Advantages and Disadvantages of VLAN, DTP and MAC

jdocchio67

Hi Folks,

I am new to this site,

I took the Security+ test 2 months ago and missed by 20 points, and am in the process of restudying this time using the Syngress book due to I found the Sybex book does not have much of the explainations and the information that Syngress book does.
some of the questions I had on the exam had to do with VLAN, DTP (Dynamic Trunk Protocol) and MAC

I was inform that the need of knowing the Advantages and Disadvantages of VLAN, DTP and MAC for the exam
I've been searching google and ask.com and have found these sites and couple others
although nothing to describe the Advantages and Disadvantages of the VLAN, DTP, and MAC

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk389/tk689/tsd_technology_support_protocol_home.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Trunking_Protocol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VLAN
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_layer

I've also gone to the books stores and looked at the CCNA books and have found nothing
can someone provide me with information of where I can find what I need for the Security plus and how in debt do I have to know these items? Also where can I find the information for Advantages and Disadvantages of these 3 items

Thank you in advance

dynamik

VLANs are pretty straight forward. They essentially allow a switch to put ports on their own "virtual LAN". You could configure a switch to have an accounting VLAN and a sales VLAN, and computers would only be able to communicate with other computers on their respective VLAN. You'd need a layer-3 switch or a router to enable communication between the VLANs, and you could configure additional security on those devices (i.e. only allow HTTP traffic between the two). The security benefits of that type of setup should be obvious.

Make sure you're not confusing Media Access Control with:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_Authentication_Code
-or-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandatory_access_control

An understanding of Media Access Control is important, but it isn't as much of a security topic as the other two.

I'm really not familiar with DTP, so maybe someone else can assist you with that. I don't remember encountering that in my Security+ studies though.

Welcome to the site, and good luck!

jdocchio67

dynamik

Thank you for the info I greatly appreciate it.
last time I studied I used the Sybex and Exam cram. and various study material

did not have information on DTP, very little on VLANs and MAC which I had questions on. and I had 1 question on a Vlan using DTP and MAC

correct me if I'm wrong, for setting up VLANs, is Mandatory Access Control which coinside the RBAC, and DAC.

This time I'm using the Syngress book, I found it much more explanitory and has information in it that the Sybex book and Exam cram do not.

I and also had questions on the the different types of cookies Tracking, Session and I forget the other one I have to go back and study them.
where the other 2 books did not mentioned that different types of cookies, as the Syngress book does.

the Syngress book also has a full description of how a VLAN works with segments and how a router needs to be placed to the switch to share the segments.

I am also using the Preplogic Training videos which I need to start doing this weekend. I got them 1/2 price right after I took my test when Preplogic had a deal on them.

I've also heard people using brain **** just to get passed this exam.
I don't want to do that. I want to do it clean. I want to study and pass knowing that I did it busting my brains out to earn it.

So I'm sure as I'm studying agian. I'll be back with more questions.

Thank you again

shednik

Well I'll give my 2 cents on DTP, although it is a cisco proprietary protocol so didn't think it would be on the Sec+ exam:

Advantages:
-Not sure really the only advantage is that the link can dynamically form a trunk link rather then an admin having to manually assign this. Now to me that can be bad as well as then they can negotiate incorrectly or not at all. In general I really can't give you a good advantage as to why DTP is a good thing.

Disadvantages:
-Well refer to advantages as well as it will enable a rouge device to be plugged in and negotiate a trunk like when the link should not be to put it simply.

Here's a short write up on the protocol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Trunking_Protocol

Ford Perfect

shednik wrote: »

Disadvantages:
-Well refer to advantages as well as it will enable a rouge device to be plugged in and negotiate a trunk like when the link should not be to put it simply.

Very well put This is why DTP should never be enabled: DTP - Share it! | Think-Security

jdocchio67, good luck next time, if you haven't taken the exam already.