RMIT Classification: Trusted

RMIT University
School of Science, Engineering &
Technology

Assignment 3 Report
COSC2174 – Data Communication and
Net-Centric Computing

Learning Outcomes:
1. The art of experimentation
2. Experimental and analytical skills
3. Conceptual learning
4. Understanding the basis of Networking Engineering
5. Developing collaborative learning skills

Authors: Dr. Katrina Gomez Chavez

Dr. Akram Hourani
Dr. Ushik Shrestha Khwakhali
Ms. Anna Felipe
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Table of Contents
Part 1: Introduce the Cisco Packet Tracer Simulator ..................................................3
1 Objectives .........................................................................................................3
2 Exercise ............................................................................................................3
2.1 Section 1: Create a simple topology connecting two computers connected to a hub . 4
2.2 Section 2: Create multilevel topologies ................................................................. 5
Part 2: Layer 2 Protocols and Devices ........................................................................5
1 Objectives .........................................................................................................5
2 Exercise ............................................................................................................5
2.1 Section1: Capturing and analysing Ethernet frames................................................ 5
2.2 Section 2: Capturing and analysing Address Resolution Protocol ............................ 8
2.3 Section 3: Basic configuration of a switch .............................................................10
3 Questions ........................................................................................................ 12
Part 3: Layer 3 Protocol and Devices ....................................................................... 13
1 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 13
2 Exercise .......................................................................................................... 13
2.1 Section 1: Capturing and analysing IP packets and datagrams. ..............................13
2.2 Section 2: A look at the capture trace ...................................................................14
2.3 Section 3: Basic analysis of routers (static route) ..................................................15
3 References ...................................................................................................... 16

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Part 1: Introduce the Cisco Packet Tracer Simulator

Objectives
The objectives of part 1 is to:
• Understand the main principles of simulations
• Explore the Logical Workspace of the simulator
• Explore Cisco Packet Tracer operations
• Connect devices and create topologies

Exercise
Let’s start with the exercise:
• STEP 1: Download the Cisco Packet Tracer at this link https://www.netacad.com/courses/packet-
tracer/introduction-packet-tracer
• STEP 2: Click Sign-up. Use your RMIT account to sign-up and enroll in the course for free.
• STEP 3: Open the Cisco Packet tracer simulator by clicking on the following icon:

• STEP 4: Click Ok until a login page will appear.

• STEP 5: Click on the netacad.com login bar (see the red arrow in the below figure) so you can
visualize the Guest Login or Login to your user account.

• STEP 6: Click on the Guest Login or User Login and you will visualize the GUI of Cisco
Packet Tracer Simulator as shown below:

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Now spend 5 minutes for watching and listening to a tutorial, for doing that click on help->tutorial. It
will open a browser and a tutorial will be displayed. http://tutorials.ptnetacad.net/tutorials80.htm

At this point, you are getting familiar with all the theory and practice of Cisco Packet Tracer and are
ready for performing some exercises detailed in the next section.

The best way to learn about any new simulator is to try it out. So, create a small and simple topology.

Section 1: Create a simple topology connecting two computers

connected to a hub as shown in the figure below:

• Congratulation your first topology is now ready for configurations.

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Section 2: Create multilevel topologies as shown in the figure below:

• Note that for interconnecting Hubs and Switch, a different connection need to be used.
• Packet Tracer has two file formats that can create and save: .pkt files (network simulations model
files) and .pka files (activity files for practice). When you create your own networks in Packet
Tracer or modify existing files, you will often use the .pkt file format.
• Please take some time for playing with the simulator exploring different devices and topologies.

Congratulations! You have now completed the Part 1 of your assignment.

Part 2: Layer 2 Protocols and Devices

Objectives
The objectives of the part 2 is to:
• Understand the main principles of layer 2 protocols and devices (Layer 2 end-to-end
communication)
• Explore the fields of Ethernet frames (Layer 2 data unit)
• Explore and understand the goal of ARP protocol using Wireshark
• Understand better the relationship of MAC and IP address

Exercise
Section1: Capturing and analysing Ethernet frames.
Begin by capturing a set of Ethernet frames to study. To do it, follow the following steps:

• STEP 1: First, make sure your browser’s cache is empty. To do this under:

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•
Mozilla Firefox V3, Open application menu >History > Clear Recent History and check
the box for Cache > Clear Now.
•
For Microsoft Edge, select Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search and services >
Clear browsing data > Choose what to clear.
•
For Chrome, Menu and then down to Settings. Scroll down and click on “Show advanced
settings. Look under “Privacy” Click Clear Browsing Data and clear all data.

