You are on page 1of 35

ECE 108.

1
Data Communications Laboratory

LOCAL AREA NETWORKS

HANDS-ON LABORATORY
EXPERIMENTS

Xyrex A. Calang
Kenneth Rae A. Colipapa
Laboratory Activity 1 – Making and Testing the Network Cable

Lab Objectives
 Studying the technical specifications and structure of the Unshielded Twisted-
Pair (UTP) Cat5 network cable
 Studying the 8P8C connector (commonly known as the RJ-45), used with UTP
cables and the crimping scheme
 Acquiring skills in making and testing the network cable

Equipment
 NI ELVIS II workstation
 NETWORK TEST BENCH board (NTB)
 UTP Cat 5 cable (2 m).
 RJ-45 connectors (4pcs).
 Crimper tool

Preparations
 Make sure that required equipment is available
 Install the NETWORK TEST BENCH board on NI ELVIS II

Step-By-Step Instructions
Making the crossover cable
To mount the crossover cable, line up the wires of the both ends of the cable as shown in
Fig. 9.1-9

EIA/TIA 568B EIA/TIA 568A


Fig. 9.1-9 Making the crossover cable
1. Using the crimper tool, cut off a section of the cable, about 1 meter long
2. Remove the external jacket from one end of the cable for mounting
 Insert the end of the cable into the round aperture of the crimper
 Clamp the ends of the crimper and cut off the external jacket with rotational
movement
3. Remove the cut-off part of the external cover as shown in the figure

1
4. Straighten the wires as shown in the figure

5. Accurately arrange the wires (by EIA/TIA-568B standard,


Fig.9.1-5) as shown in the figure

6. Measure the required length (1.25 – 1.3 cm) and trim as shown in the figures

7. Insert the wires into the connector (by EIA/TIA-568B standard, Fig.9.1-5) – as
shown in the figures. Please note: the sequence of wires, per color, is very important

8. Press with the help of the crimper, as shown in the figures. To this end make the
following:
 Insert the connector into the crimper
 Strongly press the ends of the crimper

9. Mount the connector for the other end the same way. Repeat steps from 2 to 8.

2
Only in points 5 and 7 arrange the wires by EIA/TIA-568A standard, as shown in
Fig.9.1-10.

Fig.9.1-10 TIA/EIA-568A standard

Fig.9.1-10.5 Cross-over Cable made

Testing the crossover cable with the NTB board


10. Turn ON the PC and wait until Windows 7 operating system is fully loaded.
Launch the Network Lab Software.
11. Make sure that the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch (1) (see Fig. 8.15-2
on p. 35) is in the OFF position
12. Connect the RJ-45 connectors (1) and (2) (Fig. 2.2-1) on the NTB board with the
cross-over cable you have made
13. Set the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch into the ON position, the green
LED
PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER should turn ON
14. Make the NI ELVIS II workstation ready to work and make sure that power
supply of the workstation is switched ON

3
15. In the Lab Software main menu double click to select the Making and Testing the
Network Cable lab. Click the Open button. The LAN tester screen will open
(Fig.9.1-11)

Fig.9.1-11 LAN control screen of the NTB board tester

16. To test the cable, incrementally press SET/STOP button (15) on the NTB (Fig. 2.2-
1) or on the lab screen (Fig.9.1-11).
Make sure that the LED lights of the transmitter (3) and the receiver (4) (Fig. 2.2-
1) are ON, pair by pair, in accordance with Table 9.1-1 below, as conditioned by
mounting principles of the crossover cable.

4
Fig.9.1-11.5 LAN control screen of the NTB board tester – Cross-over Connection

Table 9.1-1: Matching pairs of the transmitter/receiver contacts and LEDs for the testing of a
crossover network cable

Contact # - (Designation)
Transmitter Receiver
1 - (BI_DA+) 3 - (BI_DB+)
2 - (BI_DA-) 6 - (BI_DB-)
3 - (BI_DB+) 1 - (BI_DA+)
4 - (BI_DC+) 4 - (BI_DC+)
5 - (BI_DC-) 5 - (BI_DC-)
6 - (BI_DB-) 2 - (BI_DA-)
7 - (BI_DD+) 7 - (BI_DD+)
8 - (BI_DD-) 8 - (BI_DD-)

17. Set the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch into the O position (OFF) and
close the LAN Tester program.

Making the straight-through cable


18. Make a straight-through cable in the same way as the crossover cable: follow the
steps 1-8 above for both ends of the cable. At steps 5 and 7 arrange the wires
according to EIA/TIA-568A, as it is shown in the Fig.9.1-12.

