http://buzzingniches.com/ Articles at Buzzing Niches Article Directory en-us http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/the-most-comprehensive-mcse-instruction-program.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/the-most-comprehensive-mcse-instruction-program.html Sun, 21 Mar 2010 09:17:03 -0600
Employing managers and IT specialists see the extremely high level of regimen and knowledge required to earn an MCSE certification, and do recognize the achievement of their potentials or employees. One might obtain the qualifications and know how they need while on their line of work, but unless they're backed by an recognized certification these traits mean very little when looking for a new job or advancement.

Employers desire to fill the open positions with individuals that they know already possess the abilities necessary to work in their positions, and not with people who claim they possess the information but later show themselves as untrained individuals. An applicant with completion as well as designation in a MCSE training program will be more desirable than those that do not, and will possess a clear advantage on to getting the job seeing as how they have evidence to augment their skills.

Keeping up to date on the newest technology also makes performance on the job a tad simpler in general. You'll never have to be concerned about a greenhorn that's more advanced technically coming in to take your job. By receiving education in a structured setting that offers all of the material you need to obtain the most possible from your experience, you will be far ahead of those that attempt to learn by just doing. Maximize your earning prospective by outfitting yourself with the knowledge that you'll will get from the best comprehensive MCSE instruction program you can find.

Locate a training provider that offers only the most recent MCSE training programs achievable, in several different configurations allowing each individual to study in the way he or she finds especially comfortable along with convenient. Regardless what your calendar looks like, you can be able to finding a program that'll revolve in tune your other duties. Whether you desire to obtain a additional skill, or simply brush up on the updates to stay up to date, the MCSE training course will cater to your requisites. ]]> http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/get-a-better-job-with-computer-certification.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/get-a-better-job-with-computer-certification.html Sat, 20 Mar 2010 09:44:36 -0600
I must mention that if a job is worth carrying out then it is worth doing properly to obtain an IT certification. Barring that you possess full confidence in your comprehension of all things off to world or PCs, then you may want to take the chance and sign up for one of the classes. These programs are being updated such as to assist you with better accuracy.

Such certificates will usually educate you in the areas of computer architecture, computer memory, modems, printers, hard disk setup and operating system optimization.

These certificates normally composed of two tests. If you have interest in IT and are considering your possibility as a computer service specialist, the following basic level certification could be good for you. Some credentials are for newbie's, some are for advanced users. Understanding where you belong on that spectrum will help you determine what certifications are appropriate for you.

You do not need advanced certification to get an entry-level job. What you will require as well as the skills that you picked up is a well written CV, a respectable covering letter, interview abilities, a desire to learn, and a character that compels companies want to employ you. Your premier job will most likely be at a desk, working in a Tech support call centre, contract labour with a temp agency, etc., but you must to obtain any kind of certification prior to getting a job of your own convenience. ]]> http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/10-frequently-asked-quesions-regarding-the-cisco-certification.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/10-frequently-asked-quesions-regarding-the-cisco-certification.html Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:09:06 -0600
2. Why go for Cisco certification? While among all certifications in market, Cisco certification which was released by the well-known network enterprise Cisco enjoys wide acceptance and great reputation. It's a well known fact that being an international talent will benefit both the individual and the company. To be an international talent, an international certification is no doubt the best gateway to achieving international relevance in the IT field.

3. What are the benefits of certification? Candidate who gains Cisco certification usually enjoys a good remuneration; and The certified individual can enjoy credit exemptions for associate professions.

Can one without college education get Cisco certification? Of course one can, in fact there are a huge number of candidates who didn't have computer major background. Only if you own courage and capability in learning something new, you can pursue Cisco certification and there is great opportunity for you to gain certification.

