ACCESS PORT FOR ONE OR MORE VLANs

A network device comprising a memory, a processor, and a plurality of ports, the network device adapted to admit, at one or more access ports included in the network device, data from endpoints that have been assigned to various virtual local area networks (VLANs) of a network based, at least in part on, available Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for each of a respective subnet of a plurality of subnets associated with each of a respective VLAN of a plurality of VLANs in a network and are connected to any of the one or more access ports, the data indicative of respective identifiers of the endpoints, the network device being further adapted to use the respective identifiers to determine the various VLANs to which the endpoints were assigned, and to forward the data at least partly based on the various VLANs that were determined.

A method comprising:

• applying at least one virtual local area network (VLAN) assignment algorithm to assign an endpoint, connected to an access port of a network device in a network, to a respective VLAN of a plurality of VLANs in the network based, at least in part, on available Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for each of a respective subnet of a plurality of subnets associated with each respective VLAN of the plurality of VLANs in the network,
• wherein subsequent to the applying, at least two endpoints, including the assigned endpoint, that are connected to the access port and provide data that is not VLAN tagged when received by the access port, are characterized by having been assigned to at least two different respective VLANs of the plurality of VLANs, and wherein said at least two different respective VLANs, include the respective VLAN.

A system comprising:

• means for dividing a network into a plurality of virtual local area networks (VLANs);
• and
• means for providing, to a plurality of network devices in the network, a plurality of configuring instructions for configuring a plurality of access ports of the plurality of network devices for endpoint VLAN assignment that is in accordance with at least one VLAN assignment algorithm that provides endpoint VLAN assignment based, at least in part, on available Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for each of a respective subnet of a plurality of subnets associated with each of a respective VLAN of the plurality of VLANs, wherein the at least one VLAN assignment algorithm allows at least two endpoints to be assigned to at least two different respective VLANs of the plurality of VLANs, the at least one VLAN assignment algorithm enabling the at least two endpoints to connect to a same access port of the plurality of access ports and provide data which is not VLAN tagged when received at the same access port.