Cisco Certified Network Professional 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

In an RSPAN (Remote Switched Port Analyzer) configuration, the special VLAN is primarily utilized to transmit mirrored traffic across the network. RSPAN is designed to extend the capabilities of port mirroring (SPAN) beyond a single switch.

This special VLAN, known as the RSPAN VLAN, facilitates the transport of mirrored traffic from one switch to another through intermediary switches. It allows network administrators to monitor or analyze traffic from a specific port or VLAN on a remote switch without physical access to that switch. Packets that are mirrored are tagged with the RSPAN VLAN identifier, allowing them to be encapsulated and sent over the network transparently.

Without this special VLAN, mirroring would be confined to local switch traffic, limiting the effectiveness of network monitoring and troubleshooting efforts over a larger network environment. This makes the RSPAN VLAN a crucial component in maintaining visibility for network traffic that needs to be monitored across different segments.