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# VLANs

A VLAN represents an isolated layer two domain, identified by a name and a numeric ID (1-4094) as defined in IEEE 802.1Q. Each VLAN may be assigned to a location, tenant, and/or VLAN group.

Each VLAN must be assigned a `status`. The following statuses are available by default:

- Active
- Reserved
- Deprecated

As with prefixes, each VLAN may also be assigned a functional role. Prefixes and VLANs share the same set of customizable roles.

Changed in version 2.0.0

- Renamed `group` field to `vlan_group`.

Changed in version 2.2.0

- Replaced `location` ForeignKey field with `locations` ManyToManyField, allowing a VLAN to be assigned to multiple Locations.

## Modeling VLANs

With the update to Nautobot 2.2 that introduced the ability to have a single VLAN be associated to multiple locations, there needs to be some recommended methods to model VLANs with the new functionality.

You should be looking to model VLANs in the same way that the layer 2 functionality is set up.

### Multiple Locations Using Same VLAN ID

In many organizations the use of cookiecutter like VLAN architecture is leveraged. In that a location may have VLAN30 be for the same purpose (ie Wireless, User, Voice) at each location. In this scenario, you should model a distinct VLAN30 in Nautobot for each Location. Creating a single VLAN and then associating it with multiple Locations would not accurately reflect the state of the layer 2 network.

### Multiple Locations, Stretched Layer 2

You would want to have a single VLAN that is associated with multiple Locations when the layer 2 environment is in fact stretched and devices within the VLAN are able to communicate via layer 2 mechanisms. Such designs include a campus network where you do have multiple Locations but a shared VLAN across all of them, for example wireless networks. Or in a data center fabric where the layer 2 is in fact stretched across the sites.