Networking

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Networking Lab 9

Final Lab: Network Cost Analysis

Leo Burke

12-2-2007

Network Overveiw
Topology: Interconnected
The whole network will be broken up into 2 smaller networks, one for the Office and Shipping/Reciving,and another for Production and Editing computers. Both networks will be B networks, and use Cat 5 Cable to transfer data. All the computers on both networks will be connected to each other on the network via 2 seperate switches and 2 routers connected to each other at the IT closet.

Ethernet Cards and Trancivers.

All modern computers have internet and networking equipment built into them out of the box, so there is no need to buy seperate cards for each computer. However, if such a need arose. The purchase would go to a U.S. Robotics PCI network interface card. The card offers roboust connectivity, and serves the purposes of the business well.

55.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833135017

Hubs

Hubs are largly outdated, and do not fit with the topology of the network. Thus, they will not be included in the parts list.

Switches

This computer has 24 ports, which is more than enough for a growing network. Two of them will interconnect the computers easily. This particular swich's interface is through console, but that should not be needed for our particular network. These particular swiches can be rackmounted for extra orginization. The brand is pretty good, and it's at a reasonable price.

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?edc=1244980&cm_re=HBS-_-PZ-_-MF2+3Com+Baseline+Switch

Cable

Cat 5 cable is what I have chosen to use to wire everything. While the cable has the potentiel to be obsolete in the future. Wiring a network using expensive fiber optic isn't going to be very cost effective to a small business. If the video editing business eventually becomes larger and they decide to move to fiber optic, by then the technology will be cheaper and more cost effective.

The total amount of cable used in this particular office is approxamatly 1091 feet of cable. Ordering in bulk would be an ideal solution.

1000 feet of Cat 5e cable sells for about $122 http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=081028

add another 250 feet at $39.99 to cover the rest, and to keep around in case any additional computers need to be added.

Including 100 plugs (which will be sufficent to connect at least 50 computers) at $28.99

Printer Server

A dedicated printing server will allow for one printer to connect to the entire network, eliminating the need for a dedicated computer set up for just printing. This model has 4 ports and costs $66.99 http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=544147

Network Operating System

Novel is a brand that I trust for anything networking, since I have only heard bad things about Microsoft's networking OS. The Minimum system requirments are low, so it will run very smoothly on any server I put it on. A sever operating system is also preferable for our purposes of multiple file hosting. http://www.cdw.com/shop/pro ducts/specs.aspx?EDC=949052&cm_sp=Product-_-Specs-_-Main+Tab

to licence 16 users, it will cost $2911.84

Server Hardware:

The Server I selected is a Sun Microsystems brand server. I have seen Sun servers in action, and trust Sun Microsystems as a brand, so the choice seems natural for me. This server has a dual core 1.8 ghz AMD Opteron Processer, 2 gigabytes of ram, and hot swappable hard drive bays.
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=1035221 This model doesn't come with a CD drive, or hard drives. The hard drives I selected were Dual Segate terabyte processers to maximize size. Segate is a brand that has been reccommened by a networking professional who has compared hard drives in the past, and has relied upon Segate for years.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148278 The Cd drive is made for the Server form factor.
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?EDC=1149902

Network Diagram:

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Networking Lab 8

Lab Name: Subnetting
Name: Leo Burke
Date: 10-29-07

Objective
In this lab we were to set up a rudimentary network with 2 routers and 2 switches. After wiring all the componants together, we were to set it up without the aid of router RIP to see what would happen. Then, we assigned all new IP and Subnets and using the Router RIP protocol, but after it was set up we were to leave the room and our instructor would come into the room and mess up something for us to troubleshoot and fix.

Equiptment List
2 Lab computers
2 Routers
2 Switches
Network Cabling
Hyperterminal
Command Prompt
Lab Handout

Notes and Observations
At first, both sides of the network had problems getting the computers to 'See' each other throught the routers, and it was very slow going. Eventually, we got both of them to work. There was a great deal of misscommunication and a few missed steps, and the lab ended up taking much longer than anticipated. Once our network had been set up for the first time the other computer and switch had gone onto another step, while I assumed that both groups were ready. I was wrong, and for the next hour both groups tried troubleshooting everything, from the routers to the IP addresses. Finnally, we figuried out that I had skipped a crucial step, after we re-assigned the IP addresses to the network the other computer was on, things worked. Beacuse that was the problem that the instructor was going to introduce anyway, and due to the fact we were in the Lab an extra hour, we called it a day after that.

Diagrams Flowcharts and Figures
none presented

References
Lab Handout
Hyperterminal Command sheet

Questions
Check the connectivity betweenn cp1 and cp1. What method did you use to test connectivity? Was it successful? if not, why did the test fail?
Ping, No, Router Rip was not activated.

Check the interfaces on the routers with the command show ip interface breif. are all fo the neccessary inerfaces operation? describe Yes, shows all of the connections.