EIA/TIA-568A EIA/TIA-568A
Fig.9.1-12 Making the straight cable

5
Fig.9.1-12.5 Straight Cable made
Testing the straight-through cable with the NTB board
19. Prepare the NI ELVIS II workstation and make sure that it is switched ON.
20. Make sure that the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch is in the OFF position.
21. Connect the RJ-45 connectors (1) and (2) (Fig. 2.2-1) on the NTB board with the
straight cable you have made
22. Set the PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER switch into the ON position, the green
LED PROTOTYPING BOARD POWER should turn ON.
23. In the main menu double click to select the Making and Testing the Network Cable
lab.
24. Click the Open button. The Making and Testing the Network Cable lab screen will
open (Fig.9.1-13).

Fig.9.1-13 LAN control screen of the NTB board tester

25. To test the cable, incrementally press SET/STOP button on the NTB or the

6
program control screen.
26. Make sure that the LED lights of the transmitter side (3) and the receiver (4) (Fig.
2.2-1) are ON, pair by pair. Appropriate LED lights of the transmitter and receiver
should lite at the same time. This is conditioned by the principles of the straight
cable mounting.
27. Close the LAN Tester lab Front Panel and set the PROTOTPING BOARD POWER
switch into the OFF position.

Fig.9.1-13.5 LAN control screen of the NTB board tester – Straight Connection

7
Test Questions
1. What are the main types (categories) of the network cables?

Main types of the network cables consists of Twisted-Pair Cables, Coaxial Cables, and
Fiber Optic Cables.

2. Which categories of the network cables are adopted by EIA/TIA standard?

Only the Twisted Pair Cables are adopted by EIA/TIA standard, which consists of 6
categories according to the said standard (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5e).

3. What is UTP cable? What are its advantages?

UTP cable refers to Unshielded Twisted-Pair cable which is commonly used for
ethernet connections. Advantages: It does not require much maintenance since it
doesn’t rely on an outer shield on its operation. Some of its benefits rely on its
interference cancelling capacity, cost and installation.

4. What types of devices are connected by a crossover cable?

Some of the devices connected by a crossover cable are Hub to Hub, Switch to Switch,
and PC to Router.

5. Why there is no need to remove isolation from the twisted pair wires, when
mounting RJ45 on the cable?

In crimping, it uses the crimping tool, in which the contacts in the RJ45 will cut through
the wires which makes the necessary connection.

6. What is a straight-through cable and what is it used for?

Straight-through Cable is a type of twisted pair copper wire in which the RJ45
connectors at each end have the same arrangement of conductors or pinout. This cable
is usually used to connect devices of different categories.

8
Laboratory Activity 5 – Windows Networking Utilities

Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Build a Star topology network using the PC, two mini2440 Friendly ARM single board
computers, and a network switch.
2. Turn Off the single board computers, network switch and restart the PC.
3. Set the PC as follows: static IP address 192.168.0.1, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default
gateway 192.168.0.1, preferred DNS address 192.168.0.1. The address selection is based on
the Dual DHCP DNS Server settings.
The Mini2440 single board computers must use dynamic IP addresses (see 8.6 IP address
configuration of FriendlyArm Mini2440 Single-Board Computer).
4. On the PC, run Dual DHCP DNS Server.
5. Turn On the network switch and wait about 10 seconds until it becomes functional.
6. Turn On one single board computer and, after about 10 seconds, turn On the second
single board computer.
7. On the PC, launch the Command Prompt (see 8.8 Launching the Command Line
Interpreter (CLI), p.24)
8. Study the Ipconfig utility:
 Enter Ipconfig at the Windows Command Prompt on the PC and press Enter
(Fig.9.5-9). Note the following information: IP address (pointer 1 in Fig.9.5-9),
subnet mask (pointer 2 in Fig.9.5-9).

Fig.9.5-9 Ipconfig command result

 Follow the same steps to run Ipconfig /all command. Note the following
information: the MAC address (pointer 1 in Fig.9.5-10) of the network adapter, list
of DNS servers (pointer 2 in Fig.9.5-10) of the network connection.

9
2

Fig.9.5-10 Ipconfig /all command result


 Follow the same steps to run the ping command for other computers in the LAN to
check their accessibility. Use the names of mini2440-1 and mini2440-2 single board
computers to determine their IP addresses.
 Run the ping -l 1500 -f <default gateway address> command.
 Run the ping -l 1501 -f <default gateway address> command. Explain what causes
the problem with the maximum length of the Ethernet frame.
9. Study the Ping utility
 Run the ping <obtained IP address> (pointer 1 in Fig.9.5-9).

