Cisco Packet Tracer

Cisco Packet Tracer, created by Cisco Systems, is a simulation tool that allows us to logically create a network topology without even implementing it physically. It can be used to understand all the basic concepts of computer networking, mainly CCNA.

To perform the CCNA hands-on lab exercises, first, you need to download Cisco Packet Tracer. In the previous post, we explained the process how to download Cisco Packet Tracer. Click here to know how to download Cisco Packet Tracer. Once it is downloaded, install it using the default selections. After the installation, you can create a network topology to perform the hands-on lab exercises. In this post, we will discuss how to create a network topology using Cisco Packet Tracer.

Cisco Packet Tracer

Cisco Packet Tracer 5

Create a Network Topology

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You can easily create a network topology using Cisco Packet Tracer. In the following sections, we are going to explain how to create a network topology that will contain four PCs, two switches, and two routers.

Adding PCs in Cisco Packet Tracer

To add PCs in Cisco Packet Tracer, you need to perform the following steps:

  1. In the Cisco Packet Tracer console, click on the PC icon, click Generic, and then click in the logical view area to add a Generic PC.
  2. Repeat the same step to add three more Generic PCs in the logical view area, as shown in the following figure.

Adding Switches in Cisco Packet Tracer

  1. To add a switch in Cisco Packet Tracer, click the Switch icon, select a switch type, such as 2960, and then add the selected switch in the logical view area.
  2. Repeat the same step to add one more switch.

Adding Routers in Cisco Packet Tracer

  1. To add a router in Cisco Packet Tracer, click the Router icon, select a router type, such as 2811, and then add the selected router in the logical view area.
  2. Repeat the same step to add one more router.

Note: Different types of router series provide different types of features and limitations.

Understanding Connection Types in Cisco Packet Tracer

To connect devices in Cisco Packet Tracer, first, you need to understand the various types of cables (connections) used to connect network devices. Some of the common types of cables are:

  1. Straight-through: Used to connect different types of devices (devices that use different wiring standards), such as Router-to-Switch and Switch-to-PC.
  2. Cross-over: Used to connect same types of devices, such as router-to-router, PC-to-PC, and switch-to-switch.
  3. Serial DCE: Used to connect router-to-router in a WAN network.
  4. Console: Used to take console (using hyper terminal) of a router on a PC.

To see the various types of connections, click the Connection icon. Spend some time to understand the connections. Once you are familiar with the types of connections, connect the devices to create the network topology.

The following figure displays the various types of connections used to connect devices.

Since we have chosen the modular router (that allows you to modify the number of interfaces), you may need to customize the interfaces before it can be used to connect other network devices. To do this, double-click Router0, on the Router0 properties dialog box, click the Power button to power off Router0.

The following figure displays how to add a module in a router using Cisco Packet Tracer.

Now, open the Router1 properties dialog box, add the same module to Router1 also, and then close the Router1 properties dialog box.

Connecting Devices in Cisco Packet Tracer

  1. To connect devices in Cisco Packet Tracer, click the connection type icon, and select an appropriate cable. For example, to connect PC0 to Switch0, select the straight-through cable, click on PC0, select the FastEthernet0 interface.
  2. Next, click on Switch0, and then select the FastEthernet0/1 interface. The following figure displays how to connect a PC to a switch in Cisco Packet Tracer.
  3. Now, add PC1 to Switch0 using the FastEthernet0/2 interface. Also, add PC2 and PC3 to the FastEthernet0/1 and FastEthernet0/2 interfaces of Switch1, respectively.
  4. If you have connected a wrong device to a wrong interface, you can use the Delete option to delete a connection or device. The following figure displays how to use the Delete option to delete a device or connection in Cisco Packet Tracer.
  5. Once, you have connected all the PCs to switches, now, connect Switch0 to Router0, and Switch1 to Router1 using the straight-through cables.
  6. Select the straight-through cable, click on Switch0, and then select FastEthernet0/3 interface.
  7. Click Router0 and select the FastEthernet0/0 interface.
  8. Select again the straight-through cable, click on Switch1, and select FastEthernet0/3 interface.
  9. Next, click Router1 and then select the FastEthernet0/0 interface.

The following figure displays how to connect routers to switches to create a network topology.

Interconnecting Routers in Cisco Packet Tracer

Now, connect Router0 to Router1 using the serial connection. To do this, you need to perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Serial DCE cable, click on Router0, and select the Serial1/0 interface.
  2. Click on Router1 and select the Serial1/0 interface, as shown in the following figure.
Cisco

In this post, you have learned how to create a network topology in Cisco Packet Tracer. If you wish, you can save the created network topology for the later use. To do this, you need to perform the following steps:

  1. In Cisco Packet Tracer, click File, and select SaveAs.
  2. In the File name text box, type a name of the topology, and then click Save.

Also read: Different types of Cisco IOS configuration modes

CCNA is one of the top paying IT certifications, a Cisco certified network associate with most valuable routing and switching knowledge. I have collect the step by step guides of CCNA articles in this post, named Packet Tracer CCNA Practical Labs for those who are new in CCNA.

