Configuration should include using proper features and the following:
- VLAN
- Native VLAN/default VLAN
- VLAN Trunk Protocol (VTP)
- Spanning tree (802.1d)/rapid spanning tree (802.1w)
- Flooding
- Forwarding/blocking
- Filtering
- Interface configuration
- Trunking/802.1q
- Tag vs. untag VLANs
- Port bonding (i.e., Link Aggregation Control Protocol [LACP])
- Port security
- Port mirroring (local vs. remote)
- Speed and duplexing
- IP address assignment
- VLAN assignment
- Default gateway
- Power over Ethernet (PoE) and PoE+ (802.3af, 802.3at)
- Switch management
- User/passwords
- Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) configuration
- Console
- Virtual terminals
- In-band/out-of-band management
- Managed vs. unmanaged
Process/Skill Questions:
- What is the benefit of using PoE?
- What is the difference between managed and unmanaged switches?
- What is the purpose of a VLAN?
- What are the security threats that result from unsecured switches?