• STEP 2: Start up the Wireshark packet sniffer and start capturing packet from your LAN interface.
It may be wireless interface in your case.
• STEP 3: Enter the following URL into your browser http://vietnam-railway.com. Your browser
should display the Vietnam railway page. Click on few tabs to allow Wireshark to capture packets
appropriately.
• STEP 4: Stop Wireshark packet capture. First, find the packet numbers (the leftmost column in the
upper Wireshark window) of the HTTP GET message that was sent from your computer to
vietnam-railway.com, as well as the beginning of the HTTP response message sent to your
computer by vietnam-railway.com. You should see a screen that looks something like this (where
packet in the screenshot below contains the HTTP GET message)

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• STEP 5: Since this assignment is about Ethernet and ARP, we are not interested in IP or higher-layer
protocols. So, let us change Wireshark’s “listing of captured packets” window so that it shows
information only about protocols below IP. To have Wireshark do this, select Analyse->Enabled
Protocols. Then uncheck the IPv4 box and select OK. You should now see a Wireshark window that
looks like:

• STEP 6: In order to answer the following questions, you will need to look into the packet details and
packet contents windows (the middle and lower display windows in Wireshark). Select the Ethernet
frame containing the HTTP GET message. (HTTP GET message is carried inside of a TCP segment,
which is carried inside of an IP datagram, which is carried inside of an Ethernet frame, which is our
focus). Expand the Ethernet II information in the packet details window. Note that the contents of the
Ethernet frame (header as well as payload) are displayed in the packet contents window. Take some
time for getting familiar with the Ethernet Frame that you are analysing.

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• STEP 7: Answer the following questions, based on the contents of the Ethernet frame containing
the HTTP GET message. Whenever possible, when answering a question, you should include
screenshot of the packet(s) within the trace that you used to answer the question asked. Remark
the screenshot to explain your answer. To print a packet, use File->Print, choose Selected packet
only, choose Packet summary line, and select the minimum amount of packet detail that you need
to answer the question or simply remark the screenshot.

1. What is the 48-bit Ethernet address of your computer?

2. What is the brand of your PC? How is the brand identified using Wireshark?
3. What is the 48-bit destination address in the Ethernet frame?
4. What is the brand of remote device? How is the brand identified using Wireshark?
5. Give the hexadecimal value for the two-byte Frame type field? What upper layer protocol
does this correspond to? Provide details of any two other Frame type field?

• STEP 8: Next, answer the following questions, based on the contents of the Ethernet frame
containing the first byte of the HTTP response message.

1. What is the value of the Ethernet source address?

2. What is the destination address in the Ethernet frame? Is this the Ethernet address of your
computer?
3. Give the hexadecimal value for the two-byte Frame type field. What upper layer protocol
does this correspond to?

Section 2: Capturing and analysing Address Resolution Protocol

In this section, you will observe the ARP protocol in action. The ARP command and the ARP protocol have
the same name, it is understandably easy to confuse them. But keep in mind that they are different:

• The ARP command is used to view and manipulate the ARP cache contents.
• The ARP protocol defines the format and meaning of the messages sent and received, and defines
the actions taken on message transmission and receipt.

• STEP 1: Take a look at the contents of the ARP cache on your computer:

o MS-DOS. The ARP command is in c:\windows\system32. So, type either “ARP” or

“c:\windows\system32\ARP” in the MS-DOS command line (without quotation marks).
o The Windows ARP command with no arguments will display the contents of the ARP
cache on your computer. Run the ARP command.
o Write down the contents of your computer’s ARP cache, which command line is
used? What is the meaning of each column value?

