
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254

age 10 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Using Physical Using Sub-
Interfaces interfaces

Sub-Interface Processing

The interface connecting the switch to the router is set to a trunk interface. The router
forwards the received packets to the corresponding sub-interfaces according to the VLAN tags
in the packets. Packets carrying VLAN
GE GE
0/0/1.10 0/0/1.20 10
Packets carrying VLAN 20

GE 0/0/1 R1 GE
R1 GE 0/0/1.10
GE
0/0/1
0/0/1.20

SW1 • Based on the VLAN ID carried in

VLAN VLAN a packet, the device forwards
10 20 the packet to the corresponding
Trunk sub-interface (for example, GE
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/24 GE 0/0/2 0/0/1.10) for processing.
• Through sub-interfaces, the
Trunk device can implement inter-VLAN
GE communication at Layer 3.
0/0/24
SW1
192.168.10.2/24 192.168.20.2/24
Default gateway: Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254

age 11 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Using Physical Using Sub-
Interfaces interfaces

Example for Configuring Sub-

interfaces
[R1]interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1.10
[R1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1.10]dot1q termination vid 10
[R1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1.10]ip address
192.168.10.254 24
R1 [R1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1.10]arp broadcast enable

The VLAN IDs to be terminated need to be

configured on the sub-interfaces.
The router selects proper sub-interfaces
GE
GE based on the VLAN IDs of the received
0/0/1.10
0/0/1 GE packets. (The sub-interfaces accept tagged
0/0/1.20
packets.)
The packets sent by the sub-interfaces carry
the configured termination VLAN IDs.

Trunk [R1]interface GigabitEthernet0/0/1.20

GE0/0/24 [R1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1.20]dot1q termination vid
20
SW1 [R1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1.20]ip address
192.168.20.254 24
[R1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1.20]arp broadcast enable
age 12 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Content
s
1. Background
2. Using Routers' Physical Interfaces or Sub-interfaces to Implement Inter-
VLAN Communication
3. Using VLANIF Interfaces to Implement Inter-VLAN Communication
4. Layer 3 Communication Process

age 13 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Layer 3 Switch and VLANIF Interfaces

• A Layer 2 switch provides only Layer 2 switching

functions.
Layer 3 switch • A Layer 3 switch provides routing functions
Routing module through Layer 3 interfaces (such as VLANIF
Direct internal VLANIF
VLANIF 10 interfaces) as well as the functions of a Layer 2
communication 20
switch.

• A VLANIF interface is a Layer 3 logical interface

VLAN Switchin VLAN
g module
that can remove and add VLAN tags. VLANIF
10 20
interfaces therefore can be used to implement
inter-VLAN communication.

• A VLANIF interface number is the same as the ID

of its corresponding VLAN. For example, VLANIF
10 is created based on VLAN 10.
age 14 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Example for Configuring VLANIF
Interfaces
• VLANIF 10
Basic
192.168.10.254/24
configurations:
• VLANIF 20 [SW1]vlan batch 10 20
192.168.20.254/24 [SW1] interface GigabitEthernet 0/0/1
[SW1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] port link-type
SW
1 access
GE 0/0/1 GE 0/0/2
[SW1-GigabitEthernet0/0/1] port default vlan 10
[SW1] interface GigabitEthernet 0/0/2
[SW1-GigabitEthernet0/0/2] port link-type
VLAN VLAN
access
10 20
PC1 PC2 [SW1-GigabitEthernet0/0/2] port default vlan 20
192.168.10.2/24 192.168.20.2/24 Configure VLANIF interfaces:
Default gateway: Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254 [SW1]interface Vlanif 10
[SW1-Vlanif10]ip address 192.168.10.254 24
• Configuration Requirements
[SW1]interface Vlanif 20
Configure VLANs 10 and 20 for the interfaces connecting
[SW1-Vlanif20]ip address 192.168.20.254 24
to PC1 and PC2, respectively. Configure the Layer 3
switch to allow the two PCs to communicate with each
other.
age 15 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 VLANIF Forwarding Process (1)

interface VLANIF10 interface VLANIF20

ip address ip address
192.168.10.254 24 192.168.20.254 24
This example assumes that the required ARP
(MAC: MAC2) (MAC: MAC2) or MAC address entries already exist on the
PCs and the Layer 3 switch.
Routing
VLANIF 10 VLANIF 20
module
The communication process between PC1 and
PC2 is as follows:

