Virtualization Lab

In this NET125 lab we set up a virtual PC on our computers.

First we downloaded Microsoft Virtual PC 2007. This download is free and is found on the Microsoft Website. Virtual PC 2007 requires a 400 MHz Pentium-compatible processor (1.0 GHz or faster recommended), and requires approximately 35 MB of disk space. It runs on Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Next our instructor wanted us to download a version of Linux and experiment to see if we could virtualize it and perform file sharing. I started to download Ubantu but abandoned it because it was taking too long. Another student found a version of Linux called DSL that only required 50Mb to download.

Everyone decided to use this one instead for time's sake. The download went fine, in no time we had Linux up and running in a virtual environment on our machines. We now had Vista and Linux on the same machine. It was a little tricky to find out how to navigate between the two windows. You would have to use the control button to locate the mouse from one window to the other.

After setting up Linux, we tried to ping other computers on our network. The set up was different from Windows but after a few tries we were able to ping back and forth.

The we tried file sharing. This proved to be more of a challenge than anticipated. Unfortunately we ran out of time before we were successful at it.

This was an interesting lab and one that I will continue to experiment with on my own time. Although we did not success in file sharing, it was still an informative lab.

Project WLANs

In this project we are to compare 3 wireless access points. Home and Business

The first one I researched is the Cisco Aironet 1242AG Access Point

This WAP is designed for a Business Environment. The Cisco Aironet 1232AG is an 802.11a/b/g Wireless Access Point that is versatile, secure, high capacity, and has many features that are in demand by Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) consumers. It is designed for use in environments that are challenging for radio frequencies like warehouses, large buildings, metal enclosures, and a wide operating temperature. The Cisco ISO software provides flexibility that allows you to use both access point and bridge functionality because you can configure each radio point as an access point, repeater, root bridge, non-root bridge, or workgroup bridge. The price of this WAP starts around $450.00.

Next we have a WAP that is designed for gaming.

The Netgear WNHDEB111 HD is a 5GHz Wireless N Networking kit that is ideal for gaming. The 5GHz frequency provides fast file transfer at Wireless N speed. This not only makes it ideal for gaming but for streaming HD videos too. Compatible with Xbox, Playstation, Wii, TiVo HD, Slingbox and more. It offers automatic QoS which will prioritize voice, video, and gaming traffic. The WNHDEB111 kit includes two access point/bridges that are preconfigured to connect securely to each other. Easy setup allows you to connect one access point to a router/gateway and the other to the network ready device. Using the 5GHz frequency helps to eliminate a lot of interference usually caused by Bluetooth, microwaves, and baby monitors which operate on the old 2.4 GHz frequency. The price starts around $99.00.

The last WAP I researched is the D-Link Xtreme N DAP-1522 Duo Wireless Access Point. This WAP is dual mode. It is for the customer that is looking to create a wireless network or connect several wired devices to an existing wireless network. Duo Wireless Access Point means that it can work with 802.11n (2.4GHz or 5GHz) or with 802.11g devices. It has 4 RJ-45 10/100/1000Base-T connections. The price starts around $80.00.

Build a Routed Network

In this lab we used routers, switches and PC's to build a WAN.

On one side we had several PC's connected to a switch and on the other side the remaining PC's in the room were connected to the other switch. Both switches were connected to a bank of three routers to simulate a WAN (Wide Area Network). In order to build this network we will need four subnets. One between the switch and router on one side, then one between each router and then one between the last router and the other switch.

The IP address we were given was 140.20.0.0 and we were to configure four subnets. In order to create four subnets we would have to borrow 3 bits. This will make our subnet mask 255.255.224.0

The first subnet address is 140.20.0.0. The host range is 140.20.0.1 – 140.20.31.254 and the broadcast address is 140.20.31.255.

The second subnet address is 140.20.32.0. The host range is 140.20.32.1 – 140.20.63.254. The broadcast address is 140.20.63.255.

The third subnet address is 140.20.64.0. The host range is 140.20.64.1 – 140.20.95.254. The broadcast address is 140.20.95.255.