5. Who needs Cisco certification? a) An undergraduate looking at surviving the ferocious competition for limited job opportunities, which can greatly be alleviated by acquiring a Cisco certification. b) Individuals looking for a career change and want to enter into IT industry, Cisco certification is no doubt the best permit to validate your capability for a job role. c) Network Technicians are provided an opening to grow on the career as Cisco certification enables them to ask for a higher position and better pay

Other than remuneration benefits, what other benefits can I enjoy if a gain Cisco certification? a) License enables you to immigrate or work abroad; b) Gain trust from Cisco as well as client; c) Gain technical support from Cisco; d) Be allowed to put Cisco logo on your resume e) Be list into talent pool f) Chances for attending Cisco Technical lecture class; g) Gain competitive edge and become popular in big enterprises;

7. How can I recertify my Cisco Certified (CCSP) certification? There are two paths available for candidates to recertify their CCSP certification. One is to pass any 642 exam which belongs to professional level certification; the other is to take and pass any CCIE written exam. Candidate should pay attention to that the two paths can be followed only when candidate processes a valid CCSP certification. The CCSP certification is valid for Three (3) years.

8. How much does Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification cost? The lab and written exam which covers CCIE certification, are essential. The written exam costs $350 USD/ZAR2800 while the beta exams allow $50 USD/ZAR400 discount. The lab exam costs $1400 USD/ZAR11,600. If candidates can't pass both the exam at their first try, it may cost more.

9. Can One take Cisco Certified Network Professional exam directly? No one can take CCNP exam directly. A valid CCNA certification can act as the prerequisite of CCNP exam.

10. What can one do after gaining Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification? CCNA certification enables candidate to pursue other higher level certifications, which means CCNA is just a springboard for candidate. After gaining CCNA certification, candidates can consider about pursuing other higher level certifications in Cisco certification system ]]> http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/vlan-trunking-protocol.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/vlan-trunking-protocol.html Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:33:15 -0700
VLAN Trunking Protocol (VTP) is a Cisco Layer 2 messaging protocol that manages the addition, deletion, and renaming of VLANs on a network-wide basis. Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Trunk Protocol (VTP) reduces administration in a switched network. When you configure a new VLAN on one VTP server, the VLAN is distributed through all switches in the domain. This reduces the need to configure the same VLAN everywhere. VTP is a Cisco-proprietary protocol that is available on most of the Cisco Catalyst Family products.

VTP ensures that all switches in the VTP domain are aware of all VLANs. There are occasions, however, when VTP can create unnecessary traffic. All unknown unicasts and broadcasts in a VLAN are flooded over the entire VLAN. All switches in the network receive all broadcasts, even in situations where few users are connected in that VLAN. VTP pruning is a feature used to eliminate (or prune) this unnecessary traffic.

By default, all Cisco Catalyst switches are configured to be VTP servers. This is suitable for small-scale networks where the size of the VLAN information is small and easily stored in all switches (in NVRAM). In a large network, a judgment call must be made at some point when the NVRAM storage needed is wasted, because it is duplicated on every switch. At this point, the network administrator should choose a few well-equipped switches and keep them as VTP servers. Everything else participating in VTP can be turned into a client. The number of VTP servers should be chosen so as to provide the degree of redundancy desired in the network.

Modes of Operation

Server

In VTP server mode, you can create, modify, and delete VLANs and specify other configuration parameters (such as VTP version and VTP pruning) for the entire VTP domain. VTP servers advertise their VLAN configuration to other switches in the same VTP domain and synchronize their VLAN configuration with other switches based on advertisements received over trunk links. VTP server is the default mode.

Transparent

VTP transparent switches do not participate in VTP. A VTP transparent switch does not advertise its VLAN configuration and does not synchronize its VLAN configuration based on received advertisements. However, in VTP version 2, transparent switches do forward VTP advertisements that they receive out their trunk ports.

Client

VTP clients behave the same way as VTP servers, but you cannot create, change, or delete VLANs on a VTP client.

Advertisements

Summary Advertisements

When the switch receives a summary advertisement packet, it compares the VTP domain name to its own VTP domain name. If the name is different, the switch simply ignores the packet. If the name is the same, the switch then compares the configuration revision to its own revision. If its own configuration revision is higher or equal, the packet is ignored. If it is lower, an advertisement request is sent.

Subset Advertisements

When you add, delete, or change a VLAN in a switch, the server switch where the changes were made increments the configuration revision and issues a summary advertisement, followed by one or several subset advertisements. A subset advertisement contains a list of VLAN information. If there are several VLANS, more than one subset advertisement may be required in order to advertise them all.

