Yes—unless your network configuration blocks a particular path. Internet access, access to other local networks, and communication between devices on the same VLAN are separate behaviors. A VLAN assignment alone does not establish which are allowed: gateway and firewall rules govern routed traffic, while an access point may separately isolate wireless clients.
What an IoT VLAN does—and does not—decide
A VLAN separates network traffic into a logical network. Whether an IoT device can reach a destination depends on the path to that destination and the controls along that path. In particular, traffic routed through a gateway is governed differently from communication between peers on the same Layer 2 network.
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Can IoT devices access the internet?
They can if the IoT subnet has a usable route to the internet and the gateway or firewall permits outbound traffic. A network can instead restrict or block WAN access. For example, GL.iNet’s subnet documentation describes options that distinguish unrestricted WAN access, internet access while blocking other WAN subnets, and blocking internet access. Those are product-specific options, not universal VLAN defaults.
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Can they reach other local networks?
Reaching a different VLAN or subnet requires a routed path and permission from the gateway or firewall. If routing is disabled, or a policy denies the traffic, the destination will not be reachable through that route. If routing and policy allow it, an IoT device may be able to reach other local subnets; simply naming a network “IoT” does not block them.
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Check both directions of policy: whether IoT devices can initiate connections to trusted networks, and whether devices on trusted networks can initiate connections to IoT. Where access is needed—for example, to a controller or local service—define the permitted exception rather than assuming all inter-network traffic should be open. Cisco Meraki explains that communication with another device through a bridged wireless network requires the upstream gateway to enable it, such as through inter-VLAN routing and ACLs (Wireless Client Isolation).
Can devices communicate with others on the same VLAN?
Often they can. Devices on the same Layer 2 network may exchange traffic directly without sending it through the inter-VLAN router or firewall. A firewall rule that blocks IoT-to-LAN routing therefore does not necessarily prevent one IoT device from communicating with another on its own VLAN.
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Wireless client isolation is a separate access-point or SSID feature that can restrict communication between wireless clients. Its scope depends on the equipment and configuration; do not assume it covers wired devices, every traffic type, or every client on the VLAN. Ubiquiti distinguishes access-point client isolation from VLAN-to-VLAN isolation in its UniFi isolation guidance. Meraki also documents bridged wireless client isolation and product- and firmware-specific limitations.
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How to check your network
- Confirm the device’s network assignment. Check which VLAN and subnet it actually joins, including its Wi-Fi SSID or the VLAN assigned to its switch port.
- Check internet access. Identify the subnet’s default gateway, its route toward the internet, and the outbound policy applied there.
- Check local-network access in both directions. Review routing and firewall rules between the IoT subnet and each trusted subnet. Record any intended exceptions, such as a controller or local service.
- Check same-network peer access separately. For Wi-Fi clients, inspect the AP or SSID’s client-isolation setting and confirm which clients and traffic it covers. Do not treat inter-VLAN firewall rules as proof that same-VLAN peers are isolated.
- Review IPv4 and IPv6 independently. Policies or feature support may differ by protocol; Meraki documents IPv4-specific limitations for some firmware versions. Verify the behavior for your equipment rather than assuming IPv4 rules also govern IPv6.
- Verify the configured result. Use the router, firewall, switch, and access-point documentation for the installed product and software version. Labels, defaults, and feature scope are not universal. Cisco’s guest-network example, for instance, applies to its named RV/WAP equipment and illustrates a combination of VLAN tagging, routing, and wireless isolation—not a default for every network.
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