
### **Comprehensive Project Plan**  
**Objective**: Enable Avahi (mDNS) communication across VLANs using a Sophos XGS firewall and a Linux VM hosted on ESXi with VLAN trunking.  

---

### **1. Project Overview**  
- **Firewall**: Sophos XGS (enforces VLAN segmentation and allows 5353/UDP traffic).  
- **Avahi Server**: Linux VM on ESXi, receiving VLAN traffic via a physical trunk port.  
- **Goal**: Allow mDNS traffic (5353/UDP) between specified VLANs while maintaining VLAN isolation.  

---

### **2. Key Requirements**  
1. **Firewall Configuration**:  
   - Allow **UDP 5353** traffic between specified VLANs.  
   - Enforce VLAN segmentation (no inter-VLAN communication by default).  
2. **Network Infrastructure**:  
   - **Physical Trunk Port**: Switch provides tagged VLAN traffic to the ESXi host.  
   - **ESXi Host**: Assigns VLAN tagging to the VM’s virtual NIC.  
   - **Linux VM**: Single interface receives trunked VLAN traffic.  
3. **Avahi Server**:  
   - Installed on Linux VM.  
   - Configured to act as an mDNS relay across VLANs.  

---

### **3. Network Setup**  
#### **A. Physical Layer**  
1. **Switch Configuration**:  
   - Configure a **trunk port** on the physical switch to carry all required VLANs (e.g., VLAN 10, VLAN 20).  
   - Ensure the trunk port is connected to the ESXi host.  

#### **B. ESXi Host Configuration**  
1. **Port Group Setup**:  
   - Create a **port group** on the ESXi host for VLAN trunking.  
   - Assign the VLANs (e.g., VLAN 10, VLAN 20) to the port group.  
2. **VM Network Adapter**:  
   - Assign the VM a **virtual NIC (vNIC)** connected to the VLAN trunk port group.  
   - Ensure the vNIC is configured to **accept VLAN tags** (no need for VLAN sub-interfaces).  

#### **C. Linux VM Configuration**  
1. **Interface Configuration**:  
   - Assign **multiple IP addresses** to the VM’s interface (e.g., `eth0` or `vmbr0`) for each VLAN.  
     ```bash
     auto eth0
     iface eth0 inet static
         address 192.168.20.251
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         address 10.56.1.251
         netmask 255.255.255.0
         gateway 10.56.1.254
     ```  
   - Ensure IPs are in **different subnets** (e.g., VLAN 10: `10.56.1.0/24`, VLAN 20: `192.168.20.0/26`).  
2. **Routing**:  
   - Configure default gateway for the primary VLAN (e.g., `10.56.1.254`).  
   - Ensure routing tables allow traffic between VLANs.  

---

### **4. Sophos XGS Firewall Configuration**  
1. **VLAN Segmentation**:  
   - Create VLANs on the Sophos XGS (e.g., VLAN 10, VLAN 20).  
   - Assign interfaces to respective VLANs.  
2. **Traffic Rules**:  
   - Allow **UDP 5353** traffic between specified VLANs.  
     - Example rule:  
       ```  
       Source VLAN: VLAN 10  
       Destination VLAN: VLAN 20  
       Protocol: UDP  
       Destination Port: 5353  
       ```  
   - Ensure **no other traffic** is allowed between VLANs unless explicitly permitted.  

---

### **5. Avahi Server Setup**  
1. **Install Avahi**:  
   - Install Avahi on the Linux VM:  
     ```bash
     apt update && apt install avahi-daemon libnss-mdns
     ```  
2. **Configure Avahi**:  
   - Ensure Avahi is set to **broadcast mDNS packets** across VLANs.  
   - Adjust `/etc/avahi/avahi-daemon.conf` to allow broadcasting (if needed).  
3. **Firewall Rules (Optional)**:  
   - If the VM’s host firewall blocks traffic, add rules to allow **UDP 5353** between VLANs:  
     ```bash
     iptables -A FORWARD -s 10.56.1.0/24 -d 192.168.20.0/24 -p udp --dport 5353 -m state --state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
     ```  
4. **Verify Operation**:  
   - Test mDNS discovery between devices on different VLANs (e.g., ping, `avahi-browse`).  

---

### **6. Testing & Validation**  
1. **Ping Test**:  
   - Confirm connectivity between devices on different VLANs via the Avahi VM.  
2. **Firewall Rule Check**:  
   - Ensure Sophos XGS allows **UDP 5353** traffic between VLANs.  
3. **Avahi Discovery**:  
   - Use `avahi-browse` to verify mDNS services are visible across VLANs.  
4. **Traffic Monitoring**:  
   - Use tools like `tcpdump` or Wireshark to confirm VLAN tagging and traffic flow.  

---

### **7. Documentation & Maintenance**  
1. **Document VLAN Assignments**:  
   - Record VLAN IDs, IP ranges, and firewall rules for reference.  
2. **Backup Configurations**:  
   - Save ESXi port group settings, Sophos XGS rules, and Avahi configurations.  
3. **Regular Updates**:  
   - Keep the Linux VM and Avahi software updated to avoid vulnerabilities.  

---

### **8. Known Considerations**  
- **Trunking Limitations**: Ensure the physical switch and ESXi host support VLAN trunking.  
- **Firewall Overlap**: Avoid conflicting rules in Sophos XGS that could block mDNS traffic.  
- **Performance**: Monitor network bandwidth to ensure VLAN traffic does not saturate the link.  

---

### **9. Success Criteria**  
- **mDNS Communication**: Devices on different VLANs can discover and communicate via Avahi.  
- **Firewall Compliance**: Only allowed traffic (UDP 5353) is permitted between VLANs.  
- **Network Isolation**: VLAN segmentation is enforced, and only required traffic is allowed.  

--- 

This plan ensures a secure, scalable, and functional mDNS relay solution across VLANs using Sophos XGS and an ESXi-hosted Avahi VM.