A method for facilitating the design and assignment of Ethernet VLANs. The method includes receiving a VLAN name, a class of service and two or more access ports. The switches and trunks associated with the access ports are determined. A VLAN database is searched for the VLAN. A VLAN is created if the searching does not result in locating the VLAN. Creating the VLAN includes selecting a starting access port from the two or more access ports. A base path is mapped from the starting access port to another of the access ports. The base path includes one or more of the switches and one or more of the trunks. The base path is added to the VLAN and includes the starting access port and the other access ports. For each of the two or more access ports not currently located in the VLAN a new path is mapped from the access port to one of the switches in the VLAN. In addition, a new path is added to the VLAN including the access port. The VLAN is then transmitted to the VLAN database.