Experiment No.

1
A.1 Ai
m:
Demonstration of different Network devices with their functionalities.

A.2 Prerequisite:
Switch, Hub, Router, cisco packet tracer

A.3 Outcome:
After successful completion of this experiment students will be able to

Identify various protocols, cables and devices in networking.

A.4 Theory:
Network devices, also known as networking hardware, are physical devices that
allow hardware on a computer network to communicate and interact with one
another. For example Repeater, Hub, Bridge, Switch, Routers, Gateway, Brouter,
and NIC, etc

1. Repeater – A repeater operates at the physical layer. Its job is to regenerate the
signal over the same network before the signal becomes too weak or corrupted to
extend the length to which the signal can be transmitted over the same network. An
important point to be noted about repeaters is that they not only amplify the signal
but also regenerate it. When the signal becomes weak, they copy it bit by bit and
regenerate it at its star topology connectors connecting following the original
strength. It is a 2-port device.
2. Hub – A hub is a basically multi-port repeater. A hub connects multiple wires
coming from different branches, for example, the connector in star topology which
connects different stations. Hubs cannot filter data, so data packets are sent to all
connected devices. In other words, the collision domain of all hosts connected
through Hub remains one. Also, they do not have the intelligence to find out the
best path for data packets which leads to inefficiencies and wastage.
Types of Hub : Active Hub, Passive Hub, Intelligent Hub
3. Bridge – A bridge operates at the data link layer. A bridge is a repeater, with add
on the functionality of filtering content by reading the MAC addresses of the source
and destination. It is also used for interconnecting two LANs working on the same
protocol. It has a single input and single output port, thus making it a 2 port device.

Types of Bridges
 Transparent Bridges
 Source Routing Bridges

4. Switch – A switch is a multiport bridge with a buffer and a design that can boost
its efficiency (a large number of ports imply less traffic) and performance. A switch
is a data link layer device. The switch can perform error checking before forwarding
data, which makes it very efficient as it does not forward packets that have errors
and forward good packets selectively to the correct port only. In other words, the
switch divides the collision domain of hosts, but the broadcast domain remains the
same.
5. Routers – A router is a device like a switch that routes data packets based on
their IP addresses. The router is mainly a Network Layer device. Routers normally
connect LANs and WANs and have a dynamically updating routing table based on
which they make decisions on routing the data packets. The router divides the
broadcast domains of hosts connected through it.

6. Gateway – A gateway, as the name suggests, is a passage to connect two

networks that may work upon different networking models. They work as
messenger agents that take data from one system, interpret it, and transfer it to
another system. Gateways are also called protocol converters and can operate at any
network layer. Gateways are generally more complex than switches or routers. A
gateway is also called a protocol converter.
7. Brouter – It is also known as the bridging router is a device that combines
features of both bridge and router. It can work either at the data link layer or a
network layer. Working as a router, it is capable of routing packets across networks
and working as the bridge, it is capable of filtering local area network traffic.
8. NIC – NIC or network interface card is a network adapter that is used to connect
the computer to the network. It is installed in the computer to establish a LAN. It
has a unique id that is written on the chip, and it has a connector to connect the
cable to it. The cable acts as an interface between the computer and the router or
modem. NIC card is a layer 2 device which means that it works on both the physical
and data link layers of the network model.
 PART B
(PART B : TO BE COMPLETED BY STUDENTS)

(Students must submit the soft copy as per following segments

within two hours of the practical. The soft copy must be uploaded
on the Blackboard or emailed to the concerned lab in charge
faculties at the end of the practical in case the there is no Black
board access available)

Roll No.B49 Name: Intaza Chaudhary

Class :TE-B Batch :B3
Date of Experiment:15/07/2024 Date of Submission:22/07/2024
Grade :

B.1 Document created by the student:

SWITCH CONFIGURATION:
HUB CONFIGURATION:

ROUTER CONFIGURATION:
REPEATER CONFIGURATION:
BRIDGE CONFIGURTION:

B.3 Observations and learning:

Switch: Operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model, efficiently forwards data within a
LAN based on MAC addresses, reducing collisions and optimizing network
performance.

Hub: Operates at Layer 1, simply repeats signals to all connected devices, lacking
intelligence and causing potential network congestion and inefficiencies.