View the IP routing table for both routers usoing the command show ip rout. Record thre resuls. is a rout availible from pc1 to 2.
C 192.168.14.0 Directly Connected e0
C 192.168.01.24 Directly Connected f0
S 192.168.01.24 Directly Connected

Why Don't you need Static routes on Routers?
We are not using Router RIP

Re-Check connectivity between router 1 and router 2. What were the results?
Not successful

How does useing a routing protocol suc as RIP differ from configururing static routes?
Much easier
When would you elect to use a routing protocol?
Whenever possible
When would you use static routes?
When router RIP is inaccessible.

Type the command 'debug ip rip' at the privilaged EXEC mode prompt. Was there any output from the debug command?
No
What did the output show?
Nothing

At each router type 'show ip route'. What are the entries for router1? Router 2? How do they differ from before?

Router 1:
C 172.16.0.1 Direct connect e0
C 172.17.0.1 Direct connect f0
C 172.16.0.0 direct connect

Router 2:
C 172.18.0.1 Direct connect e0
C 172.17.0.2 Direct connect f0
C 172.18.0.0 direct connect

Differnt IPs and Subnet masks

Conclusions

this lab was much harder than previous labs, there were a lot of steps and it was very easy to lose track and miss something. A result of an overlooked step and misscommunication, I skipped a step when I though the other team was catching up, it took us 1 and a half hours of troubleshooting to figure out what was the problem. Eventually, we figured it out and got the network working again. Face to face communication is important in any lab, especially this one, where we had 2 people set up 2 computers. In this lab, knowing what page your partner was on was more important than knowing how to set up a router.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Networking Lab 7b

Lab Name: Subnetting
Name: Leo Burke
Date: 10-21-07

Objective
In the lab, our assignment was to take the computers create a network by manually subnetting each computer and switch to create a working network. In the process we decided on what network class to use, what default subnet was, as well as the network's topology. During the construction of our network, we had to configure each switch independently with hyper terminal, as well as each router. All of our IP addresses were calculated by hand with the help of a network topology diagram.

Equipment list
4 Lab Computers
2 Routers
2 Cisco Switches
Hyperterminal
Cat 5 Cable of varied length
Network Topology diagram

Notes and observations.
This Lab was very complicated and confusing at times. The hardest was not figuring out what IP addresses to use and how to assign subnets and masks (althought that was one of the difficult portions of the lab). Rather, the difficult part was getting hyperterminal to 'see' the router we had hooked up so we could configure it. After that, the most complicated part of subnetting a network is figuring out the IPs themselves, which was difficult to do until someone in class told me how to properly subnet the network. I also learned a few tips in the lab and what to look for when subnetting a network.

Diagrams Flowcharts and Figures
(Network Diagram)

(Network Practice Lab worksheet)

References
Lab Handout, Hyperterminal command list, Whiteboard Diagram

Questions
no questions were included in the lab

Conclusions
this lab, while a little more complicated and not as straightforward as others, proved to be full of useful information and practical knowledge. I had set up a network in a previous lab, but I had not done any of the subnetting or mask setup that took place in this lab. I finally learned how subnetting works and how to set up a functional network using subnetting.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Networking Lab 6

Lab Name: Packet Sniffing with Ethereal
Name: Leo Burke
Date: 10-14-07

Objective
Using tools found on the web, we are to find out exactly what happens to packets and information that flows in and out of our computer. We downloaded a "packet sniffer" which records and describes the packets that are being sent and received by our computer, then we were to create situations where certain packets would show up and we would describe them.

Equipment list
Computer lab
Ethereal packet sniffer

Notes and observations
Compared to other labs, this one was very easy and only required us to download one program and run it. The ease of which to record and capture packet transfer data surprised everyone. The sheer amount of packets being sent also caught everyone off guard. Going through and simulating different network traffic types was interesting and easy.

Diagrams Flowcharts and figures.
ethereal in action:

References
Lab Handout

Questions
1. What is the purpose of sequence numbers? To find which order the packets are sent and received
2. What is the purpose of source and destination addresses? Find where packets come from and go to.
3. What is theh purpose of DNS? Turn web addresses into Ip Addresses
4.What is DHCP? Domain Host Configuration protocol, issues ip addresses automatically.
5. What are the implications of having a tool like Eathereal freely available? Anyone can inspect the network traffic.

Conclusions
This was an eye opening lab to the nuts and bolts of packet traffic. When the sheer volume of information that comes in and out of one's computer has an address, source and other information ready to view, then things seem a bit unreal. The ease of which to find tools to mo niter internet traffic is unheard of, and the wealth of information that it can produce is staggering. I now know how to monitor the packets coming in and out of my computer, and what kind of packets are being sent and received when I do various online tasks. Overall, it was a very informative and fun lab.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Networking Lab 5

Lab Name: Setting Up a web server
Date: 9-30-07
Name: Leo Burke

Objectives

In this lab, our objective was to create our own web server using the Apache Client, as well as using other free methods in order to set up a server. We also used a free FTP client to set up a simple FTP server on our server, as well as host a simple website locally.

