Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What is the difference between normal range and extended range VLANs?
Normal range VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) (1–1005) are for typical enterprise use and are stored in vlan.dat. Extended range VLANs (1006–4095) are for service providers, stored in running-config, and require VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) configuration.
| Feature | Normal Range (1–1005) | Extended Range (1006–4095) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Small to medium businesses | Service providers |
| Storage | vlan.dat file in flash |
Running configuration |
| Auto-created | VLAN 1 and 1002–1005 exist by default and cannot be deleted | No auto-created VLANs |
| VTP sync | Can be synchronized between switches via VTP | Requires VTP transparent mode |
| VLAN features | Full feature support | Supports fewer VLAN features |
Important VLAN ranges to know:
- VLAN 1 — default VLAN, cannot be deleted
- VLANs 2–1001 — normal range, available for user data
- VLANs 1002–1005 — reserved for legacy technologies (FDDI, Token Ring), auto-created, cannot be deleted
- VLANs 1006–4095 — extended range
Tip: In most enterprise networks, you'll work almost exclusively with normal range VLANs (2–1001). Extended range is mainly relevant in large ISP environments.
Go deeper:
IEEE 802.1Q — VLAN ID range (Wikipedia) — the 12-bit VID gives 0–4095 with 0/4095 reserved, the hardware basis for the normal/extended split.