Advertisement Requests

A switch needs a VTP advertisement request in the following situations:

The switch has been reset. The VTP domain name has been changed. The switch has received a VTP summary advertisement with a higher configuration revision than its own. Upon receipt of an advertisement request, a VTP device sends a summary advertisement, followed by one or more subset advertisements. Configuration

To configure an IOS based switch to be a VTP server, issue the following commands:

SwitchA# vlan database SwitchA(vlan)# vtp domain vtpdom SwitchA(vlan)# vtp server SwitchA(vlan)# exit

These commands configure the switch to be a VTP server in the VTP domain vtpdom. The changes are saved and the revision number is incremented when the exit command is issued.

To configure a VTP client, run the following commands:

SwitchB# vlan database SwitchB(vlan)# vtp domain vtpdom SwitchB(vlan)# vtp client SwitchB(vlan)# exit

To disable VTP, set the vtp mode to transparent as such:

SwitchC# vlan database SwitchC(vlan)# vtp transparent SwitchC(vlan)# exit

To monitor the VTP operation and status, use either:

SwitchA# show vtp status SwitchA# show vtp counters

I hope you found this article to be of use and it helps you prepare for your Cisco CCNA certification. I am sure you will quickly find out that hands-on real world experience is the best way to cement the CCNA concepts in your head to help you pass your CCNA exam! ]]> http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/it-certifications-the-value-it-brings.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/it-certifications-the-value-it-brings.html Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:52:08 -0700
I must state that if a job is worth doing then its worth doing properly to obtain an IT certification. Barring that you possess full confidence in your comprehension of all aspects of to world of PCs, you should take the chance and sign up for one of the courses. These classes are improving in order to teach you more.

These certifications will generally teach you in the sections of computer architecture, computer storage, modems, printers, hard disk setup and operating system optimization.

These certificates usually consist of two Exams. If you have interest in IT and are considering your possibility as a computer service specialist, the following basic level certification might be perfect for you. Certain certifications are for beginners, others are for professionals. Understanding where you fit on the spectrum will help determining what certifications are appropriate for you.

You do not require high certification in order to obtain a basic job. What you do need as well as the abilities that you picked up is well written curriculum vitae, a good covering letter, interview skills, a desire to study, and a character that makes organizations wish to hire you. Your first assignment will likely be at a help desk, functioning in a Tech support call center, contract labor with a temp agency, etc., but you need to through any type of certification prior getting a career of your own choosing. ]]> http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/cisco-certifications-the-top-10-questions-asked-and-answered.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/cisco-certifications-the-top-10-questions-asked-and-answered.html Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:44:48 -0700
2. Why go for Cisco certification? To be an international talent, an international certification is no doubt the best gateway to achieving international relevance in the IT field. While among all certifications in market, Cisco certification which was released by the well-known network enterprise Cisco enjoys wild acceptance and great reputation.

3. What are the benefits of certification? a) Candidate who acquire Cisco certification usually enjoys a better job security; and b) The individual can enjoy credit exemptions for associate professions.

Can one without college education get Cisco certification? Of course one can, in fact there are a huge number of candidates who didn't have computer major background. Only if you own courage and capability in learning something new, you can pursue Cisco certification and there is great opportunity for you to gain certification.

Who needs Cisco certification? a) A graduate looking at surviving the fierce competition for limited job opportunities, which can greatly be alleviated by acquiring a Cisco certification. b) Individuals looking for a career change and want to enter into IT industry, Cisco certification is no doubt the best permit to validate your capability for a job role. c) Network Technicians are provided an opportunity to grow on the job as Cisco certification enables them to ask for a higher position and better pay.

6. Other than remuneration benefits, what other benefits can I enjoy if a gain Cisco certification a) License of certification enables you to live and work abroad; b) Gain trust from Cisco as well as client; c) Receive technical support from Cisco; d) Be list into talent pool e) Chances for attending Cisco Technical lecture class; f) Gain competitive edge and become popular in big enterprises;

7. How can I recertify my Cisco Certified (CCSP) certification? There is a 3 year validation for CCSP certification . There are two paths available for candidates to recertify their CCSP certification. One is to pass any 642 exam which belongs to professional level certification; the other is to take and pass any CCIE written exam. Candidate should pay attention to that the two paths can be followed only when candidate processes a valid CCSP certification.

