Meaning – The term media access port, refers to a hardware-addressable component (such as a communication adapter) of a node that gives the node access to a transmission medium and enables data to pass into and out of the node.
An access port transports traffic to and from only the specified VLAN allotted to it. Unlike a trunk port, it will not deliver exclusive identifying tags (either 802.1Q or ISL tags) because the VLAN intended for it is pre-assigned.
Usually, an access port will only have a single VLAN set up on the interface and it carries traffic for just a single VLAN. If the VLAN for an access port is not configured, the interface can carry traffic using only the default VLAN, which is usually VLAN1.
Example of usage – “It is possible to configure Ethernet interfaces as either access ports or trunk ports, but they are unable to function as both types of port at the same time.”
