A Basic Enterprise LAN Network

How to Design Medium Business Network

             For small- and medium-sized businesses, digital communication with data, voice, and video is critical to performing day-to-day business functions. Consequently, a properly designed LAN is a fundamental requirement for doing business. You must understand what a well-designed LAN is and be able to select appropriate devices to support the network specifications of a small- or medium-sized business.



List of Devices used in this type of Network

• ISP Modem
• Firewall
• Server
• Layer 3 Switch
• CISCO 24 Port Switch
• Commercial Printer
• WiFi Router
• IP Phone

• Firewall (SonicWALL Tz 300)

    . The SonicWALL protects your PC from attacks and intrusions, filters objectionable Web sites, provides private VPN connections to business partners and remote offices, and offers a centrally-managed defence against software viruses

• Layer 3 Switch (Cisco Catalyst 3560 v2)

      The Cisco Catalyst 3560 v2 Series are next-generation, energy-efficient, Layer 3 Fast Ethernet switches. These new switches support Cisco EnergyWise technology, which helps companies manage power consumption of the network infrastructure and network-attached devices, thereby reducing their energy costs and their carbon footprint.

• Switch

     Cisco currently has seven switch product lines. Each product line offers different characteristics and features, allowing you to find the right switch to meet the functional requirements of your network. The Cisco switch product lines are as follows:

■ Catalyst Express 500
■ Catalyst 2960
■ Catalyst 3560
■ Catalyst 3750
■ Catalyst 4500
■ Catalyst 4900
■ Catalyst 6500

How to connect two laptop using a LAN cable for playing multi player LAN games?

You need not have internet. Just need to connect both laptops to same WiFi router, or by LAN cable. If you don't have a router, you can also use an ad-hoc network or a crossover cable. Tutorials for them are there on the web.








Firstly you need a network crossover cable. Available from most computer stores. This is a special type of cable (not a standard LAN cable)

Secondly Make sure both computers are on the same workgroup. TO do this Right click on My computer, Properties, go to the Computer Name Tab, See what is written in Workgroup. Change one computer by clicking on change and then type in the name of the other computer in the workgroup space down the bottom. Do not make the computer part of a domain. You want Workgroup.

This name change will require a computer reboot.

When both computers are on the same workgroup, we need to set IP Addresses.

In Control Panel, Open Network Settings.
Right click on Local Area Connections and select properties.

Under the heading "This connection uses the following items, Find Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Highlight it, Make sure you don't untick the box, and click on properties
Under the heading Use the following IP Address ENter in the Following on ONE Computer.

IP Address 192.168.10.10
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway LEave Blank

Under the Heading Obtain DNS Serveraddress automatically
Set this to Automatic. Don't enter anything in.

On the second computer Make the IP Address 192.168.10.20
Everything else the same.

Setting NTFS Permissions on a Shared Folder

Objective: Add NTFS security to the Public share.

Estimated time: 15 minutes

1. Click Start, Programs. Select Windows NT Explorer to open the Explorer window. Choose a directory on an NTFS partition. If you do not have an NTFS partition, you cannot complete

this lab. 

2. Create a directory called TestNTFS and then right-click on it. Select the Properties option from the menu to open the TestNTFS Properties window.

3. In the TestNTFS Properties window, click on the Security tab and then click the Permissions button to open the Directory Permissions dialogue box.

4. Observe that the directory currently has its default permissions list with Everyone—Full

Control as the only entry.

5. Select Everyone. Click the down arrow on the Type of Access field and choose Read.

6. Take note of the check boxes near the top of the window. The Replace Permissions on Files option

is checked, while the Replace Permissions on Subdirectories option is cleared. If you have subdirectories and want the new access permissions to filter down through them, you must check this

box. Because no subdirectories exist in this instance, the point is currently moot, so leave the

defaults as they are.

7. If you need to enter additional groups into the list, you can do so by using the Add button. Click this button and observe the Add Users and Groups window. Select the Administrators Local group and then click on the down arrow next to the Type of Access drop-down list and observe the expanded choices. Permissions are broken down to more specific levels, and Special File Access and Special Directory Access enable you to mix and match permissions to suit your needs. In reality, you rarely will grant a group only the List and Delete permissions, but you can if you need to. If, for instance, a user needs to be able to write to a directory, but should not be able to view, read, or modify files in that directory, only Write permission would be given to him. Give Administrators Full Control permissions. 

