Network’s Tolerance Fault
Introduction
In the world of today, networking or linking of different computing devices in order for them to share data has become the convenient way to people who want to share their files or send their e-mails from different parts of the country. Most networks are built hand in hand with both the computer hardware and computer software (Cook, 2003, p103). This paper tries to analyze the network’s fault tolerance, the cabling and how to configure the basic router commands and the basic router configuration in a networking environment.
Portfolio 2
Activity 1 – Addressing Scheme (The packet tracer)
Switch
Server
Comp. 1
s
Comp. 5
naries
Comp. 3
Router
Hub
Hub
Comp. 6
naries
Comp. 2
naries
Comp. 4
naries
No Subnet First host Last host Broadcast Subnet mask
1 192.168.10.32 192.168.10.33 192.168.10.62 192.168.10.63 255.255.2555.224
2 192.168.10.64 192.168.10.65 192.168.10.94 192.168.10.95 /27
3 192.168.10.96 192.168.10.97 192.168.10.126 192.168.10.127 255.255.2555.224
4 192.168.10.128 192.168.10.129 192.168.10.158 192.168.10.159 255.255.2555.224
5 192.168.10.160 192.168.10.161 192.168.10.190 192.168.10.191 255.255.2555.224
6 192.168.10.192 192.168.10.193 192.168.10.253 192.168.10.254 255.255.2555.224
Activity 2 – Cabling
The link between the two routers (Vetinary and Rincewind) is a serial cable – one side has to be the DCE, meaning that it will provide the clock rate. Connect the DCE side (should be labelled as such) to Rincewind. Routers are specialised computers and as such, a crossover cable must be used for a direct computer to router connection (such as the one between Host 2 and Rincewind).
Activity 3 – Basic router commands
Command Function
1 logout Exit from the EXEC
2 ping Send echo messages
3 resume Resume an active network connection
4 show Show running system information
5 ssh Open a secure shell client connection
6 telnet Open a telnet connection
7 terminal Set terminal line parameters
8 traceroute Trace route to destination
Activity 4 – Basic router configuration
In order to configure routers one needs to be in the router global configuration mode. For this case, the prompt is normally written as Router (config) #. This can be achieved by typing “enable” to get into privilege mode, and then typing “configure terminal” to enter the global configuration mode. However, when one needs to move back to the previous mode, he/she can be achieved by typing exit. The router names should always be configured first as they can be achieved by using the hostname command which is Router (config) # hostname name.. The interfaces should be the next to be configured. This can be accomplished by entering interface configuration mode and using the “IP address” command followed by the address and subnet mask that one wishes to configure.
Portfolio 3
Activity 1 – Addressing Scheme
Switch
Server
Officers
Canaries
Scavengers
Router
Hub
Hub
Subnet First host Last host Broadcast Mask
Router link 192.168.42.24 192.168.42.25 192.168.42.49 192.168.42.50 255.255.255.224
Officers 192.168.42.30 192.168.42.31 192.168.42.61 192.168.42.62 255.255.255.224
Canaries 192.168.42.50 192.168.42.51 192.168.42.101 192.168.42.102 255.255.255.224
Scavengers 192.168.42.70 192.168.42.71 192.168.42.141 192.168.42.142 255.255.255.224
Activity 2 – Basic configuration
In order to configure routers one needs to be in the router global configuration mode. For this case, the prompt is normally written as Router (config) #. This can be achieved by typing “enable” to get into privilege mode, and then typing “configure terminal” to enter the global configuration mode. However, when one needs to move back to the previous mode, he/she can be achieved by typing exit. The router names should always be configured first as they can be achieved by using the hostname command which is Router (config) # hostname name.. The interfaces should be the next to be configured. This can be accomplished by entering interface configuration mode and using the “IP address” command followed by the address and subnet mask that one wishes to configure.
Basic router commands
Command Function
1 logout Exit from the EXEC
2 ping Send echo messages
3 resume Resume an active network connection
4 show Show running system information
5 ssh Open a secure shell client connection
6 telnet Open a telnet connection
7 terminal Set terminal line parameters
8 traceroute Trace route to destination
Portfolio 3
Router Operation Diagram
A diagram showing the relationship between the different modes of operations that was used in the course of the labs
Hub
Internet
Server
Router
Hub
Computer
Computer
Computer
How to improve the network’s fault tolerance
A network’s fault tolerance is the setup of networks or configurations that helps to prevent the computer or may be the network devices from either failing whenever it was least expected or fails when an unexpected error or problems occurred. The user can make the computer more fault tolerant by a way of thinking how the computer or the devices of the network may seems to fail as well as, taking the required steps so that the faults can be prevented whenever they occur. For this case, the steps to be followed when improving the network’s fault tolerance, and they include.
