College Lab - Issues & Updates

dipenshah · March 09, 2016, 07:24:12 PM

Hi All,

I have started working in my lab.

I have zero practical knowledge regarding connections in lab environment. Today, I faced an issue wherein I was unable to connect my Lab PC to lab router. Both are connected to same patch panel. PC is present at port number 8 and router is present at port number 42 on patch panel with various other connections.

Can someone please explain me how patch panel works (series/parallel/separate)? Can someone kindly explain me how am I suppose to connect or configure router in such a situation?

@deanwebb I am not sure where was I suppose to create this thread. I have created here (Home and Small Office Networking) as I think it suits the best here.

Dipen

Reggle · March 10, 2016, 02:07:51 AM

A patch panel is layer 1 OSI model. It will just allow you to connect cables to transmit a signal.

Check if you can ping the router (layer 3) and if not, if you have ARP resolution (layer 2). If there's no ARP, it's cabling and you probably didn't connect the cables correctly on the patch panel. If you see ARP, cables are fine and it's likely something else (configuration of the router).

SimonV · March 10, 2016, 02:12:15 AM

You might need a cross-over cable to go from router to PC, depending on the age of the router. It's usually auto-MDIX these days I guess.

deanwebb · March 10, 2016, 08:31:48 AM

PC to switch and switch to router normally work just fine.

PC to router should either go through a switch or use a crossover. Or console in.

icecream-guy · March 10, 2016, 08:46:13 AM

patch panels usually come in pairs, they are a way to extend network connections

i..e patch panel A in room 316, patch panel B in room 319, these two are connected with cat6 cabling port by port,
so port 1 on patch panel A in room 316 goes to port 1 on patch panel B in room 319, port 2 to port 2, port 3 to port 3, etc,etc.

so my server in room 319 can be connected ("patched") to port 1 on Panel B.
and I would connect ("patch") port 1 on panel A in room 316 to the switch (say port 1),

The server now has network connectivity.
I connect my laptop into the switch (say port 2),
put switch port 1 and switch port 2 in the same vlan (say vlan 1)
assign the correct network IP to the laptop (so it's on the same network as the server) and ping the server.

Hope that helps.

dipenshah · March 10, 2016, 08:55:36 PM

Hi All,

Just wanted to update on what I tried to do today.

I connected switches and routers to PC via console cable directly using putty. I learned the importance of DB9 connectors as I was struggling with basic connections at first.

@ristau541 I understand how patch panels work now (as you explained) as the PCs in the lab weren't connected to network before (may be they disconnected it for one side as no one was using it much).

This might sound funny to you guys but, I learned a good lesson from it:
Till now I thought that we connect everything to patch panels as if we do circuit connections on a bread board (in series or in parallel). Now, I realize that I simply had to do something different. I connected my pc to a switch via console cable and then connected the switch to a router via another cable.

I just want to know in real world is it the same? Is a router always connected to switch via cable and is near to it?

Also, I tried to connect switch to pc via horizontal run (which runs from a wall where pc's are... to a rack where the patch panel is and a switch can be connected to it). I did not succeed. I will try again on Monday and update here.

I will also try to add pictures from next time so that it gets easier to understand for everyone

deanwebb · March 11, 2016, 09:37:45 AM

Pictures will help, and I have to say that you have a bright future ahead of you, dipenshah. You want to know why the answers are the answers, and that is a sign of a great student.

Routers and switches are best connected when they are close to each other. That has been my experience.

dipenshah · March 12, 2016, 07:45:03 PM

@deanwebb thank you for confirming regarding routers and switches connection.

The words you said are really motivating [emoji4]

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

dipenshah · March 22, 2016, 04:30:14 PM

Hi All,

I wanted to update on what I tried to do yesterday and today.

Yesterday:

I have started documenting what I have learned in a video format.

I have made a video showing how our college lab(Redcom lab) is connected to Internet.

After learning about how wiring works in our lab, I have connected my lab PC to the switch using patch panels and then connected switch to routers using Ethernet cables. Huge success for me as I was struggling with it initially.

I was also able to connect switch and router by using the Tera term software.

Today:

I am trying Router on a stick Inter-Vlan configuration. I tried it first on cisco packet tracer and was able to ping from one end of pc to another end.

