How to Set Up VLANs on a Huawei eKit Switch (Step-by-Step)

Setting up VLANs on a Huawei eKit switch takes around 10–15 minutes once you know the steps. The process is: log in to the management interface, create your VLANs, assign access ports to each VLAN (one VLAN per port for end devices), configure trunk ports to carry multiple VLANs to the next switch or router, and verify. This guide walks through each step for an S310 or S530 using the eKit web interface.

What Is a VLAN and Why Configure One?

A VLAN (Virtual LAN) divides a single physical switch into multiple isolated logical networks. Devices on VLAN 10 cannot communicate with devices on VLAN 20 unless a router or Layer 3 switch explicitly permits it. This is used in UAE offices and commercial properties to separate traffic by purpose: staff computers on one VLAN, IP cameras on another, guest WiFi on a third, VoIP phones on a fourth.

VLANs improve security (a guest cannot reach your servers), reduce broadcast domain size (less unnecessary traffic on each segment), and give you the ability to apply different policies — QoS priorities, firewall rules, internet access restrictions — to each group of devices.

Before You Start

• Connect your laptop to the Huawei eKit switch via a Cat6 cable or use the eKit app over WiFi management network
• Know the default management IP — Huawei eKit switches default to 192.168.0.1 or use DHCP on the management port
• Have your VLAN plan ready: VLAN IDs, names, which ports carry which VLAN
• For S530 inter-VLAN routing, you will also need a VLAN IP address for each VLAN interface (the gateway IP for that subnet)

Sample VLAN Plan

Step-by-Step: Creating VLANs on Huawei eKit

Step 1 — Log In to the Switch

Open a browser and navigate to the switch management IP (default: 192.168.0.1 for most Huawei eKit models, or check the label on the switch). Log in with the admin credentials — default username is 'admin', password is printed on the device label or set during first-time setup. If you are using the Huawei eKit mobile app, open the app, add the switch to your site, and navigate to Switch > Configuration.

Step 2 — Create the VLANs

In the web interface, navigate to VLANs > VLAN Management > Create VLAN. Enter the VLAN ID (10) and a descriptive name (Staff). Click Apply. Repeat for each VLAN in your plan: VLAN 20 (CCTV), VLAN 30 (Guest). You do not need to create VLAN 1 — it exists by default on all ports.

Step 3 — Configure Access Ports

An access port carries traffic for exactly one VLAN — used for end devices (computers, cameras, phones) that have no awareness of VLANs. The switch tags traffic with the correct VLAN ID internally. Navigate to Interfaces > GigabitEthernet 0/1 (or the relevant port number). Set Port Mode to Access. Set PVID (Port VLAN ID) to 10 (for a staff computer port). Click Apply. Repeat for each port, assigning the correct VLAN to each.

Step 4 — Configure Trunk Ports

A trunk port carries tagged traffic for multiple VLANs simultaneously — used for uplinks between switches, and for connections to a router or wireless AP that handles multiple VLANs. Navigate to Interfaces > select the uplink port (for example, GigabitEthernet 0/24 or SFP port). Set Port Mode to Trunk. Set Allowed VLANs to all VLANs this port should carry — for example: 1, 10, 20, 30. Click Apply.

Step 5 — Configure Inter-VLAN Routing (S530 Only)

If you are using a Huawei eKit S530 as your Layer 3 core, you can configure a VLAN interface (SVI — Switched Virtual Interface) for each VLAN to enable routing between them. Navigate to Layer 3 Interfaces > Create VLAN Interface. Select VLAN 10, assign it IP address 192.168.10.1 / 255.255.255.0. Repeat for VLAN 20 (192.168.20.1) and VLAN 30 (192.168.30.1). Enable IP routing. Devices on each VLAN use these IP addresses as their default gateway.

Step 6 — Verify the Configuration

Verification steps to confirm your VLANs are working correctly:

• Connect a laptop to a port configured as VLAN 10 — it should receive a 192.168.10.x IP from DHCP and be able to ping 192.168.10.1 (the gateway)
• Connect a second laptop to a VLAN 20 port — it should receive a 192.168.20.x IP
• From the VLAN 10 laptop, try to ping 192.168.20.x — this should FAIL (VLANs are isolated at Layer 2)
• If inter-VLAN routing is enabled on the S530, the ping between subnets should succeed — verify this is intentional
• In the switch web interface, check Interface Status to confirm each port's VLAN assignment
• Use VLAN Statistics to see traffic on each VLAN

Typical VLAN Configurations for UAE Businesses

Common VLAN Mistakes

• Forgetting to add a VLAN to the trunk port allowed list — devices on that VLAN cannot reach the next switch
• Setting an AP uplink port as Access instead of Trunk — the AP can only serve one VLAN instead of multiple SSIDs
• Enabling inter-VLAN routing without ACLs — all VLANs can reach each other, defeating the purpose of isolation
• Leaving management VLAN exposed — always restrict which VLANs can access the switch management interface