• STEP 2: In order to observe your computer sending and receiving ARP messages, you will need
to clear the ARP cache, since otherwise your computer is likely to find a needed IP-Ethernet
address translation pair in its cache and consequently not need to send out an ARP message.
o What is the command line used to clear the ARP cache?

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• STEP 3: Observing ARP in action, do the following:

o Clear your ARP cache, as described above.
o Next, make sure your browser’s cache is empty.
o Start up the Wireshark packet sniffer.
o Enter the following URL into your browser http://vietnam-railway.com. Your browser
should again display the Vietnamese railway ticket portal.
o Stop Wireshark packet capture. Again, we are not interested in IP or higher-layer
protocols, so change Wireshark’s “listing of captured packets” window so that it shows
information only about protocols below IP.
o You should now see a Wireshark window that looks similar to the one below:

• Step 4: In the example above, the first two frames in the trace contain ARP messages. Answer the
following questions.

 What are the hexadecimal values for the source and destination addresses in the Ethernet
frame containing the ARP request message?
 Give the hexadecimal value for the two-byte Ethernet Frame type field. What upper layer
protocol does this correspond to?
a. What is the question of the ARP?
b. Does the ARP message contain the IP and MAC address of the sender?
c. Does the ARP message contain the IP and MAC address of the target?
d. What is the target IP address?
e. What is the value of the opcode field within the ARP-payload part of the
Ethernet frame?
 Now find the ARP reply that was sent in response to the ARP request.
a. What is the answer of the ARP?
b. Does the ARP message contain the IP and MAC address of the sender?
c. Does the ARP message contain the IP and MAC address of the target?
d. What is the target IP address? TIP, ipconfig command will help you to find out.

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e. What is the value of the opcode field within the ARP-payload part of the
Ethernet frame?
 Check again the ARP table and provide the output.

Section 3: Basic configuration of a switch

• STEP 1: Open Cisco Packet Tracer. Now take 5 minutes for reading the types of switches that
Cisco Packet Tracer support, for doing that click on help ->tutorial ->Device & Modules ->
Switches.
• STEP 2: Create the following topology, make sure that all is correct (green triangles ensure that)

• STEP 3: Click the link provided Using the Command-Line Interface of Cisco, take some time for
getting familiar with the command mode.

• STEP 4: Explore the command line interface of the switch, by clicking on switch and going to
CLI as show below:

o Explore the show command “show?”

o Explore the interface of the switch, which is the command line? What has it displayed?
o Check the ARP table, what is inside?
o Check the mac address table, what is inside?

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o Take some time for exploring other commands and get familiar with CISCO CLI.

• STEP 5: Configure a simple network, go to PCs, and configure the Ethernet IP addresses as
follow (see the figure):

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• STEP 6: Open a command prompt in any-pc:

o Check the ARP table (arp -a), what is inside?

o Ping one of the other PCs
Check the ARP table (arp -a), what is insider?

• STEP 7: Let us explore the command line interface of the switch again:
o Check the arp table, what is inside?
o Check the mac address table, what is inside?
• STEP 8: Ping all the PC:
o Check the MAC address table, what is inside?
o What is the role of a Switch? What is the role of MAC address table?

Questions
The goal was primarily to introduce the Layer 2 protocols and devices. The following questions will
demonstrate that you have been able to do that. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the default amount of time that an entry remains in your ARP cache before being removed?
You can determine this empirically (by monitoring the cache contents) or by looking this up in your
operation system documentation. Indicate how/where you determined this value.
2. Why is ARP table required? At which layer of the communication MAC address is requested? Is
it possible to access internet without MAC address?

Congratulations! You have now completed the Part 2 of your assignment.

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Part 3: Layer 3 Protocol and Devices

Objectives
The objective of the part 3 is to:
• Understand the main principles of layer 3 protocols and devices (Layer 3 end-to-end
communication).
• Explore the fields of IP packets or datagrams (Layer 3 data unit) using Wireshark.
• Explore and understand the goal of ICMP protocol.

Exercise
In this lab, we will investigate the IP protocol, focusing on the IP datagram or packet. We will do so by
analysing a trace of IP datagrams sent and received by an execution of the ping command. We will
investigate the various field in the IP datagram, and study IP fragmentation.

