A method to allow a set of devices at a first location (400, 450, 500, 550) to participate in a VLAN using a first specific VLAN ID without expressly programming the set of devices (410, 420, 430, 810, 460, 470, 480, 813, 510, 811, 560, 812) at the first location to use that first specific VLAN ID; the set of devices at the first location including a network edge device (380, 810, 811, 812, 813, 900) connected to a network and a set of non-edge devices (410, 420, 430, 460, 470, 480, 510, 560) at the first location that can communicate with the network edge device; the method comprising the steps of: A) configuring a set of network devices (604, 608, 710, 720, 730, 750) in the network to handle VLAN traffic with the first specific VLAN ID so that a broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID can reach the network edge device at the first location, wherein the broadcast VLAN message is a broadcast router advertisement message; B) sending the broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID such that the broadcast VLAN message reaches the network edge device at the first location; C) copying the first specific VLAN ID from the broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID as a VLAN ID into memory (908, 912) accessible to the network edge device; D) removing a VLAN header comprising the VLAN ID from frames ingressing from the network at the network edge device so that a frame ingressing from the network to the network edge device leaves the network edge device transmitted to a non-edge device without the VLAN header; E) reading the VLAN ID from the memory accessible to the network edge device; and F) tagging the VLAN headers in egressing frames from the set of devices at the first location with the VLAN ID before the egressing frames egress onto the network. the set of devices at the first location including a network edge device (380, 810, 811, 812, 813, 900) connected to a network and a set of non-edge devices (410, 420, 430, 460, 470, 480, 510, 560) at the first location that can communicate with the network edge device; the method comprising the steps of: A) configuring a set of network devices (604, 608, 710, 720, 730, 750) in the network to handle VLAN traffic with the first specific VLAN ID so that a broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID can reach the network edge device at the first location, wherein the broadcast VLAN message is a broadcast router advertisement message; B) sending the broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID such that the broadcast VLAN message reaches the network edge device at the first location; C) copying the first specific VLAN ID from the broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID as a VLAN ID into memory (908, 912) accessible to the network edge device; D) removing a VLAN header comprising the VLAN ID from frames ingressing from the network at the network edge device so that a frame ingressing from the network to the network edge device leaves the network edge device transmitted to a non-edge device without the VLAN header; E) reading the VLAN ID from the memory accessible to the network edge device; and F) tagging the VLAN headers in egressing frames from the set of devices at the first location with the VLAN ID before the egressing frames egress onto the network. A) configuring a set of network devices (604, 608, 710, 720, 730, 750) in the network to handle VLAN traffic with the first specific VLAN ID so that a broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID can reach the network edge device at the first location, wherein the broadcast VLAN message is a broadcast router advertisement message; B) sending the broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID such that the broadcast VLAN message reaches the network edge device at the first location; C) copying the first specific VLAN ID from the broadcast VLAN message with the first specific VLAN ID as a VLAN ID into memory (908, 912) accessible to the network edge device; D) removing a VLAN header comprising the VLAN ID from frames ingressing from the network at the network edge device so that a frame ingressing from the network to the network edge device leaves the network edge device transmitted to a non-edge device without the VLAN header; E) reading the VLAN ID from the memory accessible to the network edge device; and F) tagging the VLAN headers in egressing frames from the set of devices at the first location with the VLAN ID before the egressing frames egress onto the network.