The fourth subnet address is 140.20.96.0. The host range is 140.20.96.1 – 140.20.127.254. The broadcast address is 140.20.128.255.

The subnet address for the switch on the South side of the room is 140.20.0.0. The subnet address for the switch on the North side of the room is 140.20.96.0. 140.20.32.0 and 140.20.64.0 were assigned to go between the routers. We were assigned to a host position and had to determine our IP address and configure our computer to it. I was given the second host address for our side. Our network IP address was 140.20.0.0. My IP address was 140.20.0.2. After everything was set up we then tried to ping each other. We could only ping the machines on the same side at first. Brad configured the routers while we watched. He had to use a console cable to access the Cisco ISO. This connected the router to computer so Brad could use a keyboard and monitor to enter the settings for the network. At first we could not ping the other side but Brad went back in and did some troubleshooting and found out that one router wasn't using the same encapsulation. Brad reconfigured this and then the network was operational. We could ping back and forth from either side of the network.

Build a Wireless Network

Wireless router lab

In this lab we set up a wireless network and connect two computers to it.

Key points we had to accomplish were:

-change the SSID
-use WPA-2
-manually code MAC addresses of the two computers into WAP
-set up a share folder and access it over the network

We were to also download Zone Alarm and set up the firewall to only allow the IP addresses we added.

There were several things we had to do before starting this lab. Using the command prompt, I located my MAC address. I also had to download and install Zone Alarm. In the process of doing this, Vista SP1 had to be installed on my computer. I downloaded and installed this as well. While doing this I ran across several fail attempts to install the service pack. I think this may be because I have not activated Vista with Microsoft. Tyler was able to successfully load and setup Zone Alarm so we used his machine to complete that part of the lab.

To set up the wireless network we used a Dlink DIR-615 router.

The D-Link Wireless N Router DIR-615 has speed capacity of 300Mbps. At $40, it is cheaper than some Wireless-G routers. The DIR-615 does not have Gigabit Ethernet or USB ports, but it does have decent wireless throughput speed and range. It comes with a user friendly Web interface and a fairly large set of networking features.

Set up of the router was very simple. Unpack it from the box and plug it in to the Ethernet connection and to the power supply. I then plugged my computer's Ethernet cable into the back of the router. Before installing the wireless adapter on my computer I did an Internet search on the DLink site for the default IP address of the DIR615 router. The address is 192.168.0.1. Entering this address in the address bar opened the routers setup wizard.

First I changed the SSID. From the DLink wizard click Setup / Wireless Setting / Wireless Network Setup Wizard - Changed the Network name to BackRow.

Then clicked Manual Assign Network Key, use WPA encryption. Next I entered NET125LABBACKROW as the Wireless Security Password.

I then loaded the driver CD that came with the wireless adapter. I plugged the adapter into a USB port and ran the install wizard. Nothing complicated about it. The wizard guided my through the steps without complicated or confusing questions. I restarted by computer and it connected to the internet without problem.

I pinged Ross just to make sure the network was working and the ping was successful.

We were supposed to download Zone Alarm and practice pinging each other and setting up a firewall. Zone Alarm downloaded ok but could not run it until I downloaded SP1 for Vista. I could not get SP1 to install, probably because the version of Vista I am running is not activated. Tyler was able to load Zone Alarm on his machine so we observed him and tried to ping his machine. With Zone Alarm off we could ping his machine. When he turned it on we could not. He could adjust the settings to allow us to access his machine by entering our IP address. He could also add an IP address range that would allow us to access his machine.

As part of our lab, we were to block access to our network by entering our MAC addresses into the access control panel of the router and block all others from access. This worked perfectly. I was able to add Ross' MAC address to the setup and he was able to access a share folder I put on my desktop and view a file I put in the folder. When I deleted his address he could not. He added me to his file sharing and I view a folder he set up that had a picture in it. There are a couple of options when it comes to file sharing. I can give the person wanting to share, access to just a particular folder, or I can activate the public sharing folder so anyone on the network can see it. I can adjust the settings from full access to read only also.

