Course Name: Computer Networks Course Code: CMPE-333L

Assignment Type: Lab Dated: 17-01-2023

Semester: 6th Session: 2020-2024

Lab #: 1 CLOs to be covered: 3

Lab Title: Packet Tracer – Creating a LAN Topology Teacher Name: Darakhshan Abdul Ghaffar

Lab Evaluations:

CLO3 Build simulations to measure the network parameters

Levels (Marks) Level1 Level2 Level3 Level4 Level5 Level6

Completeness
(5)

Total /5

Rubrics for Current Lab (Optional):

Scale Marks Level Rubric

Excellent 5 L1 Submitted all lab tasks, BONUS task, have good

understanding.

Very Good 4 L2 Submitted the lab tasks but have weak understanding

Good 3 L3 Submitted the lab tasks but have weak understanding.

Basic 2 L4 Submitted the lab tasks but have no understanding.

Barely 1 L5 Submitted only one lab task.

Acceptable
Not 0 L6 Lab missed or implemented none of the task
Acceptable
 LAB DETAILS:
Lab Goals/Objectives:
• Learn how to use packet tracer
• To become familiar with building topologies in Packet Tracer
• Create multiple nodes or devices in the network
• Interconnect all devices together
• Ping various devices in the network to ensure connectivity

Equipment Required: Computer system with Cisco Packet Tracer (version 5.3) installed
on it

Theory/Relevant Material:
To perform the lab exercise, first, you need to download Cisco Packet Tracer. Once it is
downloaded, install it using the default selections. After the installation, you can create a
network topology to perform the hands-on lab exercise.

Packet Tracer – Creating a New Topology

What is Packet Tracer? Packet Tracer is a protocol simulator developed by Dennis Frezzo and
his team at Cisco Systems. Packet Tracer (PT) is a powerful and dynamic tool that displays the
various protocols used in networking, in either Real Time or Simulation mode. This includes
layer 2 protocols such as Ethernet and PPP, layer 3 protocols such as IP, ICMP, and ARP, and
layer 4 protocols such as TCP and UDP. Routing protocols can also be traced.

Requisite knowledge: This lab assumes some understanding of the Ethernet protocol. At this
point we have not discussed other protocols, but will use Packet Tracer in later labs to discuss
those as well.

Version: This lab is based on Packet Tracer 5.3.

Step 1: Start Packet Tracer

Step 2: Choosing Devices and Connections

We will begin building our network topology by selecting devices and the media in which to
connect them. Several types of devices and network connections can be used. For this lab we
will keep it simple by using End Devices, Switches, Hubs, and Connections.

Single click on each group of devices and connections to display the various choices. The
devices you see may differ slightly.
Step 3: Building the Topology – Adding Hosts

Single click on the End Devices.

Single click on the Generic host.

Move the cursor into topology area. You will notice it turns into a plus “+” sign.

Single click in the topology area and it copies the device.

Add three more hosts.

Step 4: Building the Topology – Connecting the Hosts to Hubs and Switches

Adding a Hub

Select a hub, by clicking once on Hubs and once on a Generic hub.

Add the hub by moving the plus sign “+” below PC0 and PC1 and click once.

Connect PC0 to Hub0 by first choosing Connections.

Click once on the Copper Straight-through cable.

Perform the following steps to connect PC0 to Hub0:

1. Click once on PC0

2. Choose FastEthernet
3. Drag the cursor to Hub0
4. Click once on Hub0 and choose Port 0
5. Notice the green link lights on both the PC0 Ethernet NIC and the Hub0 Port 0 showing
that the link is active.

1 2 3 4 5

Repeat the steps above for PC1 connecting it to Port 1 on Hub0. (The actual hub port you
choose does not matter.)
Adding a Switch

Select a switch, by clicking once on Switches and once on a 2950-24 switch.

Add the switch by moving the plus sign “+” below PC2 and PC3 and click once.

Connect PC2 to Switch0 by first choosing Connections.

Click once on the Copper Straight-through cable.

Perform the following steps to connect PC2 to Switch0:

1. Click once on PC2

2. Choose FastEthernet
3. Drag the cursor to Switch0
4. Click once on Switch0 and choose FastEthernet0/1
5. Notice the green link lights on PC2 Ethernet NIC and amber light Switch0
FastEthernet0/1 port. The switch port is temporarily not forwarding frames, while it
goes through the stages for the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) process.
6. After a about 30 seconds the amber light will change to green indicating that the port has
entered the forwarding stage. Frames can now forwarded out the switch port.

Note: Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is discussed later.

1 2 3 4 5 6
Repeat the steps above for PC3 connecting it to Port 3 on Switch0 on port FastEtherent0/2.
(The actual switch port you choose does not matter.)

Move the cursor over the link light to view the port number. Fa means FastEthernet, 100 Mbps
Ethernet.

