CISCO PRACTICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

COURSE WORK

NYOMBI ABUBAKER

SSENONO FRANCIS XAVIER

KALUNGI AKSAM

QUESTION

What are IP Addresses.

Different classes of IP Addresses and where they are used.

Subnet masks and subnetting.

Default gateways.
IP ADDRESSES

Every device whether a phone, a computer on a network is identified with the help of an IP address.

Logically, these addresses can change based on the location of the device. IP addresses can be
assigned dynamically by the help of DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), or manually.

Definition: An IP Address is a 32-bit number written in dotted decimal notation; four 8-bit fields
(octets) converted form binary to decimal numbers, separated by dots.

IP Addresses can represent where you are using the computer or device from.

An IP Address is divided into two parts, the network portion and the host portion.

The first part of an IP Address identified the network on which the host or the device resides, while
the second part identifies the particular host connected to the network.

Network ID – this is a unique number that identifies a network

Host ID – unique number assigned to the computer or device connected to a network. It identifies
the device on the network.

An IP address is represented in decimal and has four (4) octets or parts.

(X.X.X.X) Each X takes a value between 0 and 255. This means that a network can
accommodate 256 devices.

IP address range from 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255

How to check for an IP Address on a device connected to a network

Windows

1. Press windows + R
2. Type CMD then press enter
3. In the command prompt, type ipconfig
In the figure above, the IPv4 Address is the IP address of the device.

Rules that govern IP Addresses

• Each digit is allowed the range of 0 to 255

• An IP address should have four octets (parts)
• An IP address should not include letters

Examples

24.25.26.8 valid IP address

10.3.156.256 invalid IP address

0.0.0.0 valid IP address

255.255.255.255 valid IP address

100.26.6.345.456 invalid IP address

16.2e.45.67 invalid IP address

A computer understands binary not decimal format. It reads an IP address in binary format for
example;
10101100.00010000.10000000.00010001 - A 32bit binary number

This number is converted into 4 octets with each octet having an 8bit binary number.

When it is converted to decimal it becomes 172.16.128.17

Types of IP Addresses

Static IP address

When a computer or a device is assigned a static IP address, this address does not change. Normally
computers on the internet have static IP addresses

Dynamic IP address

Most devices use dynamic IP addresses, which are assigned by the network when they connect and
change over time. When a device connects to the internet, it is assigned an IP address, when it
disconnects and connects again, it is assigned a different IP address but of the same network.

Private IP address

This is a unique identifier assigned to a device within a network. It can be used locally without
approval from anyone. It cannot be accessed directly from the internet. It is provided by the default
gateway or the router.

Two or more devices can have the same private IP address but each connected on a different
network. When any of the devices requests for a webpage form the internet, that particular device
will receive the page independently. Reason is that all computers have different public addresses.

Private IP addresses are internal addresses used by devices connected to each other on the same
Local Area Network (LAN)

Public IP Address

This is a unique address assigned to each device connected to the internet, allowing for
identification and communication between devices on a global scale.

It is assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and is visible to the wider internet,
distinguishing your device from billions of others.
The figure above shows the public IP address and the Internet Service provider generated from
https://www.whatismyip.com/

A public IP address plays a crucial role in online experience.

• Online Communication: It allows one to access websites, send emails, and connect to
various online services by directing the data you request back to your device.

• Security and Privacy: Understanding a public IP can help you take measures to protect your
online privacy and security, as it can be used to determine your general IP location and
potentially other personal information.

• Remote Access and Online Gaming: A public IP address enables you to set up remote
access to your home network, participate in online gaming, and use VoIP services more
efficiently.

• Website Hosting: If you're hosting a website or server, your public IP address allows users
from around the globe to find and connect to your site or service.

Differences between Public and Private IP addresses

PUBLIC IP ADDRESS PRIVATE IP ADDRESS

Used on LAN Used globally
Not recognized over the internet Recognized by the internet
Assigned by LAN administrator Assigned by Internet service provider
Unique on LAN Unique globally
Free Costly
Note: ISPs can also provide single private network addresses to residential customers for example
airtel MiFi, an unchanged IP address is provided in order to access login page for settings
configurations of the network on the MiFi or broadband.

Classes of IP Addresses.

