Table Of Contents
Introduction______________________________________________________________________2
Question 1: Explain the difference between static routing and dynamic routing. Provide
examples of scenarios where each would be appropriate.________________________________ 3
Question 2: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of static routing. Provide an example
situation where static routing is preferred.____________________________________________ 3
Question 3: Describe the purpose of a routing protocol in a computer network. Provide
examples of common routing protocols and explain when they are used.____________________4
Question 4: What is a static route, when would you use it in a network and how do you
configure it?______________________________________________________________________5
Question 5: Define a routing table, what information does it contain and explain the process of a
router making a routing decision using its routing table._________________________________ 5
Question 6: What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and why is it used? Provide an example
of a case where a VPN is beneficial.__________________________________________________ 6
Question 7: Describe a VLAN, how it works in a network and primary benefits of using VLANs
in a Network._____________________________________________________________________ 6
Question 8: In a university campus network, why might VLANs be useful, and what could be a
VLAN implementation scenario?____________________________________________________ 7
Question 9: Describe the differences between the three switching modes of the network switch. 7
Question 10: Explain the role of Network Address Translation (NAT) in router functionality.
Provide a real-world scenario where NAT is essential.___________________________________ 8
Conclusion_______________________________________________________________________ 8
References:______________________________________________________________________ 9
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Introduction
In computer networking, routing plays a pivotal role in ensuring the efficient and secure flow of
data between interconnected devices. This assignment focuses on routing, covering fundamental
concepts, routing protocols, and practical scenarios in which these concepts are applied. The
primary focus is on showing the differences between static and dynamic routing, expanding on
routing protocols, and exploring related technologies such as VPNs, VLANs, switching modes,
and Network Address Translation (NAT). The aim is to provide a holistic understanding of the
role of routing in modern computer networks and how these technologies can be used in creating,
configuring and maintaining a network.
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Question 1: Explain the difference between static routing and dynamic
routing. Provide examples of scenarios where each would be appropriate.
Static routing and dynamic routing represent two distinct approaches to directing network traffic.
Static routing is a type of routing where the network administrator manually configures the
routing table on each router. Static routing involves manually configuring routes within a
network, where administrators define the path data should take. Static routing is typically used in
small stable networks with a simple topology. E.g a small office network with a few fixed
connections.
Dynamic routing is a type of routing where the routers use a routing protocol to automatically
learn and maintain the routing table. The routing protocol allows the routers to exchange
information about the network topology and to calculate the best route to each destination
network. Hence it relies on routing protocols to determine the best path automatically. Dynamic
routing is typically used in large networks with a complex topology. Dynamic routing excels the
most in dynamic environments. E,g a large enterprise network with numerous changing routes.
Question 2: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of static routing.
Provide an example situation where static routing is preferred.
Static routing offers simplicity to implement, configure and have control over routing paths, and
it is more secure than dynamic routing. However, it lacks adaptability in dynamic environments
as it is not scalable to large networks, requires manual updates and configuration of the routing
table on each router and cannot adapt to changes in the network topology.
Question 3: Describe the purpose of a routing protocol in a computer network.
Provide examples of common routing protocols and explain when they are
used.
The purpose of a routing protocol in a computer network is to enable routers to communicate,
exchange routing information, and make informed decisions about data forwarding. The routing
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protocol allows the routers to exchange information about the network topology and to calculate
the best route to each destination network.
Examples of common routing protocols:
● OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
● EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)
● RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
● BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
RIP, OSPF, and BGP. RIP are suitable for small networks while OSPF excels in large enterprise
networks, and BGP is used for inter-domain routing, such as in the global Internet.
When each routing protocol is used:
1. OSPF: is a widely used routing protocol for interior gateway routing (i.e., routing within
a single autonomous system). It uses a link-state algorithm to calculate the best route to
each destination network.
2. EIGRP: It is similar to OSPF, but it uses a hybrid algorithm that combines features of
link-state and distance-vector routing.
3. RIP: is a simple distance-vector routing protocol that is often used in small networks.
4. BGP: is a complex routing protocol that is used to exchange routing information between
autonomous network systems.
Question 4: What is a static route, when would you use it in a network and
how do you configure it?
A static route is a manually defined path to reach a specific destination network. It is configured
by specifying the destination network address and the next-hop router. Static routes are typically
used in small networks with a simple topology, or in networks where the network administrator
has a high level of control over the routing decisions, and they are configured through the
router's command-line interface.
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To configure a static route, the destination network address, the subnet mask, and the next-hop IP
address should be specified manually. Here, the next-hop IP address is the IP address of the
router that will forward traffic to the destination network.
Examples of when you would use a static route in a network:
● To route traffic to a specific network, such as a printer server or a database server.
● To route traffic over a specific link, such as a WAN link.
● To override the default routing behavior.
Question 5: Define a routing table, what information does it contain and
explain the process of a router making a routing decision using its routing
table.
