Patent ID: 7869439

Claim:
A packet switch operating method comprising: a packet switch determining a quantity of ports of the packet switch that are associated with a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) subsequent to the packet switch receiving a command to associate a port of the packet switch not currently associated with the VLAN with the VLAN from a user or a management system; if the quantity of ports associated with the VLAN is not greater than two and the packet switch is configured to learn layer-two source addresses of Ethernet packets forwarded within the VLAN, the packet switch configuring, without user intervention, the packet switch to not learn layer two source addresses of Ethernet packets subsequently forwarded within the VLAN; and if the quantity of ports associated with the VLAN is greater than two and the packet switch is configured to not learn layer-two source addresses of Ethernet packets forwarded within the VLAN, the packet switch configuring, without user intervention, the packet switch to learn layer-two source addresses of Ethernet packets subsequently forwarded within the VLAN.