LAB # 5

Introduction to Basic Configuration and Simulation of a Network

Using Packet Tracer
Objectives:

1. Identify types of computer networks, topologies and TCP/IP address configuration.

2. Cisco Packet Tracer 5.1 Overview
3. Creating Devices
4. Adding Modules
5. Making Connections
6. Creating Networks

Computer Network:

A network is a group of two or more computer system linked together. There are many types of
computer networks, including:

1. LAN: Local Area Network

2. WAN: Wide Area Network
3. MAN: Metropolitan Area Network

LOCAL AREA NETWORK:

A group of computers that share a common connection and are usually in a small area or even in
the same building use LAN. For example an office or home network. They are usually connected
by Ethernet cables and have high speed connections.

If it was a wireless setup it would be called a WLAN, which would have a lower connection
speed.

WIDE AREA NETWORK:

This is the largest network and can interconnect networks throughout the world and is not
restricted to a geographical location. The Internet is an example of a worldwide public WAN.
Most WANs exist to connect LANs that are not in the same geographical area. This technology
is high speed and very expensive to setup.

METROPILITAN AREA NETWORK:

This is a larger network that connects computer users in a particular geographic area or region.
For example a large university may have a network so large that it may be classified as a MAN.

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The MAN network usually exists to provide connectivity to 2 or more LANs. It is far larger than
a LAN and smaller than a WAN.

NETWORK TOPOLOGY:
A topology is the way of laying out the network. It is of 2 types:
 Physical topology
 Logical topology

PHYSICAL TOPOLOGY:
It tells the physical arrangement of the nodes in a network. There are 5 major physical
topologies:
1. Bus
2. Star
3. Ring
4. Mesh
5. Hybrid

LOGICAL TOPOLOGY:
It tells how the message travels in the network. There are 3 major ways of data travelling in a
network:
1. Ethernet
2. Token ring
3. FDDI

PHYSICAL TOPOLGY:

BUS TOPOLOGY:

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Advantages of bus topology:

 Works well for small networks (fewer than 10 devices).

 Inexpensive to implement on a small scale.
 Requires less cable.
 Easy to add another workstation.

Disadvantages of bus topology:

 Management costs often too high.

 Subject to congestion from network traffic.
 Adding more computers to the network degrades the performance.
 Only one node can transfer data at a time.

STAR TOPOLOGY:

Advantages of star topology:

 Easier to manage than a bus.

 Easier to locate node and cable problems.
 Well suited for expansion into high-speed networking.
 More equipment options.

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Disadvantages of star topology:

 Susceptible to a single point of failure.

 Requires more network cable at the start than a bus.

RING TOPOLOGY:

Advantages of ring topology:

 Easier to manage than a bus.

 Easier to locate node and cable problems.
 Good over long distances.
 Handles high-volume traffic well.
 Very reliable.
Disadvantages of ring topology:

 Requires more network cable and equipment at the start than a bus.
 Not as widely used as the bus topology.

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Mesh topology:

Main features of mesh topology are:

 Every device interconnected.

 Most expensive.
 Most Fault tolerant.
 Cable fault tolerant.
 Device fault tolerant.
 The Internet is Mesh Topology.

Hybrid (Tree) topology:

It is a mixture of any 2 topologies. The figure below shows a bus-star topology.

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LOGICAL TOPOLOGY:

ETHERNET:
Ethernet is the most popular network architecture. It can be configured in a star or bus topology.
 In a star topology, all devices are connected to a central device. This device is usually a
hub or switch.
 In a bus topology, each computer is connected to a single cable or a backbone.

Ethernet communication steps:

The Ethernet uses a protocol called CSMA/CD to transmit data. CSMA/CD is Carrier Sense
Multiple Access with Collision Detect. The meaning of this protocol is:

 Carrier Sense – The device must check the media to see if it’s free i.e., no other device is
transmitting data.
 Multiple Access – check that more than one device is attached to the network.
 Collision detect – The ability to detect and respond to collisions.

TOKEN RING:
The Token is a special packet (that is, a special signal) of data that floats around the network.
The token can travel in either direction around the ring, but only in one direction at a time
carrying data.

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 Token ring communication steps:

1. As the Token passes a device, it can check to see if the Token is free.
2. If it is free, the device can attach its data.
3. The Token will then pass from device to devices. Each device will look at the data to
determine if it was meant for them.
4. When the destination device gets the Token, it strips off the data and attaches a reply
to the Token and sends it out.
5. The original sender strips off the reply and sends out the free Token.

FDDI:
FDDI is Fiber Distributed Data Interface. Although FDDI normally uses fiber optic cable it can
use UTP (unshielded twisted pair cable) as well. Because of the cost, FDDI is usually used to
connect LANs together and not devices. FDDI works very much like Token Ring. However,
FDDI allows multiple users to attach data to the Token.

FDDI is sometimes called Dual-Counter Rotating Rings. It uses the concept of dual ring we
discussed in ring topology. There are two pieces of fiber that carry data in opposite directions.
One ring is called the Primary the other the Secondary. Most data gets transmitted on the primary
ring. The secondary ring is usually reserved for system maintenance and if there is a failure of
the primary ring. If one ring breaks, any device can switch data from one ring to the other. This
causes the data to travel in the opposite direction.