So that did it for this lab. We set up a wireless network, changed the SSID, used WPA-2 encryption, hard code the MAC addresses into WAP, Setup a share folder and access it. Download Zone Alarm and set up a firewall to block access to your computer. Ping each other to see if connections between computers were working.

Build a Switch Network Lab

In this lab we used switches and computers to build a LAN (Local Area Network)

We used two switches connected by a crossover cable. Half of the class connected their computers to one switch and the other half to the other switch.

We were given the IP address 160.20.0.0 and the subnet mask 255.255.240.0. The IP address is a class B and therefore the subnet mask is 255.255.0.0. The difference is 240 in the third octet. 240 means that there are 4 bits borrowed for the subnet. We were asked to use the fourth subnet for this lab. The first subnet was 160.20.0.0 (0000 0000.00000000). The second subnet was 160.20.16.0 (0001 0000.00000000). The third subnet was 160.20.32.0 (0010 0000.00000000). The fourth subnet was 160.20.48.0 (0011 0000.00000000). Now that we had our subnet address we had to configure our host address. I was assigned the third host address. This was pretty easy, 160.20.48.0 was the network address, 160.20.48.1 was the first host and that was assigned to Mike, 160.20.48.2 was Tony, I was assigned the third host address and that was 160.20.48.3. 160.20.48.4 was Ross, 160.20.48.5 was Tyler, 160.20.48.6 was Steve, 160.20.48.7 was Scott, 160.20.48.8 was James, 160.20.48.9 was Rich, and 160.20.48.11 was Jeremy.

Next we had to change our network settings on our computer to the addresses we configured. Click the Start button then right click Network, then click Properties, next click Manage Network Connections, then double-click Local Area Connection. This brings up the Local Area Connection Properties window. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), click on properties. This opens the Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) window. Click Use the following IP address and enter the IP address that was configured along with the other information. (subnet mask, default gateway) Click OK to accept and make changes. Then close and exit all the windows.

Then we were to try to ping others on the network we created to see if it worked. I had to disable the windows firewall to allow other to ping me. I was able to pine everyone on first try except Mike, Scott, Doug, and Jeremy. Mike was having issues with Vista and had to reinstall. Jeremy had a firewall issue that was resolved and then I could ping him. Never was able to get Scott or Doug.

CCC Network Tour

This NET125 lab was actually a tour of the network at CCC. We traced the path data takes as it leaves our computer and enters the Internet. Ken Martin, Director Information Technology, was our tour guide.

We started on the third floor of the Wayne West Building in Room 326. Network access is provided there by RJ-45 jacks mounted in the floor. Cat5 cable is connected to the jacks. From there the Cat5 cable is routed to a utility room on the west wing of the 3^rd floor. There is another utility room on the east wing of the 3^rd floor that handled the computer labs on that end.

In the utility room there were two banks of switches. The CAT5 and CAT6 cables from all the rooms on the west wing are routed to this room through the drop ceiling in 3-4 inch conduit. The cables are run to patch panels. The two main cables used on campus are copper (CAT5 and CAT6) and fiber optic. From the patch panel a standard network cable runs to the switches. We noticed that most of the cable bundles were labeled with the room number . Mapping is key to setting up a large network to help with troubleshooting. Fluke makes products that help to find out what goes where.

The bank of access switches contained four Cisco switches 3548's and 3750's all were 10/100. The access switches were smart switches and from there they are VLANed off. Each room was physically connected to the switch but they were logically VLANed off into their own separate pool. This is to cut down on the amount of traffic and noise. Instead of one switch handing all the traffic from the entire floor it is broken down into manageable sections.

From the switch panel there were a couple of fiber ports used for fiber optic cables. The cable used was multimode fiber. This cable went down and connected to second floor and then the second floor connected to the first floor. Fiber optic cable is used because it is faster, noise resistant, and has longer runs. From the first floor the fiber cable runs to the LRC Center to Ken's office.