Fig.9.5-11 Ping command result

10
 Follow the same steps to run the ping command for other computers in the LAN to
check their accessibility. Use the names of mini2440-1 and mini2440-2 single board
computers to determine their IP addresses.
 Run the ping -l 1500 -f <default gateway address> command.
 Run the ping -l 1501 -f <default gateway address> command. Explain what causes
the problem with the maximum length of the Ethernet frame.

10. Study the Tracert utility.


 Run the Tracert <hostname> command to view the list of routers on the route from
the source to target host (Fig.9.5-12)

Fig.9.5-12 Tracert command result

11. Study the Route utility.


 Run the Route print command (Fig.9.5-13)

Fig.9.5-13 Route Print Command Result

11
12. Study the ARP utility.
 Unplug the network switch and run the ARP –a command (Fig.9.5-14). Note that the IP
and MAC address cache table is not accessible (pointer 1 in Fig.9.5-14)
 Wait for approximately 10 seconds after the network switch has been unplugged. Plug
it back in, wait for approximately 3 seconds and run the ARP –a command once again.
Note that the IP and MAC address cache table is already accessible, but single board
computer related information is not in the table (pointer 2 in Fig.9.5-14)
 Run the ping mini2440-1 command and run the ARP –a again (pointer 3 in Fig.9.5-
14). Note that the IP and MAC address cache table now includes a line on the single
board computer (pointer 4 in Fig.9.5-14)

1 2

Fig.9.5-14 ARP command result

12
13. Study the Netstat utility
 Run the Netstat –a –o command and analyze the results (Fig.9.5-15).

Fig.9.5-15 Netstat command result


14. Study the Nslookup utility
 Make sure that the modification described in paragraph 8.10 Configuring the Dual
DHCP DNS Server has been executed in the configuration file of the Dual DHCP
DNS Server (otherwise, execute it and rerun the Dual server program)
 Execute the Nslookup <hostname> command. If you get a search error message for
the single board computers (something similar to *** TestLab.workgroup.com can't
find mini2440-1: Non-existent domain), restart the single board computers. After
WinCE 6.0 has loaded wait for a few seconds and repeat the Nslookup command
(Fig.9.5-16)

Fig.9.5-16 Actual Nslookup utility result

13
 Enter the Nslookup command in the Command Prompt and press Enter. The
Nslookup utility will run in interactive mode. Enter the ls workgroup.com command
and press Enter. Nslookup will display in the Command Prompt window the list of
accessible computers in the workgroup.com domain. If not all the single board
computers are listed in the result list, restart them and rerun the ls workgroup.com
command to test their availability (Fig.9.5-17)asd asd asd asd ads

Fig.9.5-17 Nslookup utility result

Test Questions
1. What are the Windows networking utilities designed for?
- Windows networking utilities are designed for obtaining TCP/IP stack information and
other information like Route utility, which is for obtaining the local host network
routing tables, and also the ARP utility, which is for obtaining a cache table that
displays the relationship of the IP address and the MAC addresses.
2. Properties of which IP fragment field does the Tracert utility use to resolve its task?
- The Tracert utility traces the route that packets follow to reach their destination. Using
the Ping utility, Tracert shows a list of intermediate routers traversed on the way to target
host. Similarly to Ping, Tracert operates on the basis of ICMP Echo Request and Echo
Reply messages.
3. Which utility can be used to check the DNS server performance?
- The Nslookup utility checks specific DNS server performance. The Nslookup utility is
used to generate DNS requests and transmit them on a specific DNS server.

14
Laboratory Activity 6 – Network Switch

Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Switch the PC on
2. Set up the PC to obtain IP address automatically (see 8.13 Manual TCP/IP configuration, p.
34)
3. Plug in the network switch (see 6.3 Connecting the Network Switch, p.13). Port
(channel) LEDs have to be blinking at 1-3 sec intervals. The power LED has to be on.
4. Using the straight-through network cable connect the RJ-45 port connector of the network
switch to the RJ-45 PC adapter connector. Both the adapter and the newly connected
network switch port LEDs have to flash. Having detected a new network connection, the
Windows OS will try to connect to the network the computer is part of (see pointer 1 in
Fig.9.6-2).
5. Wait for approximately 10-20 seconds until the rotating circle marked 1 in Fig.9.6-2
stops (pointer 1 in Fig.9.6-3).
6. Switch on the FriendlyARM Mini2440 Single-Board Computers (see paragraph 8.3).
Using the straight-through network cable connect the RJ–45 network switch connector to
the RJ–45 mini2440-1 single board computer connector. Green LED next to RJ-45
connectors both on the network switch and the mini2440-1 single board computer have to
be on.
7. Repeat step 6 above for the other mini2440-2 single board computer.
8. Test the PC-single board computer physical connection (on the data link layer level).
To do this, run the Command Prompt on the PC (see paragraph 8.8 Launching the
Command Line Interpreter (CLI)).
9. In the Command Prompt window, enter ping mini2440-1 as shown in the figure below
and press Enter.

