You might have stumbled on the term "VLAN" while looking over dedicated server offerings from different hosting providers. But what does that mean and how does it affect you as a customer? We are going to get all that cleared up in this blog post!
What are VLANs used for?
VLANs are used to separate a physical local network into multiple logical networks thus isolating devices from each other.
Why is network separation important?
When you purchase a dedicated server, it’s deployed on the same physical local network alongside many other devices. If there’s no separation between the devices, this can be concerning for several reasons. For example, your server may become susceptible to attacks like ARP spoofing, MAC flooding, or the risk of malicious activity from network neighbors. Additionally, having your server on the same local network as other machines can lead to reduced network performance, as your server has to process unnecessary broadcast traffic. VLANs provide a solution to all these problems.
How does a VLAN work?
VLAN or Virtual Local Area Network is a Layer 2 overlay network that separates the physical local network into multiple logical local networks. This means that your server is completely separated from any other machine even though, physically, they may be on the same local network. This is an incredibly useful feature as it not only allows for increased security and better networking performance but also makes network management much easier which makes custom network configurations much easier to provide. By having your server in a private VLAN you can
- Enchanted Security: By having your server in a private VLAN it's isolated from all other machines connected to the network which limits the attack surface of your device.
- Improved Network Performance: By using a VLAN, the network is segmented into smaller broadcast domains which means that servers in different VLANs only receive traffic that is destined for them, thus lowering the network resources needed.
- Advanced network configuration: With the help of VLANs we can create easily scalable, secure, and optimized network setups customized to our customer's needs.
Conclusion
Private VLANs are essential for maintaining both security and performance in modern hosting environments.
They isolate your dedicated server from other tenants, minimize network congestion, and allow for far more sophisticated and customized setups.
At AlphaVPS, every Dedicated Server can be deployed within a private VLAN, ensuring that your infrastructure operates securely and efficiently.
Whether you need isolated environments for compliance, multi-node setups, or simply peace of mind, private VLANs provide the foundation for a fast and protected network experience.