explain any four characteristics of networks.
Describe 5 important steps to be taken to
Connectivity : For example, in a computer
network, high connectivity ensures that all devices
can communicate effectively, while low
connectivity might lead to data bottlenecks and
communication issues.
Scalability: For instance, a cloud computing
infrastructure must be highly scalable to support a
growing number of users and workloads.
Reliability: refers to the network's ability to
consistently deliver services and data without
unexpected interruptions or failures.
Security:Security is paramount in today's
interconnected world, where networks store and
transmit sensitive data. Network security
encompasses a range of measures and protocols to
protect network resources, data, and
communication from unauthorized access,
cyberattacks, and data breaches
why we need to setup default gateway on the end
devices?
Route Traffic: It directs data outside the local
network.
Interconnect Networks: It connects different
subnets within the network.
Access Remote Resources: It allows access to
resources on remote networks or the internet.
Explain any three of the roles of routers in
computer networks.
Packet Forwarding: Routers determine the best
path for data packets to travel between different
networks, ensuring efficient data transmission.
Network Address Translation (NAT): Routers
modify IP addresses to allow multiple devices in a
local network to share a single public IP address,
enhancing security and conserving IP addresses.
Traffic Filtering and Security: Routers enforce
security policies by filtering traffic based on criteria
like IP addresses and port numbers, protecting the
network from threats and unauthorized access.
Classify any three roles of switched networks.
Packet Forwarding:
Segmentation and Traffic Isolation:
Redundancy and High Availability:
Define the 4 main benefits of VLAN.
Enhanced network security
Improved network performance
Simplified network management
Flexible network design
Explain the CDP feature inside Cisco network
devices to map the unknown network.
Identifying Devices: It allows devices to learn
about neighboring devices, their names, IP
addresses, and software versions.
Mapping Topology: CDP helps visualize how
devices are connected, aiding in understanding
network layout.
Troubleshooting: It assists in diagnosing network
issues by quickly identifying devices involved.
Security Considerations: Administrators should be
cautious about potential security risks when using
CDP, as it shares device information.
ii. LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol):
Purpose: LLDP is a vendor-neutral network
discovery protocol used to discover and exchange
information about neighboring devices on a
network, regardless of their manufacturer.
Function: LLDP operates similarly to CDP but is
not limited to Cisco devices. exchange
information through LLDP advertisements, sharing
details such as device type, port ID, system
capabilities, management addresses.
IPv4 loopback characteristics: IP Address: The
configure a basic DHCP server.
Install DHCP Server Software: Install DHCP server
software on a suitable server or device.
Define IP Address Range: Determine the range of
IP addresses (DHCP pool) to allocate to clients
within your network's subnet.
Configure Lease Duration: Set the lease duration
for IP addresses to determine how long clients can
use them.
Define Additional DHCP Options: Configure
options like subnet masks, gateways, DNS, and
NTP server addresses to provide essential
network configuration to clients.
Activate DHCP Server: Activate the DHCP server,
making it accessible to clients, and ensure it's
running correctly.
Describe five functions which can be performed
using ACL.
Traffic Filtering: ACLs control which network
traffic is allowed or denied based on criteria like IP
addresses, ports, and protocols.
Network Segmentation: ACLs isolate different
network segments or VLANs, enhancing security
by controlling traffic flow between them.
Access Control: ACLs enforce access policies,
restricting or permitting access to network
resources based on user roles or authentication
levels.
Traffic Prioritization: ACLs assign Quality of
Service (QoS) markings to prioritize certain types
of traffic, ensuring efficient resource allocation.
Security and Threat Mitigation: ACLs enhance
network security by blocking malicious traffic,
preventing attacks, and limiting access to
vulnerable services.
Supernet Route
A supernet route is a summarized network
address that aggregates multiple smaller subnets
or IP address ranges into a single, larger address
range. This helps simplify routing tables and
improve network efficiency by reducing the
number of routing entries, making routing
decisions more efficient.
Default Route
A default route, represented by the network
address 0.0.0.0/0, serves as a routing fallback. It
specifies the next-hop router or gateway to which
network traffic should be sent when there is no
specific route in the routing table for the
destination IP address. This default route is
essential for devices to access resources outside
their local network, such as the internet,
providing a critical path for outbound traffic.
Four Reasons for Using a Router in a Computer
Network:
Packet Routing: Routers are responsible for
determining the best path for data packets to
travel from the source to the destination within a
network.
Network Segmentation: Routers can segment a
large network into smaller subnetworks, often
referred to as subnets.
Network Address Translation (NAT): Routers use
NAT to map private IP addresses of devices within
a local network to a single public IP address for
communication with the internet.
Firewall and Security: Routers often include
firewall capabilities to protect a network from
unauthorized access and potential threats.
most common IP address assigned to the IPv4
Loopback interface is 127.0.0.1. This IP address is
reserved for loopback testing and is often referred
to as the "localhost" address. Local Testing: The
Loopback interface is primarily used for local
testing and diagnostic purposes. When a router or
any other device sends data to the loopback
address, it essentially loops the data back to itself
without sending it out to the network. Always
Available: The Loopback interface is always
available, even if other network interfaces on the
router are down or disconnected. No Physical
Hardware: Unlike other network interfaces on a
router, the Loopback interface doesn't correspond
to a physical hardware component. Common
Uses: The Loopback interface has various uses in
networking and system administration. It's often
used for testing network services, checking
network configurations, and ensuring that
network-related software is functioning correctly.
a. DHCPv4 Messages Explanation:
DHCPv4 (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for
IPv4) is a protocol used to automatically assign IP
addresses and network configuration settings to
devices on a network. In DHCPv4 operation, two
important messages are exchanged between the
DHCP client and the DHCP server:
i) DHCPDISCOVER:
When a device, known as the DHCP client, joins a
network and needs an IP address, it starts by
sending a DHCPDISCOVER message.