A routing table contains a list of known network destinations and associated next-hop IP address
information, subnet mask and metrics. When a router receives a packet, it checks its routing table
to determine the best path for forwarding the packet based on the destination IP address, subnet
mask, and metric values. The router selects the route with the most specific match and lowest
metric, making it the optimal choice. The metric is a value that is used to determine the best
route to a destination network. Lower metrics indicate better routes.
Question 6: What is a VPN (Virtual Private Network), and why is it used?
Provide an example of a case where a VPN is beneficial.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that allows you to create a secure connection
over a public network such as the Internet. VPNs are often used to encrypt traffic between
remote users and a corporate network, or to allow users to access resources on a private network
from a public location. VPNs are essential for establishing secure, encrypted connections over
untrusted networks such as the internet. They enable remote access, secure data transmission,
and privacy protection. E.g in a corporate setting, employees can use VPNs to securely access
the company's internal resources from external locations safeguarding sensitive data.
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Question 7: Describe a VLAN, how it works in a network and primary
benefits of using VLANs in a Network.
VLANs are logical segmentations of a physical network into multiple isolated virtual networks.
It is a logical grouping of devices on a network typically using switches. They enhance network
security, reduce broadcast domains, and improve network management.
Primary benefits of using VLANs in a network:
1. Improved security: VLANs can be isolated from each other, which can help to prevent
unauthorized access to resources.
2. Improved performance: VLANs can be used to separate different types of traffic, such
as voice traffic and data traffic. This can improve the performance of the network by
reducing congestion.
3. Increased flexibility: VLANs can be used to create logical groups of devices, regardless
of their physical location on the network. This can make it easier to manage the network
and to troubleshoot problems.
Question 8: In a university campus network, why might VLANs be useful, and
what could be a VLAN implementation scenario?
In a university campus network, VLANs can be beneficial by separating traffic between different
departments or services, such as faculty, administration, and students, enhancing network
efficiency and security. It could also be used to create a guest VLAN for visitors to the campus
and separate traffic from different types of devices, such as wired devices and wireless devices.
A university campus network could be divided into Student VLAN, Faculty and staff VLAN,
Guest VLAN. The student VLAN would be used to carry traffic from student devices. The
faculty and staff VLAN would be used to carry traffic from faculty and staff devices and the
guest VLAN would be used to carry traffic from devices used by visitors to the campus.
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Question 9: Describe the differences between the three switching modes of the
network switch.
Network switches operate in three primary modes namely: cut-through, store-and-forward, and
fragment-free.
1. Store-and-forward switching: Store-and-forward switching is the most reliable and
secure switching mode. The switch buffers the entire frame before forwarding it. This
allows the switch to check the frame for errors before forwarding it.
2. Cut-through switching: Cut-through switching is the fastest switching mode. The
switch forwards the frame as soon as it receives the destination MAC address. This does
not allow the switch to check the frame for errors.
3. Fragment-free switching: Fragment-free switching is a combination of
store-and-forward switching and cut-through switching. The switch buffers the first 64
bytes of the frame before forwarding it. This allows the switch to check the frame for
errors and to discard fragmented frames before forwarding them.
Question 10: Explain the role of Network Address Translation (NAT) in router
functionality. Provide a real-world scenario where NAT is essential.
NAT is a technology used in routers that allows multiple devices on a private network to share a
single public IP address. NAT is typically used by routers to connect private networks to the
Internet. When a device on the private network sends traffic to the Internet, the router translates
the device's private IP address to the router's public IP address. The router then forwards the
traffic to the Internet. When the router receives traffic from the Internet, it translates the
destination IP address in the packet header to the private IP address of the device on the private
network that is the intended recipient then forwards the packet to the device. A real-world
scenario where NAT is essential is in a home network, NAT allows multiple devices to access the
internet through a single ISP-provided IP address, improving address utilization.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, routing is a pivotal aspect of computer networking, encompassing static and
dynamic routing, routing protocols, and various technologies like VPNs, VLANs, switching
modes, and NAT. Understanding the differences between these technologies and their practical
applications is crucial for designing, configuring, and managing modern network infrastructures.
As technology continues to evolve, the importance of routing in ensuring secure and efficient
data communication remains paramount, making it a vital area of study and practice in the field
of computer networking.
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References:
Cisco Networking Academy Program. (2022). Introduction to Networks (CCNA 200-301):
Course Book. Cisco Press.
Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach by James F. Kurose and Keith W. Ross (8th
edition, 2023)
Stallings, W. (2021). Data and Computer Communications (11th ed.). Pearson Education.
Tanenbaum, A. S., & Wetherall, D. J. (2010). Computer Networks (5th ed.). Pearson Education.
TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1: The Protocols by W. Richard Stevens (2nd edition, 2011)
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) website: https://www.ietf.org/
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