SVI Creation

Configure Switch Virtual Interfaces to enable inter-VLAN routing and provide Layer 3 connectivity for VLANs.

Step 1: Enable IP routing on the switch

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SW1>enable
SW1#configure terminal
SW1(config)#ip routing

Step 2: Create VLANs first Ensure the VLANs exist before creating their corresponding SVI interfaces.

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SW1(config)#vlan 10
SW1(config-vlan)#name Sales
SW1(config-vlan)#exit
SW1(config)#vlan 20
SW1(config-vlan)#name Marketing
SW1(config-vlan)#exit
SW1(config)#vlan 30
SW1(config-vlan)#name IT
SW1(config-vlan)#exit

Step 3: Create and configure SVI interfaces Configure the virtual interfaces with IP addresses to serve as default gateways for each VLAN.

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SW1(config)#interface vlan 10
SW1(config-if)#description Sales Gateway
SW1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0
SW1(config-if)#no shutdown
SW1(config-if)#exit

SW1(config)#interface vlan 20
SW1(config-if)#description Marketing Gateway
SW1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.20.1 255.255.255.0
SW1(config-if)#no shutdown
SW1(config-if)#exit

SW1(config)#interface vlan 30
SW1(config-if)#description IT Gateway
SW1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.30.1 255.255.255.0
SW1(config-if)#no shutdown
SW1(config-if)#exit

Step 4: Configure access ports for each VLAN Assign switch ports to the appropriate VLANs so devices can communicate through their SVI gateways.

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SW1(config)#interface range fastEthernet 0/1-8
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 10
SW1(config-if-range)#exit

SW1(config)#interface range fastEthernet 0/9-16
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 20
SW1(config-if-range)#exit

SW1(config)#interface range fastEthernet 0/17-24
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport mode access
SW1(config-if-range)#switchport access vlan 30
SW1(config-if-range)#end

Step 5: Verify the configuration

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SW1#show ip interface brief
SW1#show vlan brief
SW1#show ip route
SW1#ping 192.168.20.1

Key Points:

  • SVI will only be “up/up” if the VLAN exists and has at least one active port
  • The switch must support Layer 3 functionality (Layer 3 switch required)
  • SVI IP addresses typically serve as default gateways for devices in each VLAN
  • Use ip routing command to enable inter-VLAN routing between SVIs