The DHCPDISCOVER message is a broadcast
message that the client sends to the network,
essentially saying, "Hey, I'm here and I need an IP
address. Is there a DHCP server that can help
me?"
ii) DHCPOFFER:
When a DHCP server receives a DHCPDISCOVER
message, it responds with a DHCPOFFER message.
The DHCPOFFER message contains a proposed IP
address and other network configuration details
that the server can provide to the client.
a. Four Characteristics of a Switch to Alleviate
Network Traffic Congestion:
Segmentation: Switches divide a network into
multiple collision domains, which reduces the
chances of network congestion.
Traffic Isolation: Switches can create separate
broadcast domains, which prevent broadcast
traffic from flooding the entire network.
Bandwidth Management: Managed switches can
allocate and prioritize bandwidth for specific
devices or traffic types using Quality of Service
(QoS) settings.
MAC Address Learning: Switches maintain a MAC
address table to make forwarding decisions
efficiently. By remembering the MAC addresses of
devices connected to each port, switches can
direct traffic only to the port.
i. CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol):
Purpose: CDP is a proprietary network discovery
protocol developed by Cisco. It helps Cisco
devices identify and learn about neighboring Cisco
devices on a network.
Function: CDP-enabled devices periodically send
CDP packets that contain information about
themselves, such as device type, IP address,
software version, and neighboring devices. This
information helps network administrators monitor
and troubleshoot their Cisco networks more
effectively.
Routing Information Protocol
Router> enable Router# configure terminal #
Enable RIP routing protocol on the router
Router(config)# router rip # Specify the networks
to advertise (replace with your network details)
Router(config-router)# network
192.168.1.0
Router(config-router)# network
192.168.2.0
# Optionally, set a version for RIP (not
necessary for RIP v1) Router(config-
router)# version 1 # Exit RIP
configuration Router(config-router)#
exit # Exit global configuration mode
Router(config)# exit # Save the
configuration Router# write memory
Static NAT
Router> enable Router# configure terminal #
Configure the inside (private) interface
Router(config)# interface FastEthernet0/0
Router(config-if)# ip address
192.168.1.1
255.255.255.0
Router(config-if)# exit # Configure the outside
(public) interface Router(config)# interface
Serial0/0 Router(config-if)# ip address
203.0.113.1
255.255.255.0
Router(config-if)# exit # Create a static NAT
mapping Router(config)# ip nat inside source
static
192.168.1.10
203.0.113.10
# Enable NAT on the inside and outside interfaces
Router(config)# interface FastEthernet0/0
Router(config-if)# ip nat inside Router(config)#
interface Serial0/0 Router(config-if)# ip nat
outside # Exit configuration mode and save the
configuration Router(config-if)# exit
Router(config)# exit Router# write memory
Dynamic NAT
Router> enable Router# configure terminal #
Configure the inside (private) and outside (public)
interfaces as shown above # Define a pool of
available public IP addresses Router(config)# ip
nat pool PUBLIC_POOL
203.0.113.2 203.0.113.10 netmask
255.255.255.0
# Create an access control list (ACL) to specify
which internal hosts can be NATed Router(config)#
access-list 1 permit
192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255
# Enable dynamic NAT using the ACL and the
defined pool Router(config)# ip nat inside source
list 1 pool PUBLIC_POOL overload # Enable NAT
on the inside and outside interfaces as shown
above # Exit configuration mode and save the
configuration Router(config)# exit Router# write
memory
NAT (Network Address Translation):
One-to-One Mapping: NAT, or basic NAT,
establishes a one-to-one mapping between a
private IP address and a public IP address. Each
private IP address is statically associated with a
unique public IP address.
Port Conservation: NAT does not conserve ports.
Each internal device that wants to communicate
with the external network consumes a unique
port on the public IP address. Use Case: NAT is
typically used when there are more public IP
addresses available than there are internal
devices. It's commonly used in situations where
an organization has a pool of public IP addresses,
and each internal device needs a unique public IP
address for specific purposes, such as hosting a
web server. Example: If you have 10 public IP
addresses and 10 internal devices, NAT can
provide each internal device with its dedicated
public IP address.
PAT (Port Address Translation):
Many-to-One Mapping: PAT, also known as NAT
Overload, allows multiple private IP addresses to
be mapped to a single public IP address. It does
this by using different source port numbers to
keep track of which internal device a particular
packet belongs to.
Port Conservation: PAT conserves ports by using
unique source port numbers for each internal
device. This allows multiple devices to share the
same public IP address.
Use Case: PAT is commonly used in scenarios
where a single public IP address needs to be
shared among multiple internal devices, such as in
home or small office routers. It's also used by
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to allow many
customers to share a limited pool of public IP
addresses. Example: If you have a home router
with a single public IP address and multiple
devices on your internal network, PAT assigns a
unique source port number to each internal
device when it sends traffic out to the internet.
This way, responses can be correctly directed back
to the appropriate internal device based on the
source port number.