We have thus launched an echo request to determine the IP address of the mini2440-1
single board computer. The Command Prompt will, at short intervals, display 4 lines
showing the mini2440-1 single board computer IP address information.

10. Repeat the step 9 above for the mini2440-2 single board computer. The Command Prompt
will, at short intervals, display 4 lines showing the mini2440-2 single board computer IP
address information.

15
Fig.9.6-4 Ping mini2440-1 and mini2440-2 command result displayed in Command Prompt

Test Questions
1. What are network switches used for?
- Network switches are used to link several computer network nodes within the same
network segments.
2. What are the types of network switches?
- The two types of network switches are the cut-through switches and store-and-forward
switches. Cut-through switches involves transmitting the packets via corresponding
ports without extra processing, immediately upon receipt, by reading the target host
address in the subject line of the data link layer protocol. While store-and-forward
switches wait until the packet has been received in full and only then proceed to forward
it to its destination.
3. What are the principles of network switch operation?
- A network switch is a multiport network bridge that uses hardware addresses to process and
forward data at the data link layer (layer 2) of the OSI model. Some switches can also process
data at the network layer (layer 3) by additionally incorporating routing functionality.

4. What is the difference between a switch and a bridge?


- Network Switches and Bridges have many similarities and similar function. But Switches are
considered as superior devices than bridges.
Switches operate comparatively higher speeds that Bridges. Method of switching of a Bridge
is store and forward. Method of switching of a Switch can be store and forward, cut-through
or fragment-free. Bridges can operate only in half duplex mode, but a Switch can operate
both in half duplex or full duplex mode. Switchs support full-duplex Local Area Network
(LAN) communication. Normally a Switch has more ports than a Bridge.
5. What are the devices whose functions the network switch performs?
- A network switch can also function as a switching hub, bridging hub, officially MAC
bridge as it connects devices together on a computer network by using packet switching to
receive, process, and forward data to the destination device Switching allows computers
to link to each other directly, without shared access to the network backbone.

6. What is the network switch that immediately transmits packets from the input to the
output port called?
- The cut-through switches.

16
Laboratory Activity 7 – Ethernet Protocol: Studying the Ethernet Frame

Lab Objectives
 Acquiring skills related to functions of the Ethernet protocol
 Studying the main formats of the Ethernet frame
 Studying the functions of the Ethernet frame fields
o Preamble
o Start of Frame Delimiter
o Destination Address
o Source Address
o Ethertype/Length
o Data And Pad
o Frame Check Sequence
Practical study of Ethernet frames, transmitted by the network.

Wireshark program immediately starts capturing network packets and displays them
on the user’s interface (Fig.9.7-9). It proves that the PC adapter and mini2440-1 single
board computer have started exchanging information through the switch to identify IP
addresses of each other.

Fig.9.7-9 The Wireshark user interface with captured network packets


Thus with the help of Wireshark we have executed the network traffic capturing and
possess the captured Ethernet frames for their further analysis.

17
Fig.9.7-10 List of filtered network packets of ARP protocols

Fig. 9.7-13 values of the main fields of the Ethernet frame

 Destination MAC address: all fields contain ff: means Broadcast request
(pointer 1 in Fig. 9.7-13)
 Source MAC address: the address of mini2440-1 adapter (pointer 2 in Fig. 9.7-13).
 Protocol type: ARP (pointer 3 in Fig. 9.7-13)

18
Test Questions
1. What are the functions of Ethernet protocol?

Ethernet protocol contains or encapsulates wthe data received from the network layer protocol
into the frame and their preparation for transmission through the network. It describes how
networked devices can format data for transmission to other network devices on the same
network segment, and how to put that data out on the network connection.

2. What are the main fields of the Ethernet frame?

The main fields of the Ethernet frame are the preamble, start of frame delimiter, destination
address, source address, ethertype/length, data and pad, and frame check sequence (FSC).

