W05 Lab_ LAN Performance and Router Configuration

Objectives

Compare performance of pure hub LAN with switched LAN. You will create hub and switch scenarios for small and medium sized LAN. Learn how to configure CISCO router using IOS commands.

Pre Lab

Q1: What is the difference between a hub, a switch and a router?

	Part I LAN Performance

NOTE: Detailed instructions on some steps can be found in the previous labs.

SET UP NETWORK

Start Riverbed Modeler

MENU: File New Project Project Name: _switch_hub_small Scenario: hub_small

Values for Startup wizard Initial topology: Empty Scenario Network Scale: Office Metric units - meters 100 x 100 Model Family: internet toolbox

Click OK to finish building new project.

Drag five Ethernet workstations to your workspace and name them workstation_1, workstation_2, ..., workstation_5.

Add Ethernet server to your workspace and name it Web Server;

Add Ethernet Hub ethernet32_hub to your workspace and name it hub;

Connect workstations with the hub and the hub with the server using 10BaseT;

Check consistency of network links (MENU Topology Verify Links) to verify if the links in your network are correct. After clicking this button, the Modeler will indicate broken links with red cross. Otherwise in the left bottom corner you will see All links and paths are connected properly.

ADD APPLICATION CONFIG & PROFILE CONFIG

Note: Topology>internet_toolbox>Node Models>Application Configuration

Add Application Configuration control and name it app_config. Right-click and choose Edit Attributes. Select Default for the Application Definitions row. This makes all standard network applications available for use in our topology HTTP, FTP, E-Mail, Database, etc. Click OK to accept changes.

Add Profile Configuration (Topology>internet_toolbox>Node Models> Profile Configuration) to your workspace and name it profile. Right-click and choose Edit Attributes. Under Profile Configuration choose Edit;

Number of rows: 1 Profile Name: web user Repeatability: unlimited Applications: click edit, a new window pops up. Here change number of rows to 1 and pick web browsing heavy. Click OK three times to accept changes.

APPLY PROFILE WEB USER TO ALL WORKSTATIONS

Hold down the control key and select all five workstations

Right-click any selected workstation

Select Edit Attributes

in the row entry for Application Supported Profiles select edit.

A new window opens Supported Profiles window here go to row 1 and select web user. Be sure that the Apply changes to selected objects is checked.

CONFIGURE THE SERVER. (right click on web server)

Select edit attributes, under Application Supported Services click edit. row: 1 Name: web browsing heavy

CHOOSE STATISTICS

Right-click workspace and select Choose Individual DES Statistics and select following statistics:

Node Statistics: Client HTTP: Page response, Traffic Sent and Traffic Received, and User Cancelled Connections.

Node Statistics: Server HTTP: Load, Traffic Received, and Traffic Sent.

Node Statistics: TCP: Connection Aborts, Delay and Retransmission count.

RUN SIMULATION.

Your result should be similar to ones below. To see the results right-click work area and choose View Results. Note: you can choose from drop-down As Is or Average

SMALL SWITCH NETWORK.

Save your project and duplicate this scenario (under the scenario menu select duplicate scenario). Name it switch_small. Delete hub, add Ethernet switch (ethernet16_switch), name it switch, and reconnect all links.

Run simulation and compare results.

Small network:

Q2: In which scenario is there greater page loading delay (Client HTTP: Page Response Time packets/sec)?

Q3: Check other collected statistics and provide advice to network owner to either use hub or switch for this network (one paragraph). And Screenshot 1: Illustrate your conclusion with most relevant screenshot (one).

	Part II Medium LAN

CREATE NETWORK.

MENU File New Project Project Name: _switch_hub_medium Scenario: hub_medium

Values for Startup wizard Initial topology: Empty Scenario Network Scale: Campus Metric units - kilometers 100 x 100 Model Family: Ethernet

Click OK to finish building new project.

Add subnet to your workspace (drag the subnet icon in the right panel of Object Palette to the workspace) and name it subnet_1. When you double-click the subnet, a new window will appear (subnet window)

We will use rapid configuration for this subnet (Topology- Rapid configuration).

Note: MENU: Topology > Rapid configuration > Star

Create another 15 workstation linked to a hub topology in the subnet (by highlighting all 16 nodes and then copy/paste) and connect two hubs with the bridge [1]. You need to set the name bridge

[1]: Topology > open object palette > Shared object palette > ethernet > expand node models > drag Ethernet 16_bridge to the workspace > rename this node bridge. Use 100BaseT to link two hubs with the bridge.

Add an Application Definition to subnet_1 and configure it to use all standard network applications (see Part I). Add Profile Definition to your workspace and create a profile called Web User (see Part 1). Apply this profile to all the workstations in subnet.

ADD SUBNET

Return to parent subnet window by clicking button

Create the second subnet by copying subnet_1.

Add Ethernet server to your workspace and name it Web Server.

Note: Menu: Topology > open object palette > Shared object palette > ethernet > expand node models > drag ehternet_server to workspace > rename it Web Server

Add Ethernet Hub ethernet16_hub to your workspace and hook up the subnets to the hub via 100 Base T connections (select 100BaseT from the Link Models under the ehternet folder); note that during this process make sure to hook the hub to the bridge node in the subnet.

Link the hub to an Ethernet server (use 100BaseT). Make sure the server is a web server (Application Definition icon and Web Browsing Heavy. See Part 1 for details.)

RUN SIMULATION

Menu: DES Choose Individual Statistics;

Node Statistics: Client HTTP: Page response, Traffic Sent and Traffic Received, and User Cancelled Connections Global Statistics: HTTP page response time

Run simulation. Time: may take several minutes to run

	Part III Switch Medium LAN

Duplicate the current scenario into a new scenario called switch_medium and replace the bridges under each subnet with a switch. Replace the hub in the top-level network with switch and Save the project.

Run simulation (may take several minutes to run) and compare results.

Q4: Medium network: In which scenario is there greater page loading delay (Client HTTP: Page Response Time packets/sec)?

Q5: Medium network: Check other collected statistics and provide advice to network owner to either use hub or switch for this network (one paragraph).

Screenshot 2: Medium network: Illustrate your conclusion with Global Statistics: HTTP page response time screenshot.