Patent ID: 8064469

Claim:
A virtual local area network (VLAN) system, comprising: an information handling system (IHS) with an IHS media access control (MAC) Ethernet interface device, wherein the IHS MAC Ethernet interface device does not include a physical transceiver (PHY); a physical network switch including a physical network switch MAC Ethernet interface device, the physical network switch connecting the IHS MAC Ethernet interface to the physical network switch MAC Ethernet interface device, wherein a first VLAN is accessible over the connection of the IHS MAC Ethernet interface device and the physical network switch MAC Ethernet interface device; and a virtualized network device that comprises a virtualization of the connection of the IHS MAC Ethernet interface device and the physical network switch MAC Ethernet interface device, wherein a VLAN driver has been logically added to the virtualized network device; wherein the virtualized network device simulates a direct communication between the IHS MAC Ethernet interface device and a PHY connected to a port on the physical network switch; and wherein modifications to a non-VLAN configuration using the virtualized network device do not result in a loss of operation of the first VLAN.