Packet Tracer Overview:

In this lab we will get to know packet tracer – a network simulator software/tool that
simulates network devices and its environment. Cabling & its types, implementation. We
will also learn to create a simple network topology in packet tracer after getting a brief
introduction of packet tracer layout components.

Packet tracer, a powerful network simulator, is used to simulate real networks with an unlimited
number of devices, technologies and their protocols. Protocols included but not limited to, are
OSPF, IP, TCP, TELNET, CSMA/CD (Ethernet technologies), SMTP, POP3 (we will discuss
some of these protocols in class and lab). We can create our own topologies and learn about their
networking and troubleshoot problems without having to buy new expensive devices i.e. using
virtual devices. Packet tracer is owned and managed by CISCO.

Interface Overview:
The layout of Packet Tracer is divided into several components as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Packet Tracer Overview

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The components of the Packet Tracer interface are as follows:

1. Menu Bar – This is a common menu found in all software applications; it is used to open,
save, print, change preferences, and so on.
2. Main Toolbar – This bar provides shortcut icons to menu options that are commonly
accessed, such as open, save, zoom, undo and redo, and on the right-hand side is an icon
for entering network information for the current network.
3. Logical/Physical Workspace Tabs – These tabs allow you to toggle between the Logical
and Physical work areas.
4. Workspace – This is the area where topologies are created and simulations are displayed.
5. Common Toolbar – This toolbar provides controls for manipulating topologies, such as
select, move layout, place note, delete, inspect, resize shape, and add simple/complex
PDU.
6. Realtime/Simulation Tabs – These tabs are used to toggle between the real and
simulation modes. Buttons are also provided to control the time, and to capture the
packets.
7. Network Component Box – This component contains all of the network and end devices
available with Packet Tracer, and is further divided into two areas:
a. Device-type selection box – This area contains device categories
b. Device-specific selection box – When a device category is selected, this selection
box displays the different device models within that category.
8. User-created Packet Box – Users can create highly-customized packets to test their
topology from this area, and the results are displayed as a list.

Packet tracer provides networking and end devices along with various type of connections (see
point 7). In order to create a topology, we will have to select some of the devices and put them in
our main window (4).

Components and Connections used in this Lab:

Cabling:
1. Straight-Through Cables are used to connect devices of different types, such as a
computer to a network switch or hub.

 Switch to router
 Switch to PC or server
 Hub to PC or server

2. Ethernet Crossover Cable is a type of Ethernet cable used to connect computing

 Switch to switch

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  Switch to hub
 Hub to hub
 Router to router
 Router Ethernet port to PC NIC
 PC to PC

3. End Devices can be computers, laptops, servers, phones, tablets, printer etc.

Figure 2: Straight-Through Cable

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Figure 3: Cross Over cable

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Let’s practice to create some simple topologies in packet tracer. After covering some CN labs,
we will get to know more interesting functionalities of packet tracer and also get to know all
available components in packet tracer. Remember it is a very vast tool with complex
functionality and you can’t learn it in 2 or 3 labs.

Topology 1: Creating a simple Topology in Packet Tracer

1. From the network component box, click on End Devices and drag-and-drop a Generic
PC icon into the Workspace. As we need to connect two end devices, drag-and-drop
another one. Change the names of your PCs (In this case HP and Dell).
2. After that click on Connections, then click on Copper Cross-Over (cable), then on Dell,
and select
FastEthernet0 as a port number

Figure 4: Network Devices

After this, click HP and select FastEthernet0. The link status LED should show up in green,
indicating that the link is up.

Figure 5: Network Simulation

1. Click on the Dell, go to the Desktop tab, click on IP Configuration, and enter an IP
address (any) and subnet mask. In this topology, the default gateway and DNS server
information is not needed as there are only two end devices in the network.
2. Now click on the HP and assign an IP address to it in the same way. Make sure that
both of the IP addresses are in the same subnet.
3. Close the IP Configuration box, open the command prompt, and ping the IP address
of the device at the end to check connectivity.

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Topology 2:

What is a network topology without a single network device in it? Add an Ethernet
switch to this topology so that more than two end devices can be connected, by
performing the following steps:
1. Click on switches from the device-type selection box and insert any switch into
the workspace. Put the cursor on the switch to see all the available ports (see
Figure 6).

Figure 6: Switch Ports

2. Remove the link between the PC and the laptop using the delete tool from the
common tools bar.
3. Choose the Copper Straight-Through cable and connect the PC and laptop with
the switch. Do this by selecting switch ports FastEthernet0/1 and
FastEthernet1/1 with FastEthernet0 port of Dell and HP PC. At this point,
the link indicators on the switch are orange in color because the switch ports are
undergoing the listening and learning states of the Spanning Tree Protocol
(STP). We will discuss this protocol in class.

Figure 7: Network Topology with Switch

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 4. Once the link turns green, as shown in the previous screenshot, ping again to check the
connectivity.

Figure 8: Topology 2

5. To save this topology, navigate to File | Save As and choose a location. The
topology will be saved with a (.pkt) extension.

Lab Task

Create the above discussed topologies in Packet tracer tool and take their screenshots. Assign IP
addresses and subnet mask. Connect them with ports. Using Place Note feature in packet tracer,
write the IP address and connected port number on each device. Include the snapshots of ping
results also in both topologies. Save the topologies.

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