Step 5: Configuring IP Addresses and Subnet Masks on the Hosts

Before we can communicate between the hosts we need to configure IP Addresses and Subnet
Masks on the devices.

Click once on PC0.

Choose the Config tab and click on Settings. It is here that you can change the name of PC0. It
is also here where you would enter a Gateway IP Address, also known as the default gateway
and the DNS Server IP Address. We will discuss this later, but this would be the IP address of
the local router. If you want, you can enter the Gateway IP Address 172.16.1.1 and DNS Server
IP Address 172.16.1.100, although it will not be used in this lab.
Click on Interface and then FastEthernet. Although we have not yet discussed IP Addresses,
add the IP Address to 172.16.1.10. Click once in the Subnet Mask field to enter the default
Subnet Mask. You can leave this at 255.255.0.0. We will discuss this later.

Also, notice this is where you can change the Bandwidth (speed) and Duplex of the Ethernet NIC
(Network Interface Card). The default is Auto (autonegotiation), which means the NIC will
negotiate with the hub or switch. The bandwidth and/or duplex can be manually set by removing
the check from the Auto box and choosing the specific option.

Bandwidth - Auto

If the host is connected to a hub or switch port which can do 100 Mbps, then the Ethernet NIC on
the host will choose 100 Mbps (Fast Ethernet). Otherwise, if the hub or switch port can only do
10 Mbps, then the Ethernet NIC on the host will choose 10 Mbps (Ethernet).
Duplex - Auto

Hub: If the host is connected to a hub, then the Ethernet NIC on the host will choose Half
Duplex.

Switch: If the host is connected to a switch, and the switch port is configured as Full Duplex (or
Autonegotiation), then the Ethernet NIC on the host will choose Full Duplex. If the switch port
is configured as Half Duplex, then the Ethernet NIC on the host will choose Half Duplex. (Full
Duplex is a much more efficient option.)

The information is automatically saved when entered.

To close this dialog box, click the “X” in the upper right.

Repeat these steps for the other hosts. Use the information below for IP Addresses and Subnet
Masks.

Host IP Address Subnet Mask

PC0 172.16.1.10 255.255.0.0

PC1 172.16.1.11 255.255.0.0

PC2 172.16.1.12 255.255.0.0

PC3 172.16.1.13 255.255.0.0

Verify the information

To verify the information that you entered, move the Select tool (arrow) over each host.

Deleting a Device or Link

To delete a device or link, choose the Delete tool and click on the item you wish to delete.

Step 6: Connecting Hub0 to Switch0

To connect like-devices, like a Hub and a Switch, we will use a Cross-over cable. Click once the
Cross-over Cable from the Connections options.
Move the Connections cursor over Hub0 and click once.

Select Port 5 (actual port does not matter).

Move the Connections cursor to Switch0.

Click once on Switch0 and choose FastEthernet0/4 (actual port does not matter).

The link light for switch port FastEthernet0/4 will begin as amber and eventually change to
green as the Spanning Tree Protocol transitions the port to forwarding.
Step 7: Verifying Connectivity in Realtime Mode

Be sure you are in Realtime mode.

Select the Add Simple PDU tool used to ping devices..

Click once on PC0, then once on PC3.

The PDU Last Status should show as Successful.

Resetting the Network

At this point we will want to reset the network, Whenever you want to reset the network and
begin the simulation again, perform the following tasks:

Click Delete in the PDU area.

Now, Power Cycle Devices and confirm the action.

Waiting for Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)

Note: Because Packet Tracer also simulates the Spanning Tree Protocol (later), at times the
switch may show amber lights on its interfaces. You will need to wait for the lights to turn green
on the switches before they will forward any Ethernet frames.

Step 8: Verifying Connectivity in Simulation Mode

Be sure you are in Simulation mode.

Deselect all filters (All/None) and select only ICMP.

 1

Select the Add Simple PDU tool used to ping devices..

Click once on PC0, then once on PC3.

Continue clicking Capture/Forward button until the ICMP ping is completed. You should see
the ICMP messages move between the hosts, hub and switch. The PDU Last Status should
show as Successful. Click on Clear Event List if you do not want to look at the events or click
Preview Previous Events if you do. For this exercise it does not matter.
Step 9: Saving the Topology

Perform the following steps to save the topology (uses .pkt file extension).

Opening Existing Topologies

Opening Existing PT Topologies
Lab Task:

1. Perform all the 9 steps mentioned above and save screenshot for each step.

2. Draw an Institutional network in Packet Tracer and check the connectivity between devices

mail server

web server

Submission Instructions:

• Task 1 is mandatory to be completed in lab.

• Rest of the questions will be homework and will be evaluated in coming labs.
• Viva will also be conducted.
• Submit a document, named CNlab1_registration_number.docx/pdf having screenshots of the
task, before the deadline on the Google classroom by Sunday, 22nd January, 2023 11:59 P.M
• Cheating or plagiarism will result in 0.