Which of the following is a type of VLAN membership?

Question

Options

• APort-based
• BTime-based
• CSession-based
• DProtocol-based
• EApplication-based

• A
  2% (1)
• B
  6% (3)
• D
  88% (46)
• E
  4% (2)

Explanation

Protocol-based VLAN membership assigns devices to VLANs based on the Layer 3 protocol they use (e.g., IP, IPX, AppleTalk), making it a legitimate and formally recognized VLAN membership type alongside MAC-based and subnet-based methods.

Worth noting: Port-based (A) is also a valid VLAN membership type - arguably the most common one - so this question is poorly constructed if it presents D as the only correct answer. If your exam allows multiple selections, A is defensible too.

The clear distractors are B (Time-based), C (Session-based), and E (Application-based) - these are not VLAN membership classifications; they describe concepts from other networking or security domains (session management, QoS, etc.) and don't map to how switches group ports into VLANs.

Memory tip: The recognized VLAN membership types follow identity signals a switch can read - Port (physical location), MAC address (hardware ID), Protocol (Layer 3 type), and Subnet (IP range). If the option doesn't describe something a switch uses to categorize traffic, it's a distractor.

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