3. Which Media Access Control method is used in the Ethernet?

The ethernet uses the CSMA/CD or the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Detection.
4. Which of the listed below is MAC-
address?

4.1. 00:VО:А1:8С:32:65:VV
4.2. Oi:DB:7F:86:E4:6G
4.3. 00:DO:B7:AD:1A:7B <–-- MAC address
4.4. 03:BC:5A:E6:E4

19
Laboratory Activity 8 – IP Protocol
Lab Objectives
Acquiring knowledge on functions of the network layer protocols
Studying classification and types of network layer protocols
Acquiring knowledge on functions of Internet Protocol (IP)
IP standards
IP functions:
Encapsulation: packaging the packet of data of the transport layer into a datagram
Addressing: identification of hosts in the network by their IP addresses
Routing: finding the most effective path to the destination host
Fragmentation: breaking data into smaller fragments, by their size suitable for
transmission through the network
Protocol identification: identification of the transport layer protocol that has
generated data in the datagram
IP parameters
Practical studying and analyzing of IP datagram, transmitted through the network.

After setting up the devices and pinging the mini2440-1, Wireshark will immediately start
capturing network packets and display them in the user’s interface (Fig.9.8-7). It proves that
the PC adapter and mini2440-1 single board computer started exchanging information through
the switch.
After filtering by IP protocol to keep only the required list of Internet protocols, the ip
datagram is captured and decoded by Wireshark program.

20
Fig.9.8-7 The Wireshark user interface with captured network packets – filtered by IP
protocol

Observing the values of the main fields of the IP datagram and matching them with the IP
datagram format in Fig.9.8-2, in particular:
 Version - 4
 Internet Header Length (IHL) – 20 bytes
 Type of Service - …
 Total Length - 90
 Identification – 0x001d (29)
 Flags – (0x00)
 Fragment Offset - 0
 Time to Live - 128
 Protocol – UDP (17)
 Header Checksum – 0x25d4 (correct)
 Source IP Address – 169.254.196.226
 Destination IP Address - 169.254.251.194
 Options – [Source GeoIP: Unknown], [Destination GeoIP: Unknown]
 Data – absent, as far as the length of Data field in this datagram is 0.
Test Questions
1. What are the purposes of the IP protocol and what is it used for?
The Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or rules by which data is sent from one computer to
another in the network. Each computer (host) on the network has at least one IP address that
uniquely identifies it from all other computers in the network. Information on TCP and most of
the other protocols from the TCP/IP suite are encapsulated in the IP frame. The IP serves as
the cover of the whole data, in which the TCP/IP data are delivered to the destination
address. In the TCP/IP suite the IP protocol is responsible for transmission of data from the
source to the destination host.

2. What are the main functions of the IP protocol?


Main functions of the IP protocol include the following:
Encapsulation: packaging the packet of the transport layer data into a datagram
Addressing: identification of systems in the network by their IP-addresses
Routing: finding the most effective path to the target host
Fragmentation: breaking down the data into fragments, by their size suitable for
transmission through the network
Identification of the transport layer protocol, which generated the data in the datagram

3. What is the objective of addressing system of the IP protocol?


Identification of each system in the network by their IP-addresses

4. What is the datagram fragmentation?


The network layer protocols have to split the fragment into several smaller fragments. This

21
process is called fragmentation.

5. What does Protocol field of the IP header identify?


5.1. The specification of the network physical layer, by which the datagram will
be transmitted.
5.2. The data link layer protocol, which will transmit the datagram.
5.3. The transport layer protocol that generated the data in the datagram.
5.4. The supplement that created data in the datagram.

6. What is identified by the IP-address?


6.1 Network
6.2 Computer
6.3 Network adapter
6.4 Network adapter and the network

7. On the use of which field of the IP header is performance of Trace route utility based?
7.1 Version
7.2 Type of Service
7.3 Identification
7.4 Time to Live

Laboratory Activity 10 - Capture and analysis of the network traffic with Wireshark
program
Laboratory Objectives
 Understand the purpose of Wireshark
 Study configuration settings and capture options of Wireshark
 Study Wireshark filters and filter building
 Study Wireshark result panel windows and toolbar items and practice on capturing and
analysis of the network traffic using Wireshark.

In this activity, the network traffic of the PC adapter is sampled and analyzed by Wireshark when a
request called “ping echo” is sent to the FriendlyARM’s in the network.

