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VLAN Stacking
With the virtual local area network (VLAN)-stacking feature (also called stackable VLANs and QinQ), you can “stack” 
VLANs into one tunnel and switch them through the network transparently.
This feature is supported by the Dell Force10 operating software (FTOS) on the C-Series, E-Series, S-Series, Z-Series, or 
S4810 platforms.
For more information about basic VLAN commands, refer to the 
Virtual LAN (VLAN) Commands
 section in the Layer 2 
chapter.
Important Points to Remember
• If you do not enable the spanning tree protocol (STP) across the stackable VLAN network, STP bridge protocol 
data units (BPDUs) from the customer’s networks are tunneled across the stackable VLAN network.
• If you do enable STP across the stackable VLAN network, STP BPDUs from the customer’s networks are 
consumed and not tunneled across the stackable VLAN network unless you enable protocol tunneling.
NOTE: For more information about protocol tunneling on the E-Series, refer to Service Provider Bridging.
• Layer 3 protocols are not supported on a stackable VLAN network.
• Assigning an IP address to a stackable VLAN is supported when all the members are only stackable VLAN trunk 
ports. IP addresses on a stackable VLAN-enabled VLAN is not supported if the VLAN contains stackable VLAN 
access ports. This facility is provided for the simple network management protocol (SNMP) management over a 
stackable VLAN-enabled VLAN containing only stackable VLAN trunk interfaces. Layer 3 routing protocols on 
such a VLAN are not supported.
• Dell Force10 recommends that you do not use the same MAC address, on different customer VLANs, on the 
same stackable VLAN.
• Interfaces configured using stackable VLAN access or stackable VLAN trunk commands are not switch traffic 
for the default VLAN. These interfaces are switch traffic only when they are added to a non-default VLAN.
• Starting with FTOS version 7.8.1 for C-Series and S-Series (FTOS version 7.7.1 for E-Series, 8.2.1.0 for E-Series 
ExaScale), a vlan-stack trunk port is also allowed to be configured as a tagged port and as an untagged port for 
single-tagged VLANs. When the vlan-stack trunk port is also a member of an untagged vlan, the port must be in 
Hybrid mode. Refer to portmode hybrid.
dei enable
Make packets eligible for dropping based on their DEI value.
C-Series, S-Series, S4810
Syntax
dei enable
Defaults Packets are colored green; no packets are dropped.
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