Equipment List
Computer lab
Apache server client
Internet Explorer
Filezilla FTP client

Notes and Observations
Setting up the Apache server was usually simple, but not after downloading the wrong file package and attempting to figure out why it would not work. Finding the right registries to change in order to change settings was also a difficult trial and error problem. Getting the FTP client up and running, however, was another challenge unto itself. It was a multistep process that required a lot of searching in order to work our way through, but it paid off and we eventually got our little FTP server working

Diagrams, Flowcharts, and Figures
All of our work was done on one computer with no need for visual aids.

References.
lab handout
Apache server help page

Questions.
I regret to admit the handout containing the questions has been misplaced.

Conclusions
This was a lab where we did some very hands on networking. Setting up an FTP server and Apache web server is the nuts and bolts of website administration. The only problems we had with the lab were setting up the FTP server. I assumed that setting up a website would be a difficult but straight through process, I was pleasantly surprised to find it easier than I expected. The one thing I wish I could do over was set up the FTP server, since it took way longer than it should have, and I know I could get it to work the first time, rather than try several times before getting it to work. Overall, it was an interesting lab.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Networking Lab 4

Lab Name: B and C network
Date: 9-21-07
Name: Leo Burke

Objectives:
in this lab we were to set up a simple B and C network, and then to link both of those networks together via a router. Each computer on the network needs to have it's unique IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address.

Equipment List
Lab Computer
Switches
Cisco Router
HyperTerminal
Cat 5 Cables

Notes and observations
This lab was kind of difficult compared to previous ones, only because of the technical difficulty and the number of steps involved. Making the C and B networks work was easy. Getting those networks to talk to each other using the router was another story. Using the hyperterminal to assign the IP address to the network ports on the router was a very tricky process, and it needed to be done more than once to make it work completely. After we got everything working, we had to turn off the fire wall in order to get everything to work.

Diagrams, flowcharts and figures.

References:
Lab Handout

Questions:
How many bits are in an ip Address? 32

What three things are required to properly configure an IP address? Unique IP for Router, Subnet mask, and Unique IP for Computer

When Configuring an IP address, computers on the same network should have a same network address and unique host address.

Conclusions:
This lab was a little more hands on than previous labs, which made things a bit more interesting. I liked the fact that this lab had useful applications in the real world. Before, I had no idea how to set up a network, assuming it was done through a windows wizard, now I know it's through IP assignments and other techniques. I also know now to turn off the fire wall when making the initial connections, so that computers can ping each other without hassle. I also know how to assign IP addresses to a Cisco router using hyper terminal, which may come in handy one of these days. Other than that, it was a very informative lab.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Networking Lab 3

Lab Name: OSI Model
Date: 9-21-07
Name: Leo Burke

Objectives
In this lab we were to learn more about the OSI model by researching and work with each layer. We were also to describe the layers in a mnemonic device.

Equipment list
Computer
internet
Serial cable
Lab computers

Notes and observations
the lab was easy to complete at home, the only problems I had was the last question, which required the hook up of 2 computers using a serial cable. Since I didn't have easy access to these, I waited until the next lab and stayed a little later to complete the question using the lab computers.

Diagrams, flowcharts, and figures:

References
Lab 3 Handout

Wikipedia entry for OSI Model

Questions

1. If we already had the TCP/IP model, why was the more complicated OSI model created?

To allow for protocols

2.What does the abbreviation OSI stand for? Who originated it? When?

Open Systems Interconnection, originated at the International Organization for standardization in 1977

3. (See Diagram)

4.
Switch, 2
Hub, 1
NIC, 2
Router 2
Cable, 1
Wireless 3
Patch panel 2
Bridge, 1

5. What is another name for a physical address?

Mac address,

How many bits do they require?

12 bits

When two machines attempt to transmit simultaneously on the same media segment, both messages become garbled and unintelligible. What is this condition normally called?

it’ a data collision

6.
What method is used to translate a known layer 3 address into an unknown layer 2 address? VLAN configuration.

7. What is your neighbor’s physical address?
Neighbors’s address is 66.55.155.191

. What address is added to the arp table when you ping www.sal.ksu.edu?
None, the requests times out.

What are layer 3 gateway devices called?

Firewalls

What is the de-facto standard for logical addresses used today?

IP Addresses,

How many bits do they require

12 Bits

Information provides how many server hops a ping goes through to get to it’s destination. The packets seem to go from Salina Kansa to Atlanta Georgia and back. In the console, the number of hops is around 15, from 4 KSU servers to a few others before reaching KWU's servers.

10.

What information is provided in the switch MAC address table?

Information on what Vlan is used, what the MAC address is, The type of port (Dynamic or static) and what ports are used.

Conclusions
This lab was not as hands on as other labs, however, I gained a few extra skills. I know the OSI model more than I used to. I also learned to use the "Tracert" command to find where my packets go. Other than that, it was a very long lab which took me a long time to complete. My only problem was going into the lab and connecting 2 computers via serial cable, which was hard only because I had to find time to do it during the week.