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VLANVLAN Config

state active

Activates a VLAN that is currently suspended or administratively down, allowing it to forward traffic.

Syntax·VLAN Config
state active

When to Use This Command

  • After creating a new VLAN, you must activate it to enable traffic flow.
  • When troubleshooting a VLAN that is not passing traffic, you can verify its state and activate it if suspended.
  • During network maintenance, you may suspend a VLAN and later reactivate it without deleting and recreating it.
  • When restoring a VLAN configuration from a backup, you may need to activate VLANs that were previously suspended.

Command Examples

Activate a suspended VLAN

Switch(config-vlan)# state active

No output is generated; the command silently activates the VLAN. Use 'show vlan id <vlan-id>' to verify the state changed to 'active'.

Verify VLAN state after activation

Switch# show vlan id 10
VLAN Name                             Status    Ports
---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------
10   VLAN0010                          active    Fa0/1, Fa0/2, Fa0/3

The 'Status' field shows 'active', confirming the VLAN is now forwarding traffic. The 'Ports' column lists interfaces assigned to this VLAN.

Understanding the Output

The 'state active' command itself produces no output. To verify the VLAN state, use 'show vlan id <vlan-id>' or 'show vlan brief'. In the output, the 'Status' column indicates whether the VLAN is 'active' (forwarding) or 'suspended' (not forwarding). A VLAN in 'active' state is operational and can carry traffic. If the status shows 'suspended', the VLAN is administratively down and will not forward traffic. Always check the status after configuration changes to ensure the VLAN is active.

CCNA Exam Tips

1.

Remember that VLANs are created in 'config-vlan' mode and are initially active by default, but if you use 'state suspend', you must later use 'state active' to re-enable them.

2.

The 'state active' command is only available in VLAN configuration mode (config-vlan), not in global config.

3.

On the CCNA exam, you may be asked to troubleshoot a VLAN that is not working; check the VLAN status with 'show vlan' and ensure it is 'active'.

4.

Know that 'state active' is the default state for a new VLAN; you only need to use it if the VLAN was previously suspended.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Trying to use 'state active' in global configuration mode instead of VLAN configuration mode. This results in an invalid command error.

Mistake 2: Forgetting to exit VLAN configuration mode and save the configuration; the change is applied immediately but not saved to startup-config.

Mistake 3: Assuming that activating a VLAN automatically assigns interfaces to it; you must still assign interfaces using 'switchport access vlan' or 'switchport trunk allowed vlan'.

Related Commands

show vlan

Displays the current VLAN configuration on the switch, including VLAN IDs, names, status, and ports assigned to each VLAN, used to verify VLAN creation and port assignments.

show vlan brief

Displays a summary of all VLANs configured on the switch, including VLAN ID, name, status, and ports, used to quickly verify VLAN configuration and port assignments.

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