8. Click OK to return to the Directory Permissions window. Then click OK to set the new permissions and return to Explorer.

9. Click File, Exit to close Explorer. 

10. Share the TestNTFS directory with Everyone— Full Control permissions and log on to the share from a remote machine and observe the permissions available when you log on as an Administrator as opposed to a TestUser. You should be able to modify, create, and delete files across the share if you are logged on as an Administrator, but you should be able to only read and execute while logged on as a TestUser.

Exploring Windows’s Disk Administrator

Objective: Explore the options available through Disk Administrator, such as establishing and breaking mirrored drives and creating or regenerating stripe sets with parity.

Estimated time: 10 minutes

To complete exercise 9.1, log on to a Windows NT 4.0 server or workstation with an account that has administrative authority. The server or workstation used can be a production machine—no changes will actually be made to the computer’s configuration during this exercise if the steps in this exercise are followed.

1. Click Start, Programs, Administrative Tools. Then choose Disk Administrator. If this is the first time the application is run, or if disks have been added to the system, you will be asked for permission to write a signature block to the disk. If this message appears, click on Yes.

2. Observe the Disk Administrator window and maximize it if it is not already in this state. The configuration of the disk or disks on your machine is displayed.

3. Click one of the partitions on your screen. A dark black line appears around the partition, indicating that the partition is selected. Right-click on the partition and observe the available menu choices in the context-sensitive menu. Note that you can format the partition, delete the partition, change its logical drive letter, or examine its properties. If the disk is removable, the Eject option is also available.

4. Click Partition in the Menu bar and examine the choices. Most of the choices are unavailable, but they include Create Volume Set and Create Stripe Set. You also can change your active partition in this Menu bar.

 5. Click Fault-tolerance on the Menu bar (Windows NT Server only) and observe that this menu enables you to establish and break mirrored drives, as well as to create or regenerate stripe sets with parity.

6. Feel free to explore further, and when you are finished examining the menus and options, close out of the Disk Administrator by clicking Partition, Exit. If you are asked to commit or save your changes, click Cancel.

Accessing an X.25 Network Through Windows NT Dial-Up Networking

Objective: Learn how to configure Windows NT DialUp Networking to connect to an X.25 network provider.

Estimated time: 15 minutes

Windows NT Remote Access Service (RAS) is usually used for modem connections to remote PCs, but you can also use RAS to access an X.25 packet-switching network. RAS supports Packet Assembler/Disassembler (PAD) devices and X.25 smart cards. Alternatively, you can use Windows NT’s Dial-Up Networking to connect to a commercial X.25 provider. This exercise assumes that any modems or RAS are not already installed. The purpose of this exercise is to simply show how you would go about selecting an X.25 PAD device in RAS.

1. Click the Start menu and choose Settings/ Control Panel. Double-click the Windows NT Control Panel Network application.

 2. Choose the Network application’s Services tab. Click on the Add button. Choose Remote Access Service from the Network Services list and click the OK button. You are prompted for the location of the installation files. Type in the location and click on the Continue button.

3. A dialog box appears telling you that there are no RAS-compatible devices to add, and asking whether you wish to enable the Modem installer program to add a modem. Click on the No button.

 4. The Add RAS Device dialog box appears. Click on the Install X.25 Pad button.

5. The Install X25 PAD dialog box appears. Here you need to select the port to which the PAD is to be connected, and the X.25 PAD name. This PAD name must correspond to the PAD supplied to you by your service provider. Select a PAD device and click on OK.

6. Click on OK again, and then in the Remote Access Setup click on Cancel. This stops the RAS install. You do not wish to actually install the PAD device because you do not have one connected to your machine. You are prompted that your changes will not be saved. Click on the Yes button.

