Network Tools

Brian Thorpe 30/10/2012

Lesson Schedule

• Registration
• Housekeeping
• Presentation – Why do we use Networking Tools
• Activity 1 – Networking Tools Choices
• Presentation – What Networking Tools are available
• Activity 2 – Network Monitoring - DHCP
• Session review questions & answers
Why do we use Networking Tools

• There are three main reasons why we use Networking Tools :-

• To detect faults (Monitoring)

• To diagnose faults (Troubleshooting and Repair)
• To monitor performance (Capacity Planning)

• But we also can use them to :-

• To obtain information about a network for (Security and Asset Tracking)

• To Deploy Software (Installation & Distribution)
• To Control and Configure ( Network/System Management)
What Networking Tools are Available

There are many networking tools on the market some of the common
ones are :-

• HP Operations Manager – (Monitoring & Control)

• Cisco Works - (Monitoring & Control)
• Wireshark - Protocol Analyser (Troubleshooting)

• Some are free like Wireshark others you have to pay for
How do you choose

Things you need to consider :-

The size of your network – (10 Pc’s and a Server or Multiple Offices)
The type of network – (LAN, WAN, Wireless)
The budget you have – (Free or not)
The skill level you have
( No point buying HP Open view if no one is trained to use it)

One of the most important points is what are you going to use it for
Monitoring, Control, Diagnosis, Asset Management, Distribution,
Security or all of these
Activity 1 – Networking Tools Choices

Senario 1
You are working for a small business that has 10 x Desktop PCs, 1 x File Server, 1 x Networked
Printer. All the equipment is on one floor. The network is running slow and you need to find out
what's going on.

What networking tools would you use and why ?

Senario 2
You are working for a large UK Construction Company that has two large building networked together with high
speed fibre. Each building has 350 X Desktops, 20 wireless laptops and 10 x networked printers.
The main server room is in one building that houses 50 x physical file servers and 400 virtual servers.

What networking tools would you use and why ?

Using Microsoft Word document both scenarios, the following links may be useful :-

http://www.solarwinds.com/resources/tags/network-management-tools.aspx
http://www.spiceworks.com/free-network-monitoring-management-software/
http://h17007.www1.hp.com/uk/en/products/network-management/index.aspx
http://www.wireshark.org/
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/netmgtsw/index.html
http://
www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-free-dead-easy-ip-traffic-monitoring-tools/1065?tag=content;siu-con
tainer
 An example protocol to analyse DHCP

When a PC Boots up if fixed IP Internet

Addressing is not used then the ADSL Router
DHCP Server
PC needs to get an IP Address.
To do this it uses the DHCP
Protocol to communicate with the
Router to be assigned one PC PC

The Network Conversation

DHCP Discover

Request IP address DHCP Offer

ADSL Router
Sends possible IP Address
DHCP Server

DHCP Request
DHCP ACK
Accepts Offer

Completes Transaction
Activity 2 – Network Monitoring - DHCP

Using the equipment provided build a small peer to peer network containing a router and
two PC’s.
Set up one PC as a network monitor using wire shark.
Monitor the other PC as it starts up.
Analyse the network packets captured, screen shot them into a word document and
annotate them, include the table below to summarize the conversation between client
and DHCP Server, make sure you include an explanation for the following fields and why
they change between packets :-
IP: Destination Address , IP: Source Address , DHCP Message Type, DHCP: Client Ethernet
Address , DHCP: Client-identifier

Source MAC Addr Dest MAC Addr Source IP Addr Dest IP Addr Packet Description
Activity 3 – Network Monitoring -P2 info

Areas you need to cover for P2 –

Networking tools - The Purpose of them, a paragraph on each

Fault management
Performance Management
Asset Management

Give specific examples of the tools available

HP Openview – Paragraph on what they are, why you use them

Cisco Works – Paragraph on what they are, why you use them
Wireshark – Paragraph on what they are, why you use them