Also for each bank of switches there were UPS (uninterruptible power supply)units to provide backup power in case of an outage. This not only helps to protect data and keep the network running, it also provides power to keep the phone system operational.

In addition to the cables for the wired network, this room also houses the cables for the wireless network on campus for the Wayne West Building and the cables for the IP cameras. PoE is used to power the cameras and the phones. To run power to the camera and phones the switch has to be PoE capable.

From the access layer switches the information goes to the distribution layer switch which then runs to the second floor. The three types of access switches that are currently used on campus are 3548, 3524, and 3524 PoE. The fiber optic cable on campus is run in a ring to connect every building. The fiber optic cable run also includes; CMAST, Civic Center, Institute of Marine Science, BLET, MARTEC, and the buildings of campus. There is also another ring running in the opposite direction in redundancy.

In the LRC building is the nerve center for the network on campus. All connections are routed to main hub. The setup is similar to the utility room in Wayne West. Instead of CAT5 or 6 cables running in, all the FO cables are coming in and are run to a fiber optic patch panel. From the patch panel the cables are run to the core. There are two UPS systems set up in redundancy plus a generator to make sure the system retains power in case or outages. The network speed at CCC is a gigabit which is what most universities have. This is because of our relationship with NC State, UNC IMS, Duke Marine Lab, and NOAA. We have fiber optic connections to Greenville, Wilmington, We are a point of presence for NCREN North Carolina Research and Education Network.

The servers for Blackboard, VoIP, and email are also located in the same room. Virtualized servers are run from this room too. Instead of buying a new server, with a quad core processor and 16 gigs of RAM we can run 16 virtual servers on the one machine.

The tape backup system is an LTL3 does 400gigs uncompressed and 800 gigs compressed and it holds 8 tapes which gives us 3.2 terabytes and is very fast.

There are several virtualization projects in the planning stages, desktop virtualization, Blackboard virtualization. VMware is being used for server virtualization and Xen for desktop virtualization. The goal is to have most virtualization projects in place in the next few years.

Project - Switches

Network designers can use the hierarchical network model as a framework to design a network that is easy to set up and troubleshoot. Using this model make the network flexible too. The hierarchical network design consists of three layers; the access layer, the distribution layer, and the core layer.

The access layer provides access to the network for local and remote workgroup users while the distribution layer provides a separation between the access and the core layers and also provides a connection point between the two. The core layer provides fast and efficient transportation of data.

An access layer device controls traffic by localizing broadcast and service request to the access media. A distribution layer device perform two functions, control access to resources of the core layer and use bandwidth efficiently. Core devices implement protocols and provide load balancing.

The example of an access switch I researched was the Cisco Catalyst 3750. This switch is able to support applications like IP telephony, wireless, and video which will improve productivity. This switch is part of Cisco's stackable switches which provides flexibility in designing networks. It is available in 24 and 48 port configurations, 10/100/1000, PoE and non-PoE models. The PoE+ models have 30W power on all ports in 1 rack unit. There is also an optional four 1 Gb Ethernet SFP or two 10 Gb Ethernet SFP+ uplink network modules. The 3750 is also backward compatible, has an enhanced limited lifetime warranty and utilizes Cisco EnergyWise, which reduces energy usage. It also comes with dual redundant modular power supplies and fans. The prices start around $2700.00 for a 24 port switch. Most companies request you contact them for a quote.

The Cisco Catalyst 4500 series switches are a midrange switch capable of layer 2-4 switching. They are designed for several hardware applications including layer 3 distribution points. This switch provides QoS for Layer 2 class of service (CoS) and Layer 3 type of service (ToS). Provides scalability for layer 3 distribution points. Other options are similar to the 3750 switch. Pricing varies depending on how the switch is set up. Most prices start around $3200.00.

The Catalyst 6500 series addresses gigabit scalability and multilayer switching. It supports a wide range of interface densities and performance. Like the other Cisco switches it is scalable and can be customized to suit the client's needs. Prices start at $6500.00.