I am now trying to implement the same on hardware using Catalyst 2950 switch and Cisco 1760 Router along with 2 PCs.

I faced yet another small issue, i.e. how am I supposed to connect 2 PCs to a switch (which has single console port)? One of my PCs is connected to my Router via patch panel 15 and another PC is connected to Switch via patch panel 16 with their respective consoles.

So after struggling for few minutes by taking Packet tracer as a reference I realized, the importance of connecting console of routers and switches to my laptop instead of the PCs I am using to connect router and switch via patch panel.

Now, I can use my PCs by connecting them to Switch ports via patch panel and connect switch's console with my laptop, configure it and then remove the connection between switch and laptop and move on to router to configure.

I haven't tried this yet and will let you know the results once I try this one out.

Cheers,
Dipen

deanwebb · March 22, 2016, 04:44:52 PM

That is correct. You can also set up SSH on the switches and routers to permit management without using the console port.

dipenshah · March 22, 2016, 09:43:12 PM

So with SSH I won't need to connect anything to console port of switches and routers? How would that work? Via Internet? I am very interested to learn about its working!!

I thought for SSH we must have a PC connected to one of the console ports of a Router or Switch!

deanwebb · March 22, 2016, 10:20:41 PM

SSH connects to port 22 of the IP of the device.

It does require that the device have at least a self-singed certificate.

GeorgeS · March 23, 2016, 05:42:06 AM

Personally I would suggest you a book "The Illustrated Network: How TCP/IP Works in a Modern Network", is a great book and even now sometimes i read it,even though is kind of boring to be honest. But if someone was suggesting me that book when i was in university it would be the best thing they could do.

I know, after one point and especially when he will speak for routing protocols etc it will be kind of tough for you, but the first chapters are great to get a fundamental start.

icecream-guy · March 23, 2016, 07:12:43 AM

very simply:

if you assign an ip address to VLAN 1 on your switch, say 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
and connect your pc to the switch, say on port 1, in VLAN 1
and give your pc an IP address, say 192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0
using your PC you should be able to telnet to the switch using a terminal emulation application ,say putty.
telnet to 192.168.1.1 should get you to the switch.
there are some other small details that may be needed to successfully log in and get into configuration mode.

dipenshah · March 24, 2016, 02:39:01 PM

Quote from: deanwebb on March 22, 2016, 10:20:41 PM
It does require that the device have at least a self-singed certificate.

How do we verify that whether my device has a self-signed certificate?

Quote from: ristau5741 on March 23, 2016, 07:12:43 AM
very simply:

if you assign an ip address to VLAN 1 on your switch, say 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
and connect your pc to the switch, say on port 1, in VLAN 1
and give your pc an IP address, say 192.168.1.2 255.255.255.0
using your PC you should be able to telnet to the switch using a terminal emulation application ,say putty.
telnet to 192.168.1.1 should get you to the switch.
there are some other small details that may be needed to successfully log in and get into configuration mode.

I tried to configure my switch as you suggested. Here's what I did:
1. Connected my lab PC to switch via console. (Pic 1 & 2)
2. Assigned Vlan1 interface with ip address x.y.z.ab 255.255.255.0 instead of 192.168.1.1 as I am not allowed to make changes to my lab PC (limited access). Hence, I tried to bring switch into same network as my lab PC is.
3. I tried to telnet to the switch using a terminal emulation application using both Putty and Tera term.
4. Only thing I am facing issue with is to understand "connect your pc to the switch, say on port 1, in VLAN 1". Do you want me to remove console cable after I assigned the IP address to switch and connect it to front panel of switch i.e. in one of those 24 ports? I tried that as well.

My switch is connected to the router via patch panels (Pic 3).
No Success

Quote from: GeorgeS on March 23, 2016, 05:42:06 AM
Personally I would suggest you a book "The Illustrated Network: How TCP/IP Works in a Modern Network", is a great book and even now sometimes i read it,even though is kind of boring to be honest. But if someone was suggesting me that book when i was in university it would be the best thing they could do.

I know, after one point and especially when he will speak for routing protocols etc it will be kind of tough for you, but the first chapters are great to get a fundamental start.

I am going through the book and it looks good so far as it has one network topology and entire TCP/IP explanation around it