Do VLANs prevent broadcast storms?

VLANs, or Virtual Local Area Networks, play a significant role in reducing the impact of broadcast storms within a network. When VLANs are utilized, broadcast traffic is confined to the specific VLAN rather than being allowed to propagate across the entire physical network. This isolation means that any broadcast frames sent within a VLAN are only processed by devices that are members of that VLAN, effectively limiting the scope of the broadcast and preventing unnecessary congestion in other parts of the network.

While VLANs do not completely eliminate the potential for broadcast storms—since each VLAN can still experience its own storms—they significantly minimize their effect by restricting the broadcast domain. This means that the overall network performance is preserved even when there are issues within individual VLANs. In contrast, without VLANs, broadcast traffic would be transmitted throughout the entire network, leading to increased congestion and potentially crippling the network's performance.

Thus, the correct answer accurately reflects how VLANs manage and reduce the impact of broadcast storms rather than suggesting that they can fully prevent or worsen them.