1. PC1 performs calculation based on its local

Switching
VLAN VLAN
10 20
module IP address, local subnet mask, and
destination IP address, and finds that the
1 destination device PC2 is not on its
Access interface
network segment. PC1 then determines
that Layer 3 communication is required
PC1 PC2
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 IP: 192.168.20.2/24 and sends the traffic destined for PC2 to its
Default gateway: Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254 gateway. Data frame sent by PC1: source
MAC: MAC1 MAC: MAC3
MAC = MAC1, destination MAC = MAC2
age 16 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 VLANIF Forwarding Process (2)

interface VLANIF10 3 interface VLANIF20

ip address ip address
192.168.10.254 24 192.168.20.254 24 2. After receiving the packet sent from PC1 to
(MAC: MAC2) (MAC: MAC2)
PC2, the switch decapsulates the packet and
finds that the destination MAC address is the
VLANIF 10 VLANIF 20 Routing
module MAC address of VLANIF 10. The switch then
sends the packet to the routing module for
2
VLAN VLAN
Switching further processing.
module
10 20
3. The routing module finds that the destination
IP address is 192.168.20.2, which is not the
Access interface IP address of its local interface, and
determines that this packet needs to be
PC1 PC2
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 IP: 192.168.20.2/24
forwarded at Layer 3. By searching the
Default gateway: Default gateway: routing table, the routing module finds a
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254
MAC: MAC1 MAC: MAC3 matching route – the direct route generated
age 17 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. by VLANIF 20 – for this packet.
 VLANIF Forwarding Process (3)

interface VLANIF10 interface VLANIF20

ip address ip address
192.168.10.254 24 192.168.20.254 24 4. Because the matching route is a direct route,
(MAC: MAC2) (MAC: MAC2)
the switch determines that the packet has
reached the last hop. It searches its ARP table
VLANIF 10 VLANIF 20 Routing
module for 192.168.20.2, obtains the corresponding

4 MAC address, and sends the packet to the

VLAN VLAN
Switching switching module for re-encapsulation.
module
10 20
5. The switching module searches its MAC
5 address table to determine the outbound
Access interface interface of the frame and whether the frame
needs to carry a VLAN tag. Data frame sent by
PC1 PC2
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 IP: 192.168.20.2/24
the switching module: source MAC = MAC2,
Default gateway: Default gateway: destination MAC = MAC3, VLAN tag = None
192.168.10.254 192.168.20.254
MAC: MAC1 MAC: MAC3

age 18 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Content
s
1. Background
2. Using Routers' Physical Interfaces or Sub-interfaces to Implement Inter-
VLAN Communication
3. Using VLANIF Interfaces to Implement Inter-VLAN Communication
4. Layer 3 Communication Process

age 19 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Network Topology

VLAN
10
PC1
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 R1
Default gateway:
SW SW NAT
192.168.10.254
1 GE 0/0/1 2
IS
GE GE 0/0/2 GE 0/0/0 1.2.3.4
P
0/0/24 Serve
r
VLAN
• VLANIF 10: 192.168.10.254 2.3.4.
20 24 5
PC2
IP: 192.168.20.2/24 • VLANIF 20: 192.168.20.254
Default gateway:
192.168.20.254
24
• VLANIF 30: 192.168.30.1 24

This topology is used as an example to describe the communication process from

PC1 in VLAN 10 to the server (2.3.4.5) on the Internet.

age 20 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Logical Connection
Logical Connection
• Configure a default route
VLANIF VLANIF VLANIF Routing on SW2 to allow intranet
10 20 30 module users to access the
Internet.
SW2 Switchin R1
g NAT
VLAN module
30 Interne
t
Access interface

Trunk interface
SW1 • On R1, configure static routes
VLAN VLAN
10 20
to the user network segments
of VLAN 10 and VLAN 20.
Trunk
• To enable intranet PCs using
GE 0/0/1 GE GE 0/0/2
0/0/24 private IP addresses to access
the Internet, configure Network
Address and Port Translation
(NAPT) on R1.

age 21 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Communication Process (1)

VLANIF 10
IP: 192.168.10.254/24
MAC: MAC2

VLANIF 30
IP: 192.168.30.1/24
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 MAC: MAC2
Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 R1
MAC: MAC1 SW SW NA
GE 1 GE 0/0/1 2 T
0/0/1 IS
GE GE 0/0/2 GE 0/0/0 1.2.3.4
VLAN P
0/0/24 192.168.30 Serve
10
.2 r
Source MAC: MAC1 MAC: MAC3 2.3.4.
PC Processing Destination MAC: MAC2 5
Before sending a packet to VLAN tag: None
2.3.4.5, the PC sends the
packet to its gateway after Source IP: 192.168.10.2
determining that the Destination IP: 2.3.4.5
destination IP address is
not on its network segment.

age 22 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Communication Process (2)

VLANIF 10
IP: 192.168.10.254/24
MAC: MAC2

VLANIF 30
IP: 192.168.30.1/24
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 MAC: MAC2
Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 R1
MAC: MAC1 SW SW NA
GE 1 GE 0/0/1 2 T
0/0/1 IS
GE GE 0/0/2 GE 0/0/0 1.2.3.4
VLAN P
0/0/24 192.168.30 Serve
10
.2 r
MAC VLAN Interface MAC: MAC3 2.3.4.
Address 5
MAC1 10 GE 0/0/1 Source MAC: MAC1
MAC2 10 GE 0/0/24 Destination MAC: MAC2
SW1 Processing VLAN tag: 10

After receiving the frame, SW1 Source IP: 192.168.10.2

searches the MAC address table for the Destination IP: 2.3.4.5
destination MAC address and forwards
the frame.

age 23 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Communication Process (3)

