CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion

[moaaz]

Re: CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion

Assignment No. 01
Semester: Spring 2020
CS407: Routing and Switching Total Marks: 20

Due Date: 29 May 2020

Instructions:
Please read the following instructions carefully before submitting assignment:
You need to use MS word document to prepare and submit the assignment on VU-LMS.
It should be clear that your assignment will not get any credit if:

 The assignment is submitted after due date.
 The assignment is not in the required format (doc or docx).
 The submitted assignment does not open or file is corrupt.
 Assignment is copied (partial or full) from any source (websites, forums, students, etc).

Objectives:

To enhance the learning capabilities of students about:
 Basics of networks
 OSI model
 Types of networks
 IOS modes of operations
 Verifying network connectivity
 CLI access methods

Assignment
Scenario:

Consider the computer network of a software house “TECH-REPUBLIC” having two branches as branch 1 and 2. These branches are situated in two different cities and are connected with each other as per following details:

• Branch-1 has twenty computers and two servers which are connected with each other using a Switch.
• Branch-2 has ten computers and one server which are connected with each other using a Switch.
• Switches of both the branches are further connected with one Router in their premises to connect both the branches with each other for internet communication.
The CEO of the software house from Branch-1 wants to address his staff located in Branch-2 through video conferencing in upcoming week. However, due to malfunctioning of Switch in Branch-2, the concerned network administrator (Admin) of that branch has to install a new switch prior to conference day/date. Furthermore, the router of Branch-2 is also required to be accessed by the Admin of Branch-1 to perform some important configurations remotely to make the communication smooth.

In view of the above scenario, you are required to give answers of the following questions:

1. What is the type of computer network in Branch-1 with respect to geographical area?
2. What is the type of computer network in Branch-2 with respect to geographical area?
3. What is the type of overall computer network of software house with respect to geographical area?
4. How many intermediary devices exist in the Branch-2 premises?
5. How many end devices exist in overall network of the software house?
6. Which specific layer of OSI model will make the Routers of two branches to communicate with each other?
7. What access mode of command line interface (CLI) of a switch will be more suitable for the Admin of Branch-2 to configure the initial settings of the Switch?
8. What operational mode, the Admin will have to use to enter management commands on the Switch?
9. Which command will be used by the Admin to verify the connectivity of a computer with the Switch?
10. What access mode of command line interface will be more suitable to perform remote configurations on the router in secure manners?

Good Luck!

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What is the type of computer network in Branch-1 with respect to geographical area?

LAN ( local area network) is a group of computer and peripheral devices which are connected in a limited area. WAN (Wide Area Network) is another important computer network that which is spread across a large geographical area.

[zaasmi]

@zaasmi said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What is the type of computer network in Branch-1 with respect to geographical area?

LAN ( local area network) is a group of computer and peripheral devices which are connected in a limited area. WAN (Wide Area Network) is another important computer network that which is spread across a large geographical area.

It’s Star Topology

[zaasmi]

@zaasmi said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

Topology

Network topology is the arrangement of the elements of a communication network. Network topology can be used to define or describe the arrangement of various types of telecommunication networks, including command and control radio networks, industrial fieldbusses and computer networks.

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What is the type of computer network in Branch-2 with respect to geographical area?

Star Topology

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What is the type of overall computer network of software house with respect to geographical area?

A local area network (LAN) is a network that connects computers and devices in a limited geographical area such as a home, school, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings. Each computer or device on the network is a node. Wired LANs are most likely based on Ethernet technology.

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

How many intermediary devices exist in the Branch-2 premises?

Intermediary devices interconnect end devices. These devices provide connectivity and work behind the scenes to ensure that data flows across the network. Intermediary devices connect the individual hosts to the network and can connect multiple individual networks to form an internetwork.

Examples of intermediary network devices are:

• switches and wireless access points (network access)
• routers (internetworking)
• firewalls (security).

The management of data as it flows through the network is also a role of the intermediary device. These devices use the destination host address, in conjunction with information about the network interconnections, to determine the path that messages should take through the network.

Processes running on the intermediary network devices perform these functions:

• regenerate and retransmit data signals
• maintain information about what pathways exist through the network and internetwork
• notify other devices of errors and communication failures
• direct data along alternate pathways when there is a link failure
• classify and direct messages according to quality ofsService (QoS) priorities
• permit or deny the flow of data, based on security settings.

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

How many end devices exist in overall network of the software house?

The network devices that people are most familiar with are called end devices, or hosts. These devices form the interface between users and the underlying communication network.

Some examples of end devices are

• Computers (work stations, laptops, file servers, web servers)
• Network printers
• VoIP phones
• TelePresence endpoints
• Security cameras
• Mobile handheld devices (such as smartphones, tablets, PDAs, and wireless debit/credit card readers and barcode scanners)

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

Which specific layer of OSI model will make the Routers of two branches to communicate with each other?

Each layer of the OSI Model (shown above) provides specific services that contribute to overall network functioning.