Step-by-step Instructions
1. With the help of PC, mini2440 FriendlyARM single board computer and network
switch build a Star-topology LAN (see lab assignment 9.6 Network Switch).
2. Assign the names to the LAN computers:
• Assign the PC name as TestLab.
• Assign the name of the single board computer as mini2440-1.
3. Disconnect the PC and single board computer network cables from the switch.
4. Launch Wireshark program.
5. Press Capture options button on toolbar.
6. Traffic capture options window opens. With the help of this window, make
network packets capture settings.

22
7. Press Start.
8. Since the PC network cable is disconnected, there will be no network traffic by that
cable and Wireshark will be unable to capture packets. Therefore, Wireshark
windows should remain empty.
9. Connect the disconnected cable of the single board computer to the switch.
10. Observe that network packets are not captured by Wireshark (Wireshark is installed
on the PC).
11. To start capturing the network packets (or network traffic capture), connect the
disconnected PC cable to the switch.

12. Wireshark will immediately start capturing network packets and display them on
the user interface. This witnesses that the PC adapter and the switch started
information exchange, for example, to detect dynamic addresses or to find network
services.
13. Examine the first window. Observe that in the upper first window in Protocol
column we can see the various protocols names (DHCP, DHCPv6, ARP, UDP,
SSDP etc.). Source and Destination columns display the IP addresses of the
parties, communicating using these protocols (source and recipient). The Info
column displays additional information).
14. Perform filtering of the captured network packets by two protocol names:
 In the liter entry field enter dhcpv6 (to filter by DHCPv6 protocol) and press
Enter. The window of the list with captured packets will display the list of
captured packets, filtered by DHCPv6 protocol.

Figure 10.1 Packets filtered by DHCPv6 protocol

 In the filter entry field enter http (pointer 1 in Fig.9.10-16) and press Enter. The captured
packet listing window will display the list of captured packets, filtered by http protocol.

23
Figure 10.2 Packets filtered by http protocol

15. Superficially examine the second information window (more detailed


examinations are made in the lab assignments 9.7 and 9.8). In the top first
window select one packet from the captured packets list, for example, the first
line.
The second (middle) window will display the list of hierarchic structures of the
selected packet. These structures are separately studied in lab works 7 and 8.
The third (bottom) window will display the content of the selected packet in
hexadecimal format.

16. Turn OFF all the computers and the network switch.

Test Questions
1. What are the functions of Wireshark program?
Wireshark is very similar to tcpdump, a packet analyzer that runs under the command
line which allows the user to display TCP/IP and other packets being transmitted or received
over a network to which the computer is attached but has a graphical front-end, plus some
integrated sorting and filtering options.

2. What are the main options that can be set in Wireshark program?
• Selecting the interface for traffic capture
• Capturing packets in promiscuous mode: in this mode the program will capture all
protocol data units (PDU), incoming to the network adapter. When this option is disabled, the
program captures only those PDUs, which are addressed to the given adapter (i.e. the
computer, on which they are located)
• Enable MAC name resolution (for example: 00:09:5b:11:22:33 -> Netgear_11:22:33)

24
3. What are the windows in the Wireshark program graphic user interface?
There are three windows in the graphic user interface, the main window, packet list
window, and the detailed information window.

4. What is the function of filters in Wireshark?


The simplest filter allows you to check for the existence of a protocol or field

5. What kind of filters can be created/ applied in Wireshark?


 Filter by protocol: filtering at the level of captured packets/ frames; filtering will be
carried out by appropriate protocols
 Filtering by a protocol packet filter (Display filter): filters at the level of values of the
fields of the captured packets/ frames; filtering will be carried out by specified values of
the fields in the protocol headers.

Conclusion

Wireshark is a user-friendly application for network traffic analysis. Though it is the same with
tcpdump, not all users are experts of the field of networking, thus WireShark offers a graphic interface
which is its front-end. Also, while being a detailed network analyzer, it offers debugging of connectivity
related issues.

25
Laboratory Activity 12 - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Laboratory Objectives
• Acquiring skills related to the DHCP protocol functions
• Studying DHCP protocol network queries
• Familiarizing with the format of the DHCP message
• Practical studying of DHCP protocol in the process of functioning.