8. How much does Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification cost? The lab and written exam which covers CCIE certification, are essential. The written exam costs $350 USD/ZAR2800 while the beta exams allow $50 USD/ZAR400 discount. The lab exam costs $1400 USD/ZAR11,600. If candidates can't pass both the exam at their first try, it may cost more.

9. Can One take Cisco Certified Network Professional exam directly? No. A valid CCNA certification can act as the prerequisite of CCNP exam.

10. What can one do after gaining Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification? CCNA certification enables candidate to pursue other higher level certifications, which means CCNA is just a springboard for candidate. After gaining CCNA certification, candidates can consider about pursuing other higher level certifications in Cisco certification system ]]> http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/configuration-of-basic-two-router-lab.html http://buzzingniches.com/computers/computer-certification/configuration-of-basic-two-router-lab.html Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:01:31 -0700
In preparation of your CCNA exam, we want to make sure we cover the various concepts that we could see on your Cisco CCNA exam. So to assist you, below we provided one of our CCNA Labs, the Basic Two Router Lab. As you progress through your CCNA exam studies, I am sure you will find that hands on experience you receive from such as lab will go a long way in helping you acheive your Cisco certification!

In this lab you will configure a simple network to allow two routers to route packets between to remote networks.

Requirements:

Two Cisco routers with one Ethernet port and one serial port. Cisco IOS 10.0 or higher One PC for consoling into routers with terminal emulation software One serial cable One Cisco rollover cable Setup:

Step 1: Physical Connections Connect the following interfaces: Console: Connect your PC/terminal to the console port using a rollover cable and HyperTerminal (9600-8-N-1-no flow) Ethernet: Connect Ethernet ports to a hub or a switch using a straight-through cable. Use a cross-over cable if going directly from the PC's NIC to the Ethernet (AUI) port on the router using a transceiver. Serial: If going directly between two routers, don't forget to connect one port via the DTE cable and the other via the DCE cable. Step 2: Boot up the routers Just say "no" to use the setup mode (setup dialogue). The setup mode will only allow you to configure the router with the basic features and not with any advanced features.

If asked if you would like to terminate the auto configuration; say "yes".

Let the routers finish booting.

Step 3: Host Name and Passwords Begin your configuration with the hostname and passwords. This is to remind you of what router you are configuring and now's the time to start thinking about router security.

RouterA

router]en router# router#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. router(config)#hostname RouterA (sets the router's name) RouterA(config)#enable secret cisco (Sets the secret password for the router) RouterA(config)#line vty 0 4 (there are five concurrent connections for the telnet ports coming into a Cisco 2500 router. We are setting the login password on all five of them) RouterA(config-line)#login (This enables the router to require a login password for a telnet session to the router) RouterA(config-line)#password cisco (this sets the login password for all 5 telnet sessions coming into the router as cisco) RouterA(config-line)#exit RouterA(config)#^Z (This is the key combination of control+z which takes you back to the privileged executive mode) RouterA#

RouterB

router]en router# router#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. router(config)#hostname RouterB (sets the router's name) RouterB(config)#enable secret cisco (Sets the secret password for the router) RouterB(config)#line vty 0 4 (there are five concurrent connections for the telnet ports coming into a Cisco 2500 router. We are setting the login password on all five of them) RouterB(config-line)#login (This enables the router to require a login password for a telnet session to the router) RouterB(config-line)#password cisco (this sets the login password for all 5 telnet sessions coming into the router as cisco) RouterB(config-line)#exit 3 RouterB(config)#^Z (This is the key combination of control+z which takes you back to the privileged executive mode)

FYI: Anytime you make a configuration change to a router and you come back to the privileged exec mode you need to save your changes to NVRAM. This ensures that if the router reboots, you won't loose your changes which are in the running-config which is volatile RAM. The following command(s) saves your changes to the startup-config.

RouterA#copy running-config startup-config Or RouterA# copy run start Or RouterA#wr me (short for write memory)

Step 4: Adding IP Addresses Adding IP addresses, is a basic function of configuring routers. Below is an example of configuring both an Ethernet and serial interface. For serial interface with the DCE cable you will need to also add the clocking with the clockrate command. Get the IP addresses from the network diagram.

