Hands-on Bridges, Switches, Routers

Objectives Prerequisites Who should attend Course Outline Hands-on Sessions

NC-1.0

If you need to know more about the big, complex enterprise network picture then this is the course for you.

You will learn in three days how to:

Understand the operation and deployment of repeaters, bridges, switches, routers and gateways
Integrate existing LAN resources into WANs and broadband networks.
Build complex internetworksand intranets.
Assess the latest internetworking devices to determine which will best suit your LAN needs
Understand the internetworking standards which affect LAN/WAN capability

You should have a good working knowledge and understanding of networking components and LAN/WAN architecture. This is an advanced technical course, designed to guide you through internetworking concepts and all the key issues surrounding bridges, switches and gateways. Basic LAN technology is assumed, otherwise we would recommend either our Hands-on Networking for Rookies, Hands-on Ethernet Networks or Hands-on Token Ring Networks courses.

Who should attend

Anyone who is designing, building or supporting complex LAN/WAN networks. You will probably have a title such as: IT Officer, Network Supervisor, MIS Manager, Technical Support Officer, Systems Integrator, Communications Manager, Systems Engineer, LAN Administrator or Communications Consultant.

Course Outline

Essential networking concepts

Important properties of networks
Layers, services, protocols and the OSI Reference Model
Networking models review
Challenges that internetworking components need to address
Internetworking standards
Role of internetworking devices

Network technology issues

Overview of networking terminology
Important properties of networks - design constraints
Key LANs – Token Ring and Ethernet
Data link layer functions
Network design limitations
Using repeaters

Internetworking utilising bridges

Overview of bridge operation
The need for bridges – key requirements
Transparent bridges
Spanning Tree Algorithm (STA)
Source routing operation
Source Routing Transparent (SRT) bridges
Bridging technique comparison
Bridge performance and operational considerations
Bridge selection criteria
Relationship of a bridge to a LAN switch

Internetworking utilising switches

Switch operation
Addressing issues
802.1Q and 802.10 considerations
Backbone deployment
Performance and design
VLAN’s
Configuring and designing VLANs
Switch to switch mapping of VLAN ids
VLAN to VLAN routing
Vendor layer and switching options

Internetworking utilising routers

Overview of router operation
The need for routers – key requirements
Network protocol and addressing issues
Distance vector routing – RIP, RIPv2
Link state routing – Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
Comparison of routing algorithms and protocols
Vendor specific routing - Cisco:IGRP, EIGRP etc
Multiprotocol router deployment
Implementation issues, congestion, type of service, link costs
Router performance and operational considerations
Network layer switching issues
Multiprotcol Label Switching (MPLS)
Router selection criteria
Bridge, switch and router comparison

Internetworking protocols

Internetworking protocol issues
Routing issues
Multiple protocol support issues
Key internetworking protocols
TCP/IP
IPX/SPX
Multivendor networking
Internetworking with OSI

Network design

Review of key issues
Data modelling traffic
Backbone and enterprise strategies

Internetworking utilising gateways

The need for gateways – identifying the key requirements
Implementation issues, link speed, bandwidth and LAN/WAN protocol overhead and efficiency
Gateway solutions from various vendors
Performance and operational considerations

Internetwork management

Requirements for internetwork management
Issues and problems of internetwork management
Management of bridges, switches, routers, gateways and intelligent hubs
Network management options
Internetwork troubleshooting

Internetworking directions

Broadband high speed LAN and WAN network technologies and their impact on internetworking design
Internet connectivity

References

ITU-T X-series recommendations list
Networks requirements questionnaire
Acronyms and glossary of terms
WAN interconnection IBM and DEC

Hands-on Sessions

Network configuration

You will install and configure a 4/16Mbps Token Ring and a 10/100Mbps Ethernet network, installing all the network components including the cabling, Network Interface Cards (NICs) and software. UNIX hosts and Novell file servers will also be installed on the network. The performance of the respective networks will be reviewed.

Repeaters

You will install repeaters into the Ethernet and Token Ring networks. The effect of the repeaters will be evaluated.

Transparent bridges

You will configure and install transparent local and remote bridges into the network. You will then use the bridge management software to understand the effect of changing the various bridge parameters. The Spanning Tree Algorithm operation will be investigated.

Source routing bridges

Source routing bridges will be configured and installed on the Token Ring network. The source routing information will be captured on protocol analysers and investigated.

Routers

Routers will be configured and installed on the network. Various protocols such as IPX and IP will be configured on the routers. You will assess the performance of the network and gain a good appreciation of the issues required to install and manage routers in an internetwork.

Switches

Switches will be deployed into the network. VLAN operations will be designed and configured. Layer 2 and layer 3 functionality will be considered. Port based and MAC address VLAN options will be explored.

Protocols

You will investigate the contents of various protocols such as NetBIOS, IPX and TCP/IP. This will reinforce the concepts of protocol stacks and the issues of protocol engineering.