What is a trunk port?

A trunk port is a type of network port that is used for connecting switches and carrying traffic between them. Trunk ports are configured to carry traffic from multiple VLANs over a single physical link. This allows for more efficient use of network resources and better management of network traffic.

Trunk ports use IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging to label and separate VLAN traffic as it passes between switches. This tagging allows multiple VLANs to share the same physical link without mixing their traffic.

Trunk ports are commonly used in network environments where multiple VLANs are in use, such as in large corporations, data centers, and service provider networks. By using trunk ports, network administrators can consolidate network connections and simplify network configuration and management.

It is important to properly configure trunk ports with the appropriate VLAN membership settings and ensure that they are compatible with the VLAN configuration on other switches in the network. Misconfigured trunk ports can result in connectivity issues and network performance problems.