RouterA

RouterA#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. RouterA(config)#int e0 RouterA(config-if)#ip address 172.16.12.1 255.255.255.0 RouterA(config-if)# description LAN Network for RouterA RouterA(config-if)# no shutdown RouterA(config-if)#int s0 RouterA(config-if)#ip address 172.16.10.1 255.255.255.0 (RouterA will have the serial 0 with the DCE end of the serial cable. The other partner will have serial1 with the DTE end of the serial cable. Check the network diagram to confirm to see who has what interface) RouterA(config-if)#clockrate 250000 (DCE interface only which is the s0 on RouterA) RouterA(config-if)#no shutdown RouterA(config-if)#description Network connection to RouterB

RouterB

RouterB#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. RouterB(config)#int e0 RouterB(config-if)#ip address 172.16.11.1 255.255.255.0 RouterB(config-if)# description LAN Network for RouterB RouterB(config-if)# no shutdown RouterB(config-if)#int s1 RouterB(config-if)#ip address 172.16.10.2 255.255.255.0 RouterB(config-if)#no shutdown RouterB(config-if)#description Network connection to RouterA

Once both routers are configured properly, you should be able to use the ping command and ping the interface e0 on each of the routers from the neighboring router.

If you do a show ip route on both routers and do not see the directly connected interfaces in the routing table, they are either not configured or they never came up.

Confirm that the IP addressing took and the interfaces came up by using the show ip int and looking at the interfaces' status and ip address configuration.

RouterA# show ip route RouterA# show ip int

Do this on both routers.

Step 5a: Adding Dynamic Routing: RIP For this router to participate in a dynamic routing using a dynamic routing protocol like RIP or IGRP, you'll need to enable a routing protocol and advertise the directly connected networks that want advertised.. We only advertise the classful network address, not the subnet mask of the network.

RouterA

RouterA]en RouterA#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. RouterA(config)#router RIP RouterA(config-router)#network 172.16.12.0

RouterB

RouterB]en RouterB#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. RouterB(config)#router RIP RouterB(config-router)#network 172.16.11.0

FYI: We need to advertise the network, not any particular host. An example of that would be enabling RIP on RouterB. We want the other router (RouterA) to know that any packet destined for the network 172.16.11.0 can be sent to RouterB which has a directly connected 5 entry in it's routing table showing what interface to send the packet to; in this case its e0. If you route to 172.16.11.1, all your every going to route to, is the e0 on RouterB and nothing else.

Test your configuration to ensure that it is configured properly by pinging from router to router. Check your routing table for entries that are preceded by a capital letter "R" to ensure that you are receiving routing updates using RIP. Ensure that your partner has finished configuring his router so that you can receive his updates. No updates, no ping.

Do a show ip protocol to see what routing protocol is configured on the routers.

Step 5b: Adding Dynamic Routing: IGRP IGRP uses an autonomous system (AS) number or process id. This number must be the same on all routers wanting to share IGRP routing updates or they don't share. Turn RIP off before you turn on IGRP. For this lab we'll be using an AS number of 100.

RouterA

RouterA]en RouterA#config t RouterA(config)#no router rip RouterA(config)#router igrp 100 RouterA(config-router)#network 172.16.12.0 (again, just the network portion of the IP for your Ethernet network, NO subnet mask)

RouterB

RouterB]en RouterB#config t Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. RouterB(config)#no router rip RouterB(config)#router igrp 100 RouterB(config-router)#network 172.16.11.0 (again, your Ethernet network IP NO Subnet Address)

Step 6: Adding Default Routes Good candidates for default routes are routers which are known as the boundary router. This is a router which is normally part of a stub network. Inside the stub network, the routers may be participating in a dynamic routing using a protocol like RIP, but only a static default route is needed to connect the stub network to the Internet.

RouterA

RouterA]en RouterA#config t RouterA(config)#ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.10.2

RouterB

RouterB]en RouterB#config t RouterB(config)#ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 172.16.10.1

Step 7: Adding Static Routes A static route can be used for different reasons. One reason may be for a router to connect to another router in a lab. You'll need to turn off all routing protocols before you configure the router for static routing.

