RE: auto vlan switch port configuration

> > I recently set up a switch (Linksys managed switch - horrible
horrible
> > management interface!!!) and am sure I saw something in there about
a
> > protocol for the device plugged into that port to automatically
> > configure the switch end of the port wrt vlan trunking and
tagging...
> >
> > Does such a protocol exist, or did I just imagine it?
> 
> It could be done in one of several ways.  For example, the switch
might be
> configured so that particular MAC addresses or ether protocols are
> automatically assigned to certain VLANs.  It could be done as part of
> 802.1X authentication.  It could be GVRP (part of 802.1Q).

Thanks. I did end up finding GVRP, but apparently it's not supported by
the Cisco (IOS not COS) switches which I am using (the only reason I
mentioned Linksys is that that is where I first saw the possibility)

VTP (VLAN Trunking Protocol) is the protocol supported by the Cisco
switches that I have access to.

> The third doesn't seem to be well supported, though Google does throw
up a
> fair number of hits.  Whether you would actually want to trust
arbitrary
> things being plugged in to run GVRP is another question...

That's what I found too... I wonder how useful a VTP/GVRP agent for
Linux would be...

Thanks

James