• The Physical Layer defines the electrical and mechanical aspects of interfacing to a physical medium for transmitting data, as well as setup, maintenance, and disconnection of physical links. When implemented, this layer includes the software driver for each communications device, plus the hardware itself—interface devices, modems, and communications lines.
• The Data-Link Layer establishes an error-free communication path between network nodes over the physical channel, frames messages for transmission, checks the integrity of received messages, manages access to and use of the channel, and ensures the sequence of transmitted data.
• The Network-Control Layer addresses messages, sets up the path between communicating nodes, routes messages across intervening nodes to their destinations, and controls the flow of messages between nodes.
• The Transport Layer provides end-to-end control of a communication session once the path has been established, which enables the reliable and sequential exchange of data independent of both the systems that are communicating and their locations in the network.
• The Session Layer establishes and controls system-dependent aspects of communication sessions provided by the Transport Layer and the logical functions running under the OS in a participating node.
• The Presentation Layer translates and converts transmitted encoded data into formats that can be understood and manipulated by users.
• The Application/User Layer supports user and application tasks and overall system management, including resource-sharing, file transfers, remote file servers, and database and network management.

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What access mode of command line interface (CLI) of a switch will be more suitable for the Admin of Branch-2 to configure the initial settings of the Switch?

CLI Command Modes
This section describes the CLI command mode structure. Command modes support specific Cisco IOS commands. For example, the interface interface-id command only works when entered in global configuration mode.
These are the main command modes for the switch:
• User EXEC
• Privileged EXEC
• Global configuration
• Interface configuration
• Config-vlan
• VLAN configuration
• Line configuration

Command Modes Summary

Command Mode	Access Method	Prompt	Exit or Access Next Mode
User EXEC	This is the first level of access. (For the switch) Change terminal settings, perform basic tasks, and list system information.	Switch>	Enter the logout command. To enter privileged EXEC mode, enter the enable command.
Privileged EXEC	From user EXEC mode, enter the enable command.	Switch#	To exit to user EXEC mode, enter the disable command. To enter global configuration mode, enter the configure command.
Global configuration	From privileged EXEC mode, enter the configure command.	Switch(config)#	To exit to privileged EXEC mode, enter the exit or end command, or press Ctrl-Z. To enter interface configuration mode, enter the interface configuration command.
Interface configuration	From global configuration mode, specify an interface by entering the interface command followed by an interface identification.	Switch(config-if)#	To exit to privileged EXEC mode, enter the end command, or press Ctrl-Z. To exit to global configuration mode, enter the exit command.
Config-vlan	In global configuration mode, enter the vlan vlan-id command.	Switch(config-vlan)#	To exit to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To return to privileged EXEC mode, enter the end command, or press Ctrl-Z.
VLAN configuration	From privileged EXEC mode, enter the vlan database command.	Switch(vlan)#	To exit to privileged EXEC mode, enter the exit command.
Line configuration	From global configuration mode, specify a line by entering the line command.	Switch(config-line)#	To exit to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To return to privileged EXEC mode, enter the end command, or press Ctrl-Z.

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What operational mode, the Admin will have to use to enter management commands on the Switch?

Global configuration

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

Which command will be used by the Admin to verify the connectivity of a computer with the Switch?

Running Ping
To ping another device on the network from the switch, perform this task in normal executive and privileged EXEC mode:

Command	Purpose
Switch# ping host	Checks connectivity to a remote host.

This example shows how to ping a remote host from normal executive mode:

Switch# ping labsparc
labsparc is alive
Switch> ping 72.16.10.3
12.16.10.3 is alive
Switch#

This example shows how to enter a ping command in privileged EXEC mode specifying the number of packets, the packet size, and the timeout period:

Switch# ping
Target IP Address []: 12.20.5.19
Number of Packets [5]: 10
Datagram Size [56]: 100
Timeout in seconds [2]: 10
Source IP Address [12.20.2.18]: 12.20.2.18
!!!

----12.20.2.19 PING Statistics----
10 packets transmitted, 10 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip (ms) min/avg/max = 1/1/1
Switch

[zaasmi]

@moaaz said in CS407 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion:

What access mode of command line interface will be more suitable to perform remote configurations on the router in secure manners?

Network infrastructure devices often provide a range of different access mechanisms, including console and asynchronous connections, as well as remote access based on protocols such as Telnet, rlogin, HTTP, and SSH. Some mechanisms are typically enabled by default with minimal security associated with them; for example, Cisco IOS software-based platforms are shipped with console and modem access enabled by default. For this reason, each infrastructure device should be carefully reviewed and configured to ensure only supported access mechanisms are enabled and that they are properly secured.

The key steps to securing both interactive and management access to an infrastructure device are:

• Restrict Device Accessibility

Limit the accessible ports, restrict the permitted communicators and restrict the permitted methods of access.

• Present Legal Notification

Display legal notice, developed in conjunction with company legal counsel, for interactive sessions.

• Authenticate Access

Ensure access is only granted to authenticated users, groups, and services.

• Authorize Actions

Restrict the actions and views permitted by any particular user, group, or service.

• Ensure the Confidentiality of Data

Protect locally stored sensitive data from viewing and copying. Consider the vulnerability of data in transit over a communication channel to sniffing, session hijacking and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.

• Log and Account for all Access

Record who accessed the device, what occurred, and when for auditing purposes.