Power Failure
The user should by all the time have his or her computer or the networks running on the Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). UPS provides the backup power source when there is a power outage (blackout), or a power surge. UPS provides additional time for the computer to shut down by providing the power to the computer from where it was stored. However, the user should also have the system messages that are sent to every network so as to let the administrators know when the power goes off or when computer shut down because of the failure of the power (Beasley, 2009, p 104).
Power surge
If there is no UPS which is connected on the computer or the UPS fails to provide the surge fortification, the surge protector may be connected to the network devices or the computer so as to help prevent those devices fro failing during the power surge.
Data loss
The user should all the time run backups on the computer. Running of the backups may be done daily or at least every month if only the relevant information is stored in them. The user should make sure that he/she creates a mirror of data on the alternate location.
Device/Computer failure
There should be other devices a part from the ones which are used daily. The computer devices which are available when there are failures can help in preventing the long down time.
Unauthorized access
When the computer devices are connected to the network, the user should make sure that the firewall are set up. A firewall is normally the software utility that can limit the accessing of the network on the computer by blocking or restricting the ports. Firewalls are extremely significant since it helps preventing un-authorized members from accessing to the company network or a network which is at home. There should be a frequently checking for the updates for the operating system of the computer. Use of passwords as well as, lock devices always protect the computers when they are not in use, and it also stores the computer and the network devices in the secure areas where they can be locked.
Overload
The user should make sure that there are some alternate computer or network devices which are setup, and can be used as an alternative access point, in addition to sharing the load, through the setup of the round robin
Virus
Make sure the viruses are updated daily. Viruses are extremely dangerous to the computers because they sometimes can make the whole computer crash down or slows the speed to which the computer performs.
Fault Tolerant is essential in providing high levels of availability furthermore reliability in a connected network. When it is used with a network interface hardware which is redundant, Fault Tolerant may allow the user in maintaining the continual sessions when the hardware fails or change. The network interface hardware, which is redundant, may be required to use the feature.
Reflection of what I have learned from the exercised carried out in the lab
From the exercises that I have carried out in the lab I have learned a lot of things. The many things that I have learned some of them include; how I can address the schemes by calculating the subnet masks when I am provided by the subnet Internet Protocol (IP) address, how I can cable using the routers as well as, the hubs, some of the basic router commands, and the basic router configuration using router names and interfaces. It sometimes becomes easier to calculate the first and the second host when one is given the IP address to what should be located. The bits of every mask are denoted by zero and ones since the data is transferred into binary forms of bits (Elahi & Elahi, 2006, p 206). For the case, of cabling, here is what I learned from the example given in portfolio two of the addressing scheme exercise; the link between the two routers (Vetinary and Rincewind) is a serial cable – one side has to be the DCE, meaning that it will provide the clock rate. Connect the DCE side (should be labelled as such) to Rincewind. Routers are specialised computers, and as such, a crossover cable must be used for a direct computer to router connection (such as the one between Host 2 and Rincewind).
I cannot forget learning about the basic router commands and the basic router configurations. The basic router commands where some commands like the telnet functions in opening the telnet connection, the” ssh” command, its function is to open the secure shell client connection, and the terminal command functions as it sets the terminal line parameters. There are many more commands that i learned during the group work. However, in regard to the basic router configuration, I also gained some knowledge. This was particularly much interesting in that I started liking or becoming so much interested with the networking part of the practical that was being done in the lab. This is what I learned; In order to configure routers one needs to be in the router global configuration mode. For this case, the prompt is normally written as Router (config) #.
This can be achieved by typing “enable” to get into privilege mode, and then typing “configure terminal” to enter the global configuration mode. However, when one needs to move back to the previous mode, he/she can be achieved by typing exit. The router names should always be configured first as they can be achieved by using the hostname command which is Router (config) # hostname name. Where name is the name of the device Vetinary or Rincewind depending on which router one is configuring. The interfaces should be the next to be configured. This can be accomplished by entering interface configuration mode and using the “IP address” command followed by the address and subnet mask that one wishes to configure.
Conclusion
The paper analyzed different network fault tolerance that normally occurs and how they can be improved. The paper also analyzed some of the basic router configurations and commands.
List of References
Barnett, D., Groth, D., & McBee, J. (2004), cabling the complete guide to network wiring (3rd Ed.). New York: Sybex.
Beasley, J. S. (2009), Networking (2nd ed.). London: Prentice Hall.Cook, J. (2003), Networking. London: IBM International Technical Support Organization.
Elahi, A., & Elahi, M. (2006). Data, network, and Internet communications technology. London: Thomson Delmar Learning.
Espejo, R. (2008), should social networking web sites be banned. New York: Greenhaven Press.