Router: Operates at Layer 3, routes data between different networks based on IP

addresses, enabling inter-network communication, traffic management, and network
security through segmentation.

Understanding these devices' functionalities is essential for building effective and

secure network infrastructures. Switches enhance network efficiency, hubs provide
basic connectivity but lack intelligence, and routers enable connectivity between
different networks while ensuring data integrity and security.

B.4 Conclusion:
In conclusion networking involves devices like routers, switches, access points, and
firewalls working together with protocols such as Ethernet, TCP/IP, Wi-Fi, and DNS,
supported by cables like Ethernet, fiber optic, and coaxial. Understanding these
components is crucial for building efficient, secure, and scalable networks that meet
modern connectivity needs and support organizational growth and innovation.
B.5 Question of Curiosity
Q1: What is the difference manageable and unmanageable switch?

1. Manageable Switches:
o Configuration: These switches allow you to configure various aspects
of their operation, such as VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks),
Quality of Service (QoS) settings, port settings (speed, duplex), and
sometimes even advanced features like Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
or Link Aggregation (LAG).
o Monitoring: Manageable switches provide monitoring capabilities,
allowing you to view statistics on port usage, traffic levels, and other
performance metrics. This monitoring helps in network management
and troubleshooting.
o Access: Typically accessed via a web interface, command-line
interface (CLI), or a specialized management software.
2. Unmanageable Switches:
o Configuration: These switches operate with a fixed configuration that
cannot be changed by the user. They are designed to be plug-and-play,
requiring minimal setup and no configuration expertise.
o Monitoring: Unmanageable switches do not provide monitoring
capabilities beyond basic link status (whether a port is up or down).
o Access: There is usually no management interface or software
provided with unmanageable switches. They are designed to be simple
to use without requiring any configuration.
Q2: What is the difference between L2 and L3 switch?

 Layer 2 Switch:

o Functionality: Operates at the Data Link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model.
o Forwarding: Switches frames (Ethernet frames) based on MAC addresses
(Layer 2 addresses).
o Address Learning: Learns MAC addresses by examining the source
addresses of incoming frames and builds a MAC address table (CAM table) to
make forwarding decisions.
o Broadcast Domain: Typically operates within a single broadcast domain
(within a VLAN).
o Routing: Does not perform routing functions; cannot route traffic between
different IP subnets.
o Examples: Commonly used in LAN environments to segment networks into
VLANs and provide basic connectivity.

 Layer 3 Switch:

o Functionality: Operates at both the Data Link layer (Layer 2) and the
Network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model.
o Forwarding: Besides MAC addresses, also forwards packets based on IP
addresses (Layer 3 addresses).
o Routing: Can perform basic IP routing functions between different IP subnets
or VLANs.
o Address Learning: Learns MAC addresses like a Layer 2 switch but also
maintains a routing table to make forwarding decisions based on IP addresses.
o Broadcast Domain: Can be used to separate broadcast domains using
VLANs, but can also route traffic between VLANs (inter-VLAN routing).
o Examples: Often used in enterprise networks where both switching and
routing capabilities are required at the network edge or in small to medium-
sized networks.
Q3: List Layer 2 devices and Layer 3 devices.

Layer 2 Devices:

1. Ethernet Switch:
o Operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model and forwards frames based on
MAC addresses.
2. Bridge:
o Connects multiple network segments at Layer 2 by examining MAC
addresses.
3. Wireless Access Point (WAP):
o Provides wireless connectivity for devices, typically handling Layer 2
traffic such as WiFi frames.
4. VLAN Switch:
o Supports Virtual LANs (VLANs) for segmenting a network at Layer 2.
5. Network Interface Card (NIC):
o Found in end devices, NICs connect devices to the network at Layer 2.

Layer 3 Devices:

1. Router:
o Operates at Layer 3 of the OSI model and forwards packets based on
IP addresses between different networks.
2. Layer 3 Switch:
o Combines Layer 2 switching with Layer 3 routing capabilities, often
used for inter-VLAN routing.
3. Multilayer Switch:
o Similar to a Layer 3 switch, capable of switching at Layer 2 and
routing at Layer 3.
4. Firewall:
o Provides security by filtering traffic based on IP addresses and ports,
operating typically at Layers 3 and 4 (Network and Transport layers).
5. Gateway:
o Connects different types of networks and performs protocol translation
and routing functions at Layer 3.