Student Name: ___________________________
CHABOT COLLEGE
CISCO NETWORKING ACADEMY I
5A- LAN Configuration and Connections
Challenge:
Build and use simple LANs using lab PCs, labeled "lab3", "lab10", etc.
Use curriculum pages 3.1.3, 3.1.6, and 3.4.2 for reference - review these pages before you begin.
Students will work in teams of two, and each team will work with two PCs.
Answer all questions shown in italic!
LAN PC Preparation
Begin by checking the readiness of each PC to be networked.
Check to be sure the TCP/IP Protocol is Properly Configured
 Use winipcfg to verify the TCP/IP configuration of each lab PC. (winipcfg is your friend!)
Click START| RUN, and type winipcfg in the run box (it may already be there). Click OK.
 Select the PC's ethernet NIC from the drop-down list shown in the winipcfg results. (Ask your
instructor what the PPP adapter is.)
1.
Fill in the blanks below using the results of the winipcfg command from each workstation:
PC 1 Name:
PC 2 Name:
IP Address:
IP Address:
Subnet Mask:
Subnet Mask:
Each PC will have a test IP address label affixed to its front. Verify this address matches the winipcfg
results. Also, verify that your PC's subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.
If the IP address does not match, you will need to set the address using the methods you learned last week
in Lab C2A:

Select START | SETTINGS | CONTROL PANELS. Then double-click the NETWORK control panel.
In the Configuration window, click to select this network component:
TCP/IP -> Intel 8255x-based PCI Ethernet Adapter

Click the <properties> button.
 A window titled “TCP/IP Properties” appears, defaulted to the “IP Address” tab
 Set the IP address to match the test address affixed to the front of your lab PC.
Set the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0
 Click OK twice, and restart as directed.
continue on page 2...
1
Student Name: ___________________________
LAN Exercise One: Two PCs - NICs Connected by Crossover Cable
Background
Connecting two PCs directly with a crossover cable is not usual practice. However, it is a useful learning
exercise because it represents the simplest possible LAN connection using unshielded twisted pair (UTP)
cable.
LAN Setup and Connections
 Obtain a UTP "crossover cable" from your instructor. This special type of cable has its terminations
crossed over so that the transmit pair on one end of the cable connects to the receive pair on the other
end:
transmit pair
transmit pair
receive pair
receive pair

Position two lab PCs close enough that the crossover cable can reach from the NIC of one PC to the
NIC of the other.

Power-on each PC and start Windows 98 running.

Plug both ends of the crossover cable into the PC NICs. You may safely plug and unplug ethernet
cables from your PC while it is running.

Immediately check the green link light on the back of each NIC. These lights indicate a good layer 1
physical connection between PCs.
2.
Are both NIC link lights on? ________________
If not, you may have the wrong cable type, a defective cable, a defective NIC, or a PC that is not
powered on.
3. Testing Your LAN with the PING Utility
 Now let's use the Ping Command to check for basic TCP/IP connectivity between your two PCs. Click
START | PROGRAMS | MSDOS Prompt.
Enter the Ping command followed by the IP address of your partner's workstation.
(Example - ping 172.28.118.240)
A successful reply to your ping will verify that you have a good OSI Layers 1 thru 3 connection.
4.
List the first three lines of the result of the Ping command:

Now close the MS-DOS Prompt window by typing exit. You will be returned to the desktop.

Disconnect the crossover cable and set it on the table near the lab PCs.
2
Student Name: ___________________________
LAN Exercise Two: Two PCs - NICs Connected to a Hub
Background
Connecting two or more PCs to a hub is very common practice. You are likely to perform this task
frequently as a network professional.
LAN Setup and Connections
 Obtain two UTP "straight-through cables" from your instructor. This type of cable is the standard
patch cord or station cord used in twisted-pair ethernet LANs. In a straight-through cord is wired the
same on both ends; the transmit pair on one connect to the transmit pair on the other end:
transmit pair
transmit pair
hub
PWR
10M100M
ACT ACT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112
COLCOL
SWITCH
131415161718192021222324
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9
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UPLINK
receive pair
receive pair
Verify that the pins are wired straight through by holding the two RJ-45 connectors for each cable side
by side with the clip down and inspect them. All pins should have the same color wire on the same pin
at both ends of the cable. (pin 1 should match pin 1 and pin 8 should match pin 8 etc.)

Position two lab PCs close enough so that the straight-through station cords can reach an ethernet hub.
Note: Although you may gently slide a running PC on a table, you should never attempt to carry it or
make major movements; these can be unsafe and can damage the PC's hard disk drive.

If necessary, power-on each PC and start Windows 98 running.

If necessary, power-on the hub.

Plug one end of a straight cable into one PC's NIC; plug the other end into any port on the hub (except
port #1).
Repeat this process using the other cable and the other PC.
You may safely plug and unplug ethernet cables from your PC and hubs while they are running.

Immediately check the green link light on the back of the NIC and on the indicator panel of the hub.
On the hub, there is a link light for each port, so note the light that corresponds to the port you've used.
These lights indicate a good layer 1 physical connection between PC and hub.
5.
For PC 1, are both the NIC link light and the hub link light on? ________________
If not, you may have the wrong cable type, a defective cable, a defective NIC, a PC that is not powered
on, or a hub that is defective or not powered on.
6.
For PC 2, are both the NIC link light and the hub link light on? ________________
Testing Your LAN with the PING Utility
 Now let's use the Ping Command to check for basic TCP/IP connectivity between your two PCs. Click
START | PROGRAMS | MSDOS Prompt.
Enter the Ping command followed by the IP address of the other workstation.
(Example - ping 172.28.118.240)
A successful ping will verify that you have a good OSI Layers 1 thru 3 connection between PCs.
7.
Did your ping command receive a successful reply? _____________

Now close the MS-DOS Prompt window by typing exit. You will be returned to the desktop.
RETURN TO YOUR CURRICULUM WORKSTATION TO COMPLETE THE REMAINDER OF
THIS WORKSHEET
3
Student Name: ___________________________
Reflection Questions
8.
What is the main limitation of a LAN made with a crossover cable?
9.
How many PCs or other network devices can be connected to a hub?
10. How does the hub deal with IP addresses? ________________________________________________
11. At which OSI Layer does the hub function? _____________________
12. If a hub is always connected to PCs with straight-through cables, how does the transmit signal from
PC1 get sent to the receive signal pairs on PC2? Explain where the cross-over happens:
13. On the diagram below, draw a line representing the signal path
from the transmit pair of PC1
through the hub
to the receive pair of PC2.
Show where the crossover occurs!
transmit pair
transmit pair
PC1 (straight through cable)
hub
PWR
10M100M
ACT ACT
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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UPLINK
COL COL
SWITCH
131415161718192021222324
(straight through cable)
receive pair
END | THREE-HOLE PUNCH | STAPLE | SUBMIT
4
PC2
receive pair