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TCP/IP ADDRESS CONFIGURATION:

The builder of a house must ensure that all construction takes place on a firm foundation. The
same is true for the builder of a TCP/IP-based networking system. Fundamental network
configuration problems will plague all network users until they are resolved.

MS Windows workstations and servers can be configured either with fixed/static IP addresses or
via DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol). The examples that follow demonstrate the
use of DHCP and make only passing reference to those situations where fixed IP configuration
settings can be affected.
It is possible to use shortcuts or abbreviated keystrokes to arrive at a particular configuration
screen. The decision was made to base all examples in this chapter on use of the Start button.

MS WINDOWS 7 CONFIGURATION

IP Address
IP addresses are four sets of numbers separated by periods that allow computers to identify each
other. Every computer has at least one IP address, and two computers should never have the
same IP address. If they do, neither of them will be able to connect to the internet.

Dynamic vs Static IPS

Most routers assign dynamic IP addresses by default. They do this because dynamic IP address
networks require no configuration. The end user can simply plug their computer in, and their
network will work. When IP addresses are assigned dynamically, the router is the one that
assigns them. Every time a computer reboots it asks the router for an IP address. The router then
hands it an IP address that has not already been handed out to another computer. This is
important to note. When you set your computer to a static IP address, the router does not know
that a computer is using that IP address. So the very same IP address may be handed to another
computer later, and that will prevent both computers from connecting to the internet. So when
you assign a static IP addresses, it's important to assign an IP address that will not be handed out
to other computers by the dynamic IP address server. The dynamic IP address server is generally
referred to as the DHCP server.

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Setting up a Static IP for Windows
Here is paths to the Windows 7 navigate to the Control Panel, choose Network and Internet, and
then click Network and Sharing Center.
Click Start -> Control Panel -> Network Connections.

The following procedure steps through the Windows 7 static IP configuration process:
1. Click the Local Area Connection to begin configuring your static IP address.

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2. From the Local Area Connection Status window, click the Details button to see your
existing connection details (most likely DHCP). If you’re running this in VMWare
Fusion, the 172.16.153.129 is the first IP address allocated. You should note the default
gateway and DNS server IP address, which should always be 172.16.153.2. Click the
Close button when you’ve made note of those IP addresses for subsequent steps

3. Back at the Local Area Connection Status window, click the Properties button. It will
show you the Local Area Connection Properties dialog. Click on the Internet Protocol
Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) in the item box of the dialog window.

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 4. Click the Use the following IP address radio button and enter the appropriate values for
your static IP address. The default gateway and DNS server are generally different but
are the same when you’re using NAT addressing inside VMWare.

IPCONFIG Command

IPCONFIG Command Is used to find out your current TCP/IP settings. With IPCONFIG you can
find out your IP Address, find your Default Gateway and find your Subnet Mask. This is a very
handy network tool for finding your local IP address.

IPconfig /all Command

IPconfig /all Command are used to display all your IP information for all adapters. With ipconfig
/all you can also find out your DNS Server and MAC Address. This will show your full TCP/IP
configuration for all adapters on your Windows machine. You can find out your own IP Address
as well as your default gateway.

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IPconfig /release
IPconfig / release Command is use to release your current IP information and obtain a new IP
Address from the DHCP server.

IPconfig /renew
IPconfig / renew Command is used to renew your IP Address if you have it set to obtain IP
Address automatically.

IPconfig /displaydns
This shows your current DNS Resolver Cache Logs.

IPconfig /flushdns
This flushes or clears your current DNS Resolver Cache Logs.

Ping Command

The Ping command is a network tool used to determine if you are able to send packets between
your computer networks on the internet to another computer without losing packets along the
way. By doing this you can determine if you're online or if a website is down. It also calculates
round trip time and Time to Live. This can let you know if your NIC card is working properly
and if you're able to reach your router or modem. It can also be used as a network tool for
troubleshooting.

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The Simulator

Packet Tracer Overview:

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1 Menu Bar This bar provides the File, Edit, Options, View, Tools,
Extensions, and Help menus. You will find basic commands such
as Open, Save, Print, and Preferences in these menus. You will
also be able to access the Activity Wizard from the Extensions
menu.
2 Main Tool Bar This bar provides shortcut icons to the File and Edit menu
commands. This bar also provides buttons for Zoom, the drawing
Palette, and the Device Template Manager. On the right, you
will also find the Network Information button, which you can
use to enter a description for the current network (or any text you
wish to include).
3 Common Tools This bar provides access to these commonly used workspace tools:
Bar Select, Move Layout, Place Note, Delete, Inspect, Add Simple
PDU, and Add Complex PDU. See "Workspace Basics" for more
information.
4 Logical/Physical You can toggle between the Physical Workspace and the Logical
Workspace and Workspace with the tabs on this bar. In Logical Workspace, this
Navigation Bar bar also allows you to navigate through levels of a cluster, create a
new New Cluster, Move Object, Set Tiled Background, and
Viewport. In Physical Workspace, this bar allows you to navigate
through physical locations, create a New City, create a New
Building, create a New Closet, Move Object, apply Grid to the
background, Set Background, and go to the Working Closet.
5 Workspace This area is where you will create your network, watch
simulations, and view many kinds of information and statistics.
6 Realtime/Simul You can toggle between Realtime Mode and Simulation Mode
ation Bar with the tabs on this bar. This bar also provides buttons to Power
Cycle Devices as well as the Play Control buttons and the Event
List toggle button in Simulation Mode. Also, it contains a clock
that displays the relative Time in Realtime Mode and Simulation
Mode.
7 Network This box is where you choose devices and connections to put into
Component Box the workspace. It contains the Device-Type Selection Box and the
Device-Specific Selection Box.
8 Device-Type This box contains the type of devices and connections available in
Selection Box Packet Tracer 5.1. The Device-Specific Selection Box will change
depending on which type of device you choose.
9 Device-Specific This box is where you choose specifically which devices you want
Selection Box to put in your network and which connections to make.
10 User Created This window manages the packets you put in the network during
Packet simulation scenarios. See the "Simulation Mode" section for more
Window* details.

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Creating Devices:
Choose a device type from the
Device-Type Selection box
Click on the desired device model from the Device-Specific Selection box
Click on a location in the workspace to put your device in that location
If you want to cancel your selection, press the Cancel icon for that device
Alternatively, you can click and drag a device from the Device- Specific Selection box
onto the workspace
You can also click and drag a device directly from the Device-Type Selection box and a
default device model will be chosen for you

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Adding Modules:

1. Click on a device to bring up its configuration window.

2. By default, you will be in the Physical Device View subpanel of the device.
3. You can browse (by clicking) through the list of modules and read their
description in the information box at the bottom.
4. When you have found the module you want to add, simply drag it from the list
into a compatible bay on the device picture.
5. You can remove a module by dragging it from the device back into the list.

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Making Connections:
1. To make a connection between two devices, first click the Connections icon
from the Device-Type Selection box to bring up the list of available connections.
2. Then click the appropriate cable type.
3. The mouse pointer will change into a "connection" cursor.
4. Click on the first device and choose an appropriate interface to which to connect.
5. Then click on the second device and do the same.
6. A connection cable will appear between the two devices, along with link
lights showing the link status on each end (for interfaces that have link
lights).

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Creating Networks:
1. Start creating a network by first selecting the End Devices. Add a Generic PC
and a Generic Server to the workspace.
2. Under Connections, select the Copper Straight-through cable (solid black line) and
connect the devices with it. The red lights on the link indicate that the connection is
not working. Now, use the Delete tool to remove the Copper Straight-through cable,
and use a Copper Cross-over cable (dashed line) instead. The lights should turn
green at this point, and if the mouse pointer is held over either the PC or the Server,
the link status will be shown as “Up.” The network should lo ok similar to the
picture above.
3. Click on the PC. While paying attention to the link lights, turn the power on,
off, and on again. Follow the same steps for the server. The link lights turn red
when the device is off. This means that the link is down or is not working. The
link lights turn green when the device is turned back on.
4. Try all three ways to learn about the devices. First, mouse over the devices to see
basic configuration information about them. Second, click on each device with the
Select tool to show the device configuration window, which provides several
ways to configure the device. Third, use the Inspect tool to view tables the
network device will build as it learns about the network around it. In this example,
only the ARP tables will appear. Since the devices have not been configured yet,
the ARP tables are empty. Always remember to close windows after viewing
them or they will clutter the workspace.

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5. Open the PC configuration window and change the settings using the Config tab.
Change the display name to Client and set the DNS server to 192.168.0.105. Under
Interface, click FastEthernet and set the IP address as 192.168.0.110. Packet Tracer
automatically calculates other parameters. Make sure that the Port Status box is
checked. For future reference, note that other Ethernet interface settings, such as
bandwidth, duplex, MAC address, and subnet mask can be modified using this window.
6. Go to the Desktop Tab and click on IP Configuration. Notice that the IP address,
subnet mask and DNS server can be changed here as well.
7. Open the Server configuration window and go to the Config tab. Change the display
name to Web Server. Click FastEthernet and set the IP address as 192.168.0.105. Make
sure that the Port Status is also on. Click DNS and set the domain name as
www.firstlab.com. Set the IP address as 192.168.0.105 and click Add. Finally, check to
make sure that the service for DNS is on.
8. Reposition the network devices by dragging them to a new location. Add a network
description by using the “i” button on the upper ri ght corner. Then add some text labels
within the Logical Workspace by using the Place Note tool.
9. Load a background grid using the Set Tiled Background button.
10. Save your work using the File > Save As option and create a meaningful filename.

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Lab Task

Lab Task. 5.1) Check network configuration of your computer & ping your IP in CMD
(Command Prompt-line interpreter)..

Lab Task. 5.2) Create a hybrid network and simulate the flow of data among the different devices
of the network using below addressing scheme.

Gateway: 192.168.1.1
DNS server: 192.168.1.100
IP address: 192.168.1.2 – 50
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0

Note: Attach a snap shot of every above mentioned task.

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