What’s Next for Basic Switch Configuration?

I've been working on something similar. I set up a VLAN for clients to isolate their traffic while still allowing all clients secure internet access. Once you get a plan, you might want to focus on isolating departments in the future.

From my experience, it's essential to learn how to back up your configuration and restore it later. I recently used TFTP for this, which was a new concept for me. It's fascinating to get to know these tools!

Check out some basic security configurations for switches, especially Cisco ones. Things like requiring SSH, setting timeouts, and password encryption are crucial. Also, explore local configs, port security options, and maybe implement 802.1x for better security.

VLANs are super important for organizing your local network. It's essential to understand how 802.1q tagging works and how inter-VLAN routing operates. It might help to establish a specific goal, like connecting two switches through a router/firewall or having two PCs on different VLANs communicate with each other. Setting up inter-VLAN routing sounds like a great next step!

You'll want to set a management IP for the switch to allow remote access instead of just console access. If your switch supports Layer 3, consider setting up a VLAN and specifying a gateway for it. You can also create additional VLANs and assign ports to different VLANs as needed. If you have another switch, think about implementing OSPF for dynamic route sharing between switches.