Class A where the 1st bit is 0, encompass the range of 0.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255. This class is for
large networks and has 8 bits for network and 24 bits for hosts.

10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 - 1 network

Class B where the 1st two bits are 10, are in the range of 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255. This class
is for medium networks and has 16 bits for network and 16 bits for hosts.

172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 - 16 networks

Class C where the 1st three bits are 110, are in the range of 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255. This
class is for smaller networks and has 24 bits for network and 8 bits for hosts.

192.168.0.0 to 192.168.255.255 – 256 networks

Class D or multicast IP addresses, where the 1st four bits are 1110 are in the range of 224.0.0.0 to
239.255.255.255

Class E or experimental IP addresses, where the 1st four bits are 11110, are in the range of 240.0.0.0
to 255.255.255.255

Security threats to IP Addresses

• Phishing
• Security hacking
• Malware
• Location tracking
• DDoS attacks
SUBNET MASKS

Every device on a network has an IP address. This IP address has two parts that is the host/client
address and the server or network address on which the device lies.

Ip address are configured either manually (static address) or dynamically by the DHCP (Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol) server.

The subnet mask splits the IP address into the host and network address, therefore defining which
part belongs to the host and which belongs to the network.

Definition: A subnet mask is a 32-bit address that separates or segregates an IP address into
network bits that identify the network and the host bits which identifies the host device operating
on a network.

A subnet is a small network within a more extensive network.

The way to tell which portion of an IP address is the host and which is the network is by use of a
subnet mask for example 255.255.255.0

IP address 192.168.1.0 - 11000000.10101000.00000001.00000000

Subnet mask 255.255.255.0 - 11111111.11111111.11111111.00000000

From the illustration above, when you match digits in the IP address with the 1s in the subnet mask,
where subnet mask 1, everything to the left is the network address, the rest on the right is 0, that is
the host address. In this example, 192.168.1 is the network address and 0 is the host address

IP address 172.16.1.0 - 10101100.00010000.00000001.00000000

Subnet mask 255.255.0.0 - 11111111.11111111.00000000.00000000

In this case, the network address is 172.16 and the host is 1.0

IP addresses have both host and network part, so networks can be logically broken down into
smaller networks. This is known as subnetting.
Subnetting: This is a process that logically partitions a network into multiple networks called
subnets. This allows better usage of IP addresses and makes the network’s data routing more secure
and efficient. This is illustrated below;

In an organization with a large network, when a computer on the network wants to communicate
to another on the same network, it has to know how and where to reach that computer by using a
broadcast. A broadcast is when a computer sends out data to all computers on a network.

When computer 10.0.0.1 wants to communicate with computer 10.0.0.30, it sends out a broadcast
on the network asking the target computer to identify itself so it can communicate with it. All
computers on the network will receive the broadcast. If every computer on the network broadcasts
to another on the same network, it might slow down communication hence halt, traffic. Because
of this, the need of subnetting comes in. this is done by using routers to create subnetworks.

When a computer 10.0.1.1 in one subnet wants to communicate with a computer 10.0.2.1 on
another subnet, the computer 10.0.1.1 sends a broadcast which is received by computers in its
subnet only, but since the target is in another subnet, the data is sent through a default gateway
which is a router. The router routes the data to its destination.

Benefits of subnetting

• It gives administrators better control over their computer networks, including traffic, data
packets, subnets and routers.
• It boosts the network overall performance, enhances its security and ensures that IP
addresses are used efficiently.
• Efficient data routing.
• Enhanced network security.
DEFAULT GATEWAY.

This is a device that forwards data from one network to another. The default gateway is the path
used to pass information when the device doesn’t know where the destination is. More directly, a
default gateway is a router that connects your host to remote network segments.

In order for a computer A and B to access another network (Internet) for a webpage, the data has
to exit its own Local Area Network by going through the default gateway which is the router, the
router forwards the data to the internet and the router forwards the data from the internet through
the same path to the computers.

Functions of a default gateway

• Directing requests: the gateway directs user requests to their intended destination.
• Acting as an intermediary: the gateway acts as an intermediary between devices that
connect via a shared subnet.
• Forwarding traffic: gateway forwards traffic from a LAN to other networks when no
other route specification matches the destination IP address of a packet.