RouterA

RouterA]en RouterA#config t RouterA(config)#no router igrp 100 RouterA(config)#ip route 172.16.11.0 255.255.255.0 172.16.10.2

What we are saying here is: For RouterA to route to the network 172.16.11.0, go to the next hop interface which is the serial1 (172.16.10.2) attached to RouterB. Since RouterB knows about the directed connected Ethernet network of 172.16.11.0, it will have route for it in its routing table proceeded by the letter "C". (See next example)

RouterB#sh ip route (Output omitted) 172.16.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets C 172.16.0.0 is directly connected, Ethernet0 RouterB#

RouterB

RouterB]en RouterB# RouterB#config t RouterB(config)#no router igrp 100 RouterB(config)#ip route 172.16.12.0 255.255.255.0 172.16.10.1

Step 8: Testing and Monitoring At this point it is a good idea to start testing your network using various commands. Perform the following on both routers.

RouterA# show ip route RouterA# show ip interface brief (This command shows the IP and status of all interface) RouterA# show controller s0 (Shows whether or not the serial cable is DCE or DTE.) RouterA# ping ip-address RouterA# trace ip-address RouterA# debug ip rip (Remember to turn debug off when done, use undebug all, no debug all or un all) RouterA# terminal monitor (for using debug from a telnet session, otherwise debug output will go to the console. Caution: This will cause the debug output to go to all telnet sessions on the router.)

Show commands

RouterA# terminal no monitor(To turn off monitoring during a telnet session.) RouterA# show cdp neighbors RouterA# show ip protocols RouterA# #show version RouterA# #show flash RouterA# show ip route (shows the routing table) RouterA# show memory RouterA# show stacks RouterA# show buffers RouterA# show arp RouterA# show processes RouterA# show processes cpu RouterA# show tech-support

Step 9: Finishing up Once you have your routers up and working you may wish to run some commands to make working on Cisco routers easier and to stop some of the default annoying behavior of Cisco routers.

RouterA(config)# ip host RouterB 172.16.10.2 (This configures a host table entry for the name RouterB. So instead of having to remember the IP of RouterB to ping it, you can now ping it using its name, RouterB. It's the same as using a hosts file on a computer. If you just type in RouterB and hit enter, the router will assume you're wanting to telnet into RouterB using port 23) RouterA(config)# no ip domain-lookup (When there is no DNS server and you miss spell a single word command, it will try to do a DNS lookup using a broadcast address of 255.255.255.255. To stop this lookup of a non-existent DNS server, we can turn off the DNS lookup capability using this command.)

RouterA(config)# banner motd #!!!!Warning! Authorized Access Only!!!!# (This message will be seen by anyone trying to logon to your router. The # sign is known as a delimiting character and is used to identify the text portion of the MOTD. Notice that the actual message starts and ends with the delimiting character)

RouterA(config)# no service-config (When you reboot a Cisco router, the default behavior is to try and find a configuration file on the network using a number of methods over a broadcast address of 255.255.255.255. To stop this annoying behavior, Use this command.)

RouterA(config)#no logging console (Each time you leave one level of the router and return to the previous level or bring an interface up, you get a read out on the console screen. If you get busy typing and configuring the router this can be distracting and annoying. Use this command to stop the logging of messages to the console screen.)

And don't forget to RouterA# show running-config RouterA# copy running-config startup-config

Miscellaneous RouterA#? (the question mark can be used by itself or follow at the end of any partial command line to get the next part of the command syntax)

To have the router CLI finish typing a command for you, just type out a partial command and hit the TAB key. An example would be typing out copy ru and hitting the TAB key. The router CLI with finish the command as copy running-configuration. Now if you add st to that and hit the tab key again, the CLI will add to your last command startup-configuration, making your entire command copy running-configuration startup-configuration. This works because there is only one command the begins with copy ru.

Editing Commands Control-A: Moves to the beginning of the command line. Control-E: Moves to the end of the command line. Esc-B: Moves back one word. Control F: Moves forward one character. Control-B: Move back one character. Esc F: Moves forward one word.