Step-by-step Instructions

1. With the help of PC, two FriendlyARM Mini2440 Single-Board computers and network switch,
build the Star-topology LAN
2. Make sure that in the mini computers settings Obtain an IP address via DHCP radio button is ON
3. Assign the names of computers within the LAN:
 Set the PC name as TestLab (see 8.2 Changing Computer name and Workgroup in
Windows 7).
 Set the name of the first single board computer as mini2440-1 (see 8.5 Changing
computer name on the FriendlyARM Mini2440 Single-Board Computer)
 Set the name of the second single board computer as mini2440-2 (see 8.5 Changing
computer name on the FriendlyARM Mini2440 Single-Board Computer)
4. Turn off the network switch
5. Turn off the mini computers
6. Set PC’s static IP address 192.168.0.1
7. Note that selection of these settings is conditioned by the configuration settings of the Dual
DHCP DNS Server. The Dual DHCP DNS Server is configured by “DualServer.ini” configuration file,
predefined and installed in the process of the server installation. It is located in the same folder
where the server is installed.

Figure 12.1 Dual DHCP DNS Server settings set by DualServer.ini configuration file

8. Turn on the network switch.


9. Run Dual DHCP DNS Server.

26
Figure 12.2 Starting window of Dual DHCP DNS Server in Stand Alone mode

The server is waiting for requests from the interface with 192.168.0.1 IP address and is going to offer IP
addresses from 192.168.0.1 - 192.168.0.254 range.

10. Turn on Mini2440-1 and observe the server messages.

Figure 12.3 Dual DHCP DNS Server receives request and offers IP address

11. Observe the process of providing a dynamic IP address:


 The message says that Mini2440-1, through the interface 192.168.0.1, sent a broadcast
request DHCPDISCOVER to obtain an IP address.
 Server responds that it offers an IP address 192.168.0.2 to the Mini2440-1 client. Note
that this IP address is from the pre-determined range of available addresses.
 The message of the server that the client accepts the IP address 192.168.0.2, offered by
the server and notifies the latter about it, sending the message DHCPREQUEST
 The last message notifies that the server ultimately permits the
 Mini2440-1 client to use the offered IP address 192.168.0.2

12. Make sure that the IP address of the single board computer Mini2440-1 is 192.168.0.2. To do
this, perform the following steps:
 Run the command-line interpreter (CLI) on the PC
 Enter ping mini2440-1 command in the command line and press Enter
 Compare and make sure that the IP address is 192.168.0.2.

Figure 12.4 Ping of mini2440-1

27
13. Repeat points 10 – 12 for the Mini2440-2 single board computer.

Figure 12.5 IP address assignment for Mini2440-2

Figure 12.6 Ping of Mini2440-2

14. Turn OFF all the computers and the network switch.

Test Questions
1. What are the functions of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is designed to allocate dynamic IP addresses to TCP/IP
clients and reclaim disused ones

2. Which methods of assigning IP address does DHCP support?


 Manual allocation: the network administrator allocates an IP address to the
computer in the DHCP server settings, and the server delivers that address by the
request of the client.
 Automatic allocation: the DHCP server allocates a permanent IP address to the
client from the range of available addresses. This method is convenient to use in
the networks, where computers occasionally move from one subnet to another.
 Dynamic allocation: the DHCP server allocates temporary IP addresses from the
range of available addresses for lease. Upon initialization, the client’s computer
gets an IP address from the DHCP server for temporary use. By the end of lease
period, if the client’s computer is still active, the lease is renewed. Otherwise, the
server reclaims (takes back) the address and returns it to the pool of free
addresses.

Conclusion

The DHCP system is an effective method to allocate IP addresses clients for it offers manual,
automatic, and dynamic methods of allocation. This versatility in allocation proves useful for users of
different backgrounds, whether a network expert or a regular user.

28
Laboratory Activity 13 - Domain Name System (DNS)

Laboratory Objectives
• Acquiring skills related to the Domain Name System (DNS) functions.
• Practical studying of DNS protocol in the process of its functioning.

Step-by-step Instructions

1. With the help of the PC, two FriendlyARM Mini2440 Single Board Computers and the network
switch build the Star-topology LAN
2. Set the IP address 192.168.0.1 on the PC, the subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway
192.168.0.1, preferential DNS address 192.168.0.1. Selection of these values is conditioned
by configuration of Dual DHCP DNS Server
3. For mini2440 single board computers dynamic IP addresses may be assigned
4. Switch on the mini2440 single board computers.
5. Run Dual DHCP DNS Server on PC

Figure 13.1 Starting dialog box Dual DHCP DNS Server

6. Run the command line interpreter (CLI) on PC.


7. Enter nslookup command on the CLI (Pointer 1 in Fig. 2) and press Enter to run nslookup in the
interactive mode (Fig.9.13-2)

29
Figure 13.2 Running nslookup (left) and Dual DHCP DNS Server (right)

8. Observe that:
 When nslookup is launched, it sends the request for the reverse resolution of the host’s
IP address (192.168.0.1), on which it works.
 Related to this request, the DNS server displays the message on the reverse resolution
of the IP address (Pointer 4 in Fig.9.13-2).
 Upon receiving the response, nslookup displays information from the DNS server
(Pointers 2 and 3 in Fig.9.13-2).
9. Enter ls workgroup.com in the command line (Pointer 1 in Fig.9.13-3) to display the list of
computers, provided from the DNS server. Observe that due to configuration settings of Dual
DHCP DNS Server this request failed.

