Cisco packet tracer practice : Physical Topologies

In this post you will able to learn about Physical Topologies, based on cisco system.
So lets start:

Packet tracer file download link: Physical Topologies

Learning Objectives

Familiarize the student with Star, Extended Star, and Mesh physical topologies

Introduction

In this activity, you will build a few different physical topologies using the devices shown. The physical topologies explored in this activity are:

·         Star

·         Extended Star (also known as Hierarchical)

·         Mesh

Once the devices are cabled in the specified physical topology manner, you will interconnect the topologies.

Task 1: Cable devices in a Star Physical Topology

Step 1. Cabling the first star

1. Locate the following devices: PC00, PC01, PC02, PC03, and SW0. They should be located on the top-left corner of Packet Tracer’s work area. These devices will comprise a star topology.
2. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Straight-Through.

Tip: Hold down the <Control> as you click the Copper Straight-Through icon to add multiple connections.

3. Cable the mentioned PCs to SW0. Connect PC00 to SW0’s Fast-Ethernet0/1, PC01 to SW0’s Fast-Ethernet0/2, PC02 SW0’s Fast-Ethernet0/3, and PC03 to SW0’s Fast-Ethernet0/4.
4. The mentioned devices are now connected in a star topology with SW0 acting as the star’s center.

Task 2: Create the other stars

Step 1. Cabling the second star

1. Locate SW1, PC10, PC11, PC12, and PC13. These devices should be located in the left-bottom corner of Packet Tracer’s work area.
2. Similarly to Task 1, cable the second star. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Straight-Through.

Tip: Hold down the <Control> as you click the Copper Straight-Through icon to add multiple connections.

3. Connect PC10 to SW1’s Fast-Ethernet0/1, PC11 to SW1’s Fast-Ethernet0/2, PC12 SW1’s Fast-Ethernet0/3, and PC13 to SW1’s Fast-Ethernet0/4.
4. The second set of devices should be cabled as a star.

Step 2. Cabling the third star

1. Locate SW2, PC20, PC21, PC22, and PC23. These devices should be located in the center-top area of Packet Tracer’s work area.
2. Cable the third star. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Straight-Through.

Tip: Hold down the <Control> as you click the Copper Straight-Through icon to add multiple connections.

3. Connect PC20 to SW2’s Fast-Ethernet0/1, PC21 to SW2’s Fast-Ethernet0/2, PC22 SW2’s Fast-Ethernet0/3, and PC23 to SW2’s Fast-Ethernet0/4.
4. The third star should now be defined.

Step 3. Cabling the fourth star

1. Locate SW3, PC30, PC31, PC32, and PC33. These devices should be located in the center-bottom area of Packet Tracer’s work area.
2. Cable the fourth star. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Straight-Through.

Tip: Hold down the <Control> as you click the Copper Straight-Through icon to add multiple connections.

3. Connect PC30 to SW3’s Fast-Ethernet0/1, PC31 to SW3’s Fast-Ethernet0/2, PC32 SW3’s Fast-Ethernet0/3, and PC33 to SW3’s Fast-Ethernet0/4.
4. The fourth star should now be defined.

Star topologies are very useful to contain failures. If SW1’s Fast-Ethernet0/1 fails the only PC10 is affected. A very common design is to place a star at the spoke, creating an Extended Star.

Task 3. Creating an Extended Star

1. Locate SW0, SW1, SW2, SW3, and Dist_SW.
2. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Cross-Over.
3. Connect SW0, SW1, SW2, and SW3 to Dist_SW based on the table below:

Devices	Switch Port	Port on Dist_SW
SW0	Fast-Ethernet0/24	Fast-Ethernet0/10
SW1	Fast-Ethernet0/24	Fast-Ethernet0/11
SW2	Fast-Ethernet0/24	Fast-Ethernet0/12
SW3	Fast-Ethernet0/24	Fast-Ethernet0/13

4. You should now have an extended star with 4 smaller stars acting as spokes.

Task 4. Creating a Full Mesh Topology

The biggest flaw with the star topology is the major point of failure it introduces. In even of failure of the device acting as the hub of the star, the entire star fails. In cases where a single point of failure is not accepted, devices are commonly cabled as a full mesh. By cabling each device to all other devices, a redundant topology is created.

In this task you will connect the core devices, MainCulster_SW1, MainCulster_SW2 and MainCulster_SW3 as a full mesh by cable each one of them to all others. Because we have 3 devices, each device should have 2 outbound links.

Step 1. Interconnecting the core switches.

1. Locate MainCluster_SW1, MainCluster_SW2, and MainCluster_SW3. These devices should be located in the right area of Packet Tracer’s work area.
2. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Cross-Over.

Tip: Hold down the <Control> as you click the Copper Cross-Over icon to add multiple connections.

3. Interconnect the core devices based on the table below:

Source Device	Source Port	Destination Device	Destination Port
MainCluster_SW1	GigabitEthernet0/1	MainCluster_SW2	GigabitEthernet0/1
MainCluster_SW1	GigabitEthernet0/2	MainCluster_SW3	GigabitEthernet0/1
MainCluster_SW2	GigabitEthernet0/2	MainCluster_SW3	GigabitEthernet0/2

4. With all MainCluster switches now connected to one another, a full mesh is created in between them.

Step 2. Create a hybrid topology

1. From the Connections menu, choose Copper Cross-Over.
2. Connect Fast-Ethernet0/24 of MainCluster_SW1 to Fast-Ethernet0/24 of Dist_SW. By connecting the full mesh topology to the extended star, you create a hybrid topology.
3. Packet Tracer should now report 100% completion. Note: If you don’t have 100%, double check the ports used. Packet Tracer is also grading the port choice in this activity.

Task 5. Challenge Task

Step 1. Analyzing the failure points (and Increasing redundancy)

1. How many points of failure can you spot?

2. How could you reduce the amount of failure points?