7. Click on the Cancel button to close the Network applet.

Compare a File and Print Server with an Application Server

A file server is a service that is involved with giving access to files and directories on the network. The purpose of the file server is to give large numbers of users access to a centrally stored set of files and directories.

A print server is a computer or device that gives large number of users access to a centrally maintained printing device. A computer that is a file server often acts as print server, too. These types of computers are known as file and print servers. An application server is responsible for running applications such as Exchange Server or SQL Server on the network.

Application servers perform services that often require a more advanced level of processing than a user’s personal computer is able to provide.

Networking Troubleshooting Questions and Answers

Networking Troubleshooting Questions and Answers 

1. What are four tools that can be used to troubleshoot network problems? Briefly define each.


Ans. Four tools can be used to troubleshoot a network:

• Protocol analyser.
    This hardware or software tool can capture and analyze traffic and packets on a network. The Microsoft software version of this tool is called Network Monitor.

 • Digital Volt Meter (DVM).
    This electronic measuring device can be used to check the voltage of cable segments, allowing you to see if there are breaks on a cable, and the resistance of terminators on cable segments.

• Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR).
   A TDR sends sound waves along a cable to look for imperfections that may be caused by a break or short in the line.

 • Oscilloscope. This device measures the fluctuation in signal voltage to help find faulty or damaged cables.


2. What will a broken or improperly terminated cable in a BUS topology cause?

Ans.On a BUS topology, a broken cable segment or an improperly terminated cable segment will cause all devices on that cable segment to not be able to communicate with one another. See the section titled “Troubleshooting Cables and Connectors.”

3. What is a broadcast storm and what causes it?

Ans. A broadcast storm is a network segment that is being saturated by broadcast packets. Packets that are broadcast are intended for all recipients. A broadcast storm will cause network traffic to slow or even halt traffic on the network segment.

4. What Microsoft utility can be used to detect bottlenecks within a computer? What Microsoft program can be used to detect bottlenecks on the network?

Ans. Microsoft’s Performance Monitor is used to track objects and counters within a computer. Microsoft’s Network Monitor is designed to track packets and traffic outside a computer

Basic LAN Set-up | How to connect a basic network

Basic LAN Setup

Estimated time: 45 min.

Objectives:

ü  Become familiar with the way the Cisco lab is setup.

ü  Create a simple LAN with two PCs using a single crossover cable to connect the workstations.

ü  Create a simple LAN with multiple PCs using an Ethernet switch and a straight-through cable to connect each workstation.

ü  Map a logical Drive and use Universal Naming Convention (UNC) to share available resources.

ü  Use the Control Panel / Network utility to verify and configure the network settings.

ü  Use the ICMP Ping command to verify the TCP/IP connection between the two workstations.

ü  Use the IPCONFIG.EXE utility to verify all IP configuration settings

Background:

In this lab you learn how to connect two PCs to create a simple Peer-to-Peer LAN or workgroup. The instructions for this lab focus on the Windows 2000 Server operating system. You will share a folder on one workstation and connect to that folder from the other workstation. This lab is divided into two exercises as follows:

Exercise A -- Two PCs (or workstations) will be connected directly to each other from one Network Interface card (NIC) to the other NIC using a crossover cable. This can be useful to allow you to create a minilab for testing purposes without the need for a hub. Since the NICs on the workstations are directly connected you will not be able to connect any additional workstations.

Exercise B – All PCs on the same row will be connected with a switch. Using a switch allows for more than just two workstations to be connected.  Switches can have anywhere from four to twenty four ports.

Tools / Preparation:

The following resources will be required:

ü  Two Pentium-based workstations with a NIC in each (Make sure that you boot up with the Windows 2000 Server image.

ü  Exercise A - One CAT 5 Crossover cable to connect two workstations without a hub.

ü  Exercise B - An Ethernet switch (12 or 24 port) and a CAT 5 straight through cable for each work station.

NOTE:

Steps 1 (physical LAN connections) will be different between exercises A and B. The steps from 2 on should be the same.

Step 1 - Check Local Area Network (LAN) Connections

Verify that you are using the right type of cable.