Figure 13.3 Request nslookup for the list of computers in the domain failed

10. Open the configuration file Dual DHCP DNS Server on PC (Fig.9.13-4) and remove “;” before
the line ;workgroup.com=0.168.192.in-addr.arpa (pointer 2 in Fig.9.13-4). Save the
changes and close the file.

30
Figure 13.4 Dual DHCP DNS Server configuration file

11. Restart DNS Server and again launch ls workgroup.com command (pointer 1 in Fig.9.13-3)
12. Observe that this time the request completed successfully.
13. Switch on one of the single board computers. Wait until the operation system is booted.
14. Note that the Dual DHCP DNS Server screen displays the message on the process of allotting
a dynamic IP address to the single board computer (Fig.9.13-5). As it is known from lab
assignment 9.12 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), this process is associated
with the DHCP server.
15. Launch ls workgroup.com command once again (pointer 1 in Fig.9.13-3)
16. Observe that the connected (switched on) single board computer appeared in the list of
computers
17. Repeat points 13-16 for the second single board computer

Figure 13.5 Message on allotting a dynamic IP address to the single board computers

18. Write down the results in the lab work report.


19. Turn OFF all the computers and the network switch.

31
Test Questions
1. What are the functions of the DNS system?
Storing and presenting domain names as well as mapping those names to IP addresses,
translating host name into the host IP address and vice versa.

2. What is DNS system?

DNS stands for Domain Name Space. It is a server that converts names like Google.com into
its IP address and forwards the packets. Because we cannot remember all the IP addresses of
all the sites.

3. What is a resource record?

DNS resource records (RRs) describe the characteristics of a domain and have a binary or wire-
format, which is used in queries and responses, and a text format used in domain files.

Conclusion

The Domain Name Space is a system that works like a phonebook because it simply turns
numbers into names, more likely IP addresses into Domain names and vice versa. This is a method of IP
identification. Users can’t always remember IP addresses like 54.169.151.20:8000 (this one has a port
number beside it) but users can remember facebook.com. DNS is important because network systems
uses numbers like IP address in operation while users comprehend words or names.

32
Laboratory Activity 14 Study of Networking Environment with Auto negotiation of
Speed and Duplex Mode

Laboratory Objectives
• Getting to know what full duplex and half duplex modes are
• Study of the pin-outs of UTP network cable in full duplex and half duplex mode
• Study of network environment with auto negotiation of speed and duplex mode using
breaking and restoring network cable connection

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Using the NI ELVIS II workstation, make sure the network cables are properly wired and turn on
the network switch
2. Put the network cable break switch on the NTB board on OFF
3. Use the straight-through network cable to connect the PC network adapter to the connector on
the NTB board.
4. Use the other straight-through network cable to connect the network switch to the other
connector on the NTB board
5. Open the network connection status window.

Figure 14.1 Local area connection status 1

6. Note the connection speed


7. Use the break switch (put into the ON position) to disconnect one of the transmission lines.
8. Wait for a few seconds. The transmission speed should slow down (arrow 1 in Fig.9.14-6). If the
Local Area Connection Status window is closed then repeat step 5.

33
Figure 14.2 Local area connection status 2

9. Put the break switch into the OFF position.


10. On the local area connection status window press Disable.
11. Enable the connection.
12. Right-click on Local Area Connection and select Status in the context menu
13. Note the connection speed increase
14. Turn OFF all the computers and the network switch.

Test Questions
1. Why are there different Ethernet technologies?
Different technologies exist depending on the frame transmission speed and the
transmission environment. However, the network protocol stack and the software work
in essentially the same fashion.

2. What can cause unstable network speed?


Breaking and restoring pin 5 of the straight-through network cable creates an unstable
network environment.

Conclusion

There exist different Ethernet types because there are different environment, needs, and
application for these technologies. They may have different physical types but the same protocol and
software is used. The same way with different brand, prices may vary but all use the same standard. All
of these methods aim to provide a stable network environment.

34

You might also like