Hosts on VLAN 10 can communicate with each other, and hosts on VLAN 20 can communicate with each other — but no traffic passes between the two VLANs. All hosts connect to the same Layer 2 switch. What is the network MOST likely missing?
- A. A DHCP relay agent
- B. Inter-VLAN routing Correct
- C. Spanning Tree Protocol
- D. Port security
Why B is correct
VLANs are separate broadcast domains — a Layer 2 switch will never forward traffic between them. Moving between VLANs requires a Layer 3 device: a router-on-a-stick or a switch with routed (SVI) interfaces. Intra-VLAN traffic working while inter-VLAN traffic fails is the textbook symptom.
Why the others are incorrect
DHCP relay forwards address requests across subnets — hosts here already communicate inside their VLANs, so addressing works. Spanning Tree prevents Layer 2 loops; it doesn't route between VLANs. Port security limits which MAC addresses can use a port — it would block specific hosts, not exactly all cross-VLAN traffic.