Exercise A - A single CAT 5 crossover cable is used to connect two workstations together. Refer to figure 1

Exercise B - Each work station will connect to the switch using a straight through cable. Refer to figure 1

(Figure 1)

Step 2 – Identifying NICs and Windows Networking Options

Go to Control Panel, Network and dialup connections.  You should be able to see three icons: 

1.    Highest-Numbered NIC which is used to connect your PC to the college network.  This NIC is enabled by default; however, you have to disable it before you do any labs.  Right-click on it and choose disable from the short cut menu.  Now you are disconnected from the college network (you can’t browse the web and you can’t print)

2.    The Lowest-Numbered NIC which is used to connect you to the Cisco lab.  This NIC is disabled by default and has to be enabled when you do the labs. Right-click on it and enable it. Notice that you might get the IP address conflict message.  If so, just click OK out of it as this problem will be fixed in Step 4.

3.    The third NIC will not be used.

Right click on the lowest-numbered NIC and choose properties from the shortcut menu.  Check to be sure that you have the following networking Components installed:

ü  Client for Microsoft Networks.

ü  The NIC adapter (small NIC icon).

ü  The TCP/IP Protocol (small network cable connection icon).

ü  File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft

Step 3 - Change the NetBIOS Name

Right-click my computer icon and choose properties.  Select the network identification tab.  Click the properties button.  In the computer name textbox, change the name to Station# (where # could be anything from 1-24 depending on the location of the PC).Leave the default workgroup name as WORKGROUP.

Step 4 - TCP/IP Protocol Settings

For this lab, use the Class C network address of 200.150.100.0 and set the value of the last octet to equal that of the PC #.  Set the default subnet mask on each workstation to 255.255.255.0. Make sure that you are configuring the lowest-numbered NIC

Step 5 - Check the TCP/IP Settings with the Ipconfig /all Utility

Click on Start, Programs and then select the MS-DOS Prompt. Enter the
ipconfig /all command to see all TCP/IP related settings for your workstation.

Fill in the blanks below using the results of the IPCONFIG command from your workstation:

1. Host name___________________
2. MAC Address________________
3. IP address____________________
4. Subnet Mask_________________

Step 6 - Check the network connection with the Ping Utility

Click on Start, Programs and then the MS-DOS Prompt. Enter the Ping command followed by the IP address of the other workstation
(Example - ping 200.150.100.1).

Explanation: This will verify that you have a good OSI Layers 1 through 3 connection.

Was the Ping successful? ______________________

Step 7 - Creating and Sharing File Folders

ü  Right-click on my computer icon and choose explore from the short-cut menu. 

ü  Select local disk (C:)

ü  From the file menu select new then folder.  When the new folder Is created, name it using your first initial and your last name.

ü  Right-click on the folder and select share

ü  Select the share this folder option button

ü  Click on the Permissions button and change Everyone’s permission to read only.

ü  Open notepad and create a new file.  Name the file using your NetBIOS name_Test.  Save the file in the shared folder.

Step 8 - Finding Other Computers and Sharing Resources on a Peer-To-Peer Network

ü  Sharing Resources by using Universal Naming Convention (UNC):

o   From Start select Run

o   In the provided textbox type the path to the shared resources that you want to access on your neighbor’s machine, using the following format :

o   \\NetBIOS name\folder name\file name

ü  Sharing resources through mapping logical network drives:

o   Right-click my computer icon, then select map a network drive

o   Select P as the drive letter, then click on the browse button

o   Double-click on the VMWARE workgroup to collapse it

o   Select your neighbor’s station then select the shared folder.  Click OK, then Finish

o   Double-click on my computer icon to make sure that the logical drive has been created

o   If the need for connection to your neighbor’s PC seizes to exist, then you could disconnect the logical drive by right-clicking on the logical drive icon from my computer window, then selecting disconnect.

ü  Searching for computers on the network:

o   Right-click on my network places, then select search for computers

o   In the computer’s name text box type the name of your neighbor’s computer that your are trying to find

ü  Viewing all PCs in your workgroup:

o   To view all the PCs in your workgroup double-click on my network places, then select entire network.

o   Double-click on entire network. Double click on Microsoft Windows Network, then click on VMWARE workgroup button.