Section 1: Capturing and analysing IP packets and datagrams.

• STEP 1: Start-up Wireshark. Since this lab IP, we are interested in IP or higher-layer protocols. So
let us change make sure that IP is activated. To have Wireshark do this, select Analyze ->Enabled
Protocols. Then check the IPv4 box and select OK.
• STEP 2: Open a windows command prompt and type ping (press enter). Take some time for
getting familiar with the different options of ping command line.
• STEP 3: In windows command prompt execute: ping www.google.com –n 10
• STEP 4: Open Wireshark and begin packet capture (Capture->Start) and then press OK on the
Wireshark Packet Capture Options screen (we will not need to select any options here).

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• STEP 5: Stop Wireshark tracing. You should visualize something similar to the following figure:

Section 2: A look at the capture trace

In your trace, you should be able to see the series of ICMP Echo Request sent by your computer and
the ICMP Echo Reply messages returned to your computer by the intermediate routers.
• STEP 1: Select the one ICMP Echo Request message sent by your computer, and expand the
Internet Protocol part of the packet in the packet details window as follow:

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Take some time to map the field with IP datagram and answer the following questions:

1. What is the IP address of your computer? What is the source and destination address?
2. Within the IP packet header, what is the value in the upper layer protocol field?
3. How many bytes are in the IP header? How many bytes are in the payload of the IP
datagram? Explain how you determined the number of payload bytes.
4. Has this IP datagram been fragmented? Explain how you determined whether or not the
datagram has been fragmented.
5. What is the value in the Identification field and the TTL field?

• STEP 2: Next (with the packets still sorted by source address) find the series of ICMP Echo
Reply sent to your computer and answer the following questions:
1. What is the IP address of your computer? What is the source and destination address?
2. Within the IP packet header, what is the value in the upper layer protocol field?
3. How many bytes are in the IP header? How many bytes are in the payload of the IP
datagram?
4. Has this IP datagram been fragmented?
5. What is the value in the Identification field and the TTL field?
6. Do these values remain unchanged for all of the ICMP Echo Reply sent to your computer by
the nearest (first hop) router? Why?

Section 3: Basic analysis of routers (static route)

• STEP 1: Open Cisco Packet Tracer. Now take 5 minutes for reading the types of switches that
Cisco Packet Tracer support, for doing that click on help->tutorial>Devices & Modules>
Routers.
• STEP 2: Open the provided file: lab_4_router.pkt using Cisco packet tracer. When opening the
file, it will look like the following topology and answer the following questions:

1. What is the IP address of the PC0 and PC1? You can check it open a command prompt
and typing ipconfig.
2. Can you ping from PC0 ping PC1?
3. In PC0, using the command line tracert x.x.x.x [PC1 IP address], check what is the path
for reaching PC1.

4. Open a CLI of Router1 and execute the following command:

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Continue with configuration dialog? [yes/no]: n

Router>enable
Router#show ip route
Router# show arp
Router# show running-config
•
What the ip route display? It is the routing table?
•
What the arp display?
•
What the running-config display?

5. Repeat this with all the routers. In the report, you are not required to demonstrate all the
steps. However, it is important to capture all the necessary information that is different for
each of the routers. You may refer to the previous part to compare the similarities and
illustrate the differences with some images and describe what are the differences compared to
the previous one.

The goal of this exercise was primarily to introduce the Layer 3 protocols and devices. The following
questions will demonstrate that you have been able to do that. Answer the following questions:
• What is the role of TTL field? Why it is important?
• Explain the 3 main characteristics of layer 3 that you learn on this exercise?
• Explain the main role of routers in the network.

Congratulations! You have now completed the Part 3 of your assignment.

References
[1] Cisco, Cisco Packet Tracer Data Sheet. Available at: http://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/training-
events/netacad/course_catalog/docs/Cisco_PacketTracer_DS.pdf
[2] Supplement to Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach, 7th ed., J.F. Kurose and K.W.
Ross, 2005-2016, All Rights Reserved
[3] William Stallings. 1996. Data and Computer Communications (5th Ed.). Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper
Saddle River, NJ, USA.

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