VLANIF 10
IP: 192.168.10.254/24
MAC: MAC2

VLANIF 30
IP: 192.168.30.1/24
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 MAC: MAC2
Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 R1
MAC: MAC1 SW SW NA
GE 1 GE 0/0/1 2 T
0/0/1 IS
GE GE 0/0/2 GE 0/0/0 1.2.3.4
VLAN P
0/0/24 192.168.30 Serve
10
Operational data of Destination Outbound .2 r
Next Hop
a routing table. Network Interface MAC: MAC3 2.3.4.
192.168.30 5
0.0.0.0/0 VLANIF30
.2
SW2 Processing
After SW2 receives the frame, it finds that the destination MAC address is the
MAC address of its VLANIF 10 and sends the frame to the routing module,
which then searches the routing table for a route matching the destination IP
address 2.3.4.5.
After finding that the matching route is a default route, the outbound interface
is VLANIF 30, and the next hop is 192.168.30.2, SW2 searches its ARP table to
obtain the MAC address corresponding to 192.168.30.2.
age 24 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Communication Process (4)

VLANIF 10
IP: 192.168.10.254/24
MAC: MAC2

VLANIF 30
IP: 192.168.30.1/24
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 MAC: MAC2
Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 R1
MAC: MAC1 SW SW NA
GE 1 GE 0/0/1 2 T
0/0/1 IS
GE GE 0/0/2 GE 0/0/0 1.2.3.4
VLAN P
0/0/24 192.168.30 Serve
10
.2 r
Outbound MAC: MAC3 2.3.4.
ARP Destination Network MAC
Interface
entry Source MAC: MAC2 5
192.168.30.2 MAC3 GE 0/0/2
Destination MAC: MAC3
SW2 Processing
Source IP: 192.168.10.2
After finding the MAC address corresponding to
192.168.30.2, SW2 replaces the source MAC address of Destination IP: 2.3.4.5
the packet with the MAC address of VLANIF 30, and
forwards the packet to the switching module. The
switching module searches the MAC address table for the
outbound interface and determines whether the packet
carries a VLAN tag.
age 25 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Network Logical Communicatio
Topology Connection n Process

Communication Process (5)

VLANIF 10
IP: 192.168.10.254/24
MAC: MAC2

VLANIF 30
IP: 192.168.30.1/24
IP: 192.168.10.2/24 MAC: MAC2
Default gateway:
192.168.10.254 R1
MAC: MAC1 SW SW NA
GE 1 GE 0/0/1 2 T
0/0/1 IS
GE GE 0/0/2 GE 0/0/0 1.2.3.4
VLAN P
0/0/24 192.168.30 Serve
10
.2 r
MAC: MAC3 2.3.4.
Source IP: 1.2.3.4 5
R1 Processing
Destination IP: 2.3.4.5
Checks the destination MAC address of the data
packet and finds that the MAC address belongs to
its interface. Checks the destination IP address and
finds that it is not a local IP address. Searches the
routing table, finds a default matching route, and
forwards the packet to a carrier device while
performing NAT to translate the source IP address
and port number of the packet.
age 26 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Quiz
1. When a sub-interface is used to implement inter-VLAN communication, how does
the switch interface connected to the router need to be configured?
2. How are packets changed when being forwarded at Layer 3?

age 27 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Summar
y

This course describes three methods of implementing inter-VLAN
communication: through physical interfaces, sub-interfaces, and VLANIF
interfaces.

It also elaborates the Layer 3 communication process, and device processing
mechanism and packet header changes during the communication.

age 28 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 More Information

Comparison between Layer 2 and Layer 3 interfaces

Layer 2 Interface Layer 3 Interface

An IP address cannot be configured for a Layer 2 interface. An IP address can be configured for a Layer 3 interface
A Layer 2 interface does not have a MAC address. A Layer 3 interface has a MAC address.

After a Layer 3 interface receives a data frame, if the destination MAC

After a Layer 2 interface receives a data frame, it searches its
address of the data frame is the same as the local MAC address, it
MAC address table for the destination MAC address of the
decapsulates the data frame and looks up the destination IP address of
frame. If a matching MAC address entry is found, it forwards
the data packet in the routing table. If a matching route is found, it
the frame according to the entry. If no matching MAC address
forwards the data frame according to the instruction of the route. If no
entry is found, it floods the frame.
matching route is found, it discards the packet.

A Layer 3 interface on a router is a typical Layer 3 interface.

A physical interface on a Layer 2 switch (has only Layer 2 Physical interfaces on some Layer 3 switches can be switched to Layer 3
switching capabilities) is a typical Layer 2 interface. By default, mode.
the physical interfaces of most Layer 3 switches (have both In addition to Layer 3 physical interfaces, there are Layer 3 logical
Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching capabilities) work at Layer 2. interfaces, such as VLANIF interfaces on switches or logical sub-interfaces
on other network devices, such as GE 0/0/1.10.

Layer 2 interfaces do not isolate broadcast domains. They Layer 3 interfaces isolate broadcast domains. They directly terminate
flood received broadcast frames. received broadcast frames instead of flooding them.

age 29 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.
 Thank You
www.huawei.com

age 30 Copyright © 2020 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.