The best way to learn about networking is to do it. Hands-on equipment gets students started, but is limited to the number of devices in the lab. That’s why the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum includes Cisco Packet Tracer, an innovative network configuration simulation tool used for teaching, gaming, and assessment. Cisco Packet tracer is a network simulator software for CCNA exams preparation. This simulation software will help you quickly create a lab and start configuring like a real Cisco devices. It support most routing, switching, wireless, and basic firewall devices with latest IOS.

Cisco Packet Tracer CCNA Practical Labs

The labs are downloadable with step by step configuration guide. To practice and test this labs, you need to have Cisco packet tracer installed on your computer.

1. Configure Static Routing in Packet Tracer

  • A complete guides to configure static routing that network administrator need to configure the network routers manually instead of using routing protocols, RIP or OSPF. The benefits of static routing is minimum bandwidth usage, no overhead on router CPU and many more and perfect for small network with a few routers. But it is not without cons. Difficult to configure all routers manually in the large network and troubleshooting is always harder than configuration.

2. How to Configure Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

  • This is about how to configure Routing Information Protocol (RIP) on the Cisco Routers. The RIP is one of the oldest distance-vector routing protocols and work perfectly with IPv4. The next generation of routing information protocol for IPv6 is know as RIPng (RIP next generation). So in this article we are going to test the RIP with IPv4.
Packet

3. How to Configure OSPF Routing Protocol

  • Configuration of OSPFrouting protocol is easy as RIP Routing. The Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a routing protocol for wide area networks and enterprise network. OSPF is perhaps the most widely used interior gateway protocol (IGP) in large enterprise networks. The IS-IS, is another link-state dynamic routing protocol, which is more common in large service provider networks. The most widely used exterior gateway protocol is the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the principal routing protocol between autonomous systems on the Internet.

4. How to Configure DHCP on Cisco Router?

Cisco Packet Tracer

  • Configure DHCP on Cisco Router. The last week we had send a topic about installation and configuration of DHCP Server in Windows Server 2012 R2. We have introduced the DHCP Server and told the necessary services and network protocols requirement. If you don’t know the basic of DHCP Server? you must read the article first.

5. How to Configure Standard Access List On Cisco Router?

  • The Standard Access List (ACL) on Cisco router works to permit or deny the entire network protocols of a host from being distinguishing. These decisions are all based on source IP address which filter network traffic by examining the source IP address in a packet. We can create the standard IP access list by using the access-list command with numbers 1 to 99 or in the expanded range of 1300 to 1999.

6. Configure VLAN on Cisco Switches Using Cisco Packet Tracer

  • Configuring VLAN or Virtual Local area network on Cisco Switches is a most important subject of CCNA exam. A VLAN is a switched network that is logically segmented by function, project team, or application, without regard to the physical locations of the users. VLANs have the same attributes as physical LANs, but you can group computers even if they are not physically located on the same LAN segment. Any switch port can belong to a VLAN, and unicast, broadcast, and multicast packets are forwarded and flooded only to end stations in the VLAN. Each VLAN is considered a logical network, and packets destined for stations that do not belong to the VLAN must be forwarded through a router or bridge or layer 3 switches. Because a VLAN is considered a separate logical network.

7. Configure Inter VLAN Routing on a Cisco Router and Layer 3 Switches

  • This is another Packet Tracer CCNA Practical Labs about how to configure Inter VLAN Routing on the Cisco router or layer 3 switches? Basically on a VLAN no host can communicate with hosts within other VLANs. It means only hosts that are members of the same VLAN can communicate with each other. So if you want your VLANs hosts can communicate with each others, you must configure inter VLAN routing using a router or a layer 3 switch. Here we completely show you the Inter-VLAN configuration using a Cisco router and a layer 3 switch.

8. How to Enable Telnet and SSH on Cisco Router and Switches?

  • This article focus on configuring and enabling telnet and ssh on Cisco routers and switches. The Telnet is an old and non secure application protocol of remote control services. You can configure telnet on all Cisco switches and routers with the following step by step guides. But it’s not the best way on the wide area network. However we just going to enable telnet and ssh to test them for CCNA Certification exams.

9. Configure SNMP Protocol on Cisco Packet Tracer?

  • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is used for network monitoring and management. It is made up of 3 parts, the SNMP manager, SNMP agent and Management Information Base (MIB). In Packet Tracer there is not a lot you can actually do with SNMP but it is possible to set up a router or switch as an SNMP agent and use a PC or laptop as an MIB browser. So although you can’t set SNMP traps or informs it is still a valuable learning tool to show the sort of information that can be retrieved and even a few things that can be set on an SNMP agent.

10. Configure Frame Relay In Cisco Router Using Packet Tracer

Cisco Packet Tracer Software Download

  • Frame relay is a packet-switching protocol for connecting devices on a Wide Area Network (WAN). Here we are going to show you, how to configure Frame relay in Cisco routers using Cisco Packet Tracker. The Frame relay originally designed for transport across Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) infrastructure, it may be used today in the context of many other network interfaces. Read more about Frame relay on Wikipedia.

It’s not all, we will updates this post with fresh new articles related to CCNA as Packet Tracer CCNA Practical Labs.

Cisco Packet Tracer Download For Windows 10

If you have any questions about Packet Tracer CCNA Practical Labs post, feel free to ask and suggest us about how we can improve out topic and site services. So wish you success and all the best for achieving your CCNA certification.