Difference between access port and trunk port?

Access port — carries traffic for a single VLAN, untagged. Connects end devices (PCs, printers). Frames going in are assigned to the access VLAN; frames going out are untagged. Trunk port — carries traffic for multiple VLANs, tagged with 802.1Q (or ISL legacy). Connects switches together or to routers/firewalls. Native VLAN traffic is untagged; all other VLAN traffic is tagged.

Want the full explanation? This is the atomic answer suitable for quick interview prep. For the structured deep-dive — including code samples, strong-answer vs weak-answer notes, common follow-up questions, and how this fits the larger cisco / network engineer topic — see the full Q&A on Networkers Home:

→ Cisco / Network Engineer Interview Hub — Full Q&A with deep context

How Networkers Home prepares students for this kind of question

This question reflects real interview rounds at Bangalore's top enterprise networking and infrastructure teams. Networkers Home's flagship courses include mock interview sessions drilling exactly these question patterns, with feedback from interviewers who have hired for the role.

→ View the complete cisco / network engineer interview prep hub
→ View the related Networkers Home course
→ Book a free career consultation

Related VLAN / STP questions

VLAN / STP

Q. What's the role of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and how is the root bridge elected?

STP prevents loops in switched networks by blocking redundant paths. Root bridge election: switch with the lowest Bridge ID (Priority + MAC address) wins. Default priority is 32768 (or 32768 + VLAN ID for PVST+). Lower p…

Read full answer →

VLAN / STP

Q. What's the difference between RSTP and traditional STP?

RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol, 802.1w) converges in seconds vs STP's 30-50 seconds. Key changes: (1) eliminated listening + learning states (replaced with discarding), (2) introduced edge ports + alternate ports + b…

Read full answer →