History Commands Control P or up arrow key - Recalls last (previous command.) Control N or down arrow key - Recalls most recent command Tab key: completes the entry. RouterA# show history RouterA# terminal history RouterA# terminal editing RouterA# no terminal editing

FYI: This lab was designed to show you how to configure basic routing between two routers. If you would like to ping from one PC on one network (RouterA) to another PC on the other network (RouterB), you would need to configure the PC on each network with a host IP that belonged to the Ethernet network IP of each router. An example of that would be that the first available IP for a PC on the Ethernet network of RouterB would be 172.16.11.2. We know that the ".1" is already in use for the e0 interface on RouterB. The subnet mask for the PC would have to be the same as the rest of the network; 255.255.0.0 and the default gateway for the PC would be the e0 that connects the LAN to RouterB.

So if a PC needs to find something that is not local or located on its LAN, the DFGW will take the request to the router by way of the Ethernet Interface that connects the LAN to the Router. An example of that would be, if you ping a PC located on the Ethernet network of RouterB from RouterA's LAN, the return echo from the PC has to know how to get back to the network on RouterA from which it came. Since the Ethernet network path on RouterA is known to RouterB through a routing table entry, the DFGW on the PC will take the unknown request for the return trip of the packet from the PC and send it to RouterB which will know what to do with it. No default Gateway in the TCP/IP properties of the PC and the packet will just time out and the ping attempt will be unsuccessful. Chances are the ping did reach the PC but the return echo did not know how to find a way back.

End of Lab

Basic Router Configuration Lab NoAnswers

Objective:

In this lab you will configure a simple network to allow two routers to route packets between to remote networks.

Requirements:

Two Cisco routers with one Ethernet port and one serial port. Cisco IOS 10.0 or higher One PC for consoling into routers with terminal emulation software One serial cable One Cisco rollover cable Setup:

Step 1: Physical Connections Configure a console session to your router(s) from your PC.

Step 2: Boot up the routers Do not use the setup mode (setup dialogue) or auto configuration to configure the router. Let the routers finish booting.

Step 3: Host Name and Passwords Begin your configuration with the hostnames and passwords for both routers.

Configure RouterA and RouterB with their correct hostnames. Configure all telnet sessions on both routers with the password of cisco Exit back to the privileged mode and save your current configuration

Step 4: Adding IP Addresses Configure the interfaces on both routers with the IPs as per the network diagram. Set a description on all interface. Set the clockrate on the DCE end of the serial cable with a clockrate of 250000. Ensure the interfaces come up.

Step 5a: Adding Dynamic Routing: RIP Configure both routers for dynamic routing using the routing protocol RIP. Advertise the appropriate networks on both routers.

Check both routers to see if they are receiving RIP routing updates from each other. Ensure connectivity between the routers by using the ping command. Remove RIP before starting step 5b.

Step 5b: Adding Dynamic Routing: IGRP Configure both routers to use the routing protocol IGRP. Configure both routers to use the same AS number. Advertise the appropriate networks on both routers.

Check both routers to see if they are receiving IGRP routing updates from each other. Check to see what routing protocol the routers are using. Ensure connectivity between the routers by using the ping command. Remove IGRP before starting step 6.

Step 6: Adding Default Routes Configure both routers with a default route to each other. Use the neighboring router as a smart gateway of last resort.

Check to ensure that the routers have a default route.

Ensure connectivity between the routers by using the ping command and pinging the interface e0 on each router.

Step 7: Adding Static Routes Configure both routers with static routes to each routers remote network. Tell the routers how to find the path to each others Ethernet network.

Check to ensure that the routers have a static route.

Ensure connectivity between the routers by using the ping command and pinging the interface e0 on each router.

Step 8: Optimize the router performance. Create a host table entry on each router to be able to ping the name of the router in lieu of the IP address.

Configure both routers to turn off ip domain-lookup so they do not try and use a DNS server.

Configure a MOTD on each router that warns of authorized access only.

Configure both router not to look for a network configuration when they startup.

Disable logging to the console screen on both routers.

Step 9: Configure your PC(s) for connectivity on the network.

Ping from the PC connected on RouterA's Ethernet 0 network to the PC on the Ethernet 0 of RouterB. If you only have one PC, ping the interface Ethernet 0 on the either router.

End of Lab

I hope you found this article to be of use and it helps you prepare for your Cisco CCNA certification. I am sure you will quickly find out that hands-on real world experience is the best way to cement the CCNA concepts in your head to help you pass your CCNA exam! ]]>