Network Assessment Issues - Assignment Example

Network Assignment Network Assignment Address assignment Figure Topology Diagram Figure shows a network topology with five IP subnets. By referring to your unique parameter web page you will find you have been allocated: The number of PCs on subnets A (22), B (4) and C (21) An address range for you to use A subnet mask length to use for ALL the five subnets. Your task is to assign IP addresses to the devices in the network. You will fill in Table 1 and Table 2 with appropriate information bearing in mind the values on your unique parameter web page and the following facts: In addition to the PCs, each router interface needs a “host” IP address and is part of the subnet Only the DNS server and Eagle Server are on Subnet D Switches are not allocated IP addresses in this network PCs and servers are to be allocated the lowest IP addresses in each subnet Router interfaces are to be allocated the highest IP addresses in each subnet The subnets are to be allocated in the order A, B, C,D and E (i.e. A is the lowest address and E is the highest). In Table 2, only indicate the first and last address of the PCs in each subnet using the lowest block of addresses. Subnet Network Address Mask in dotted decimal form (e.g. 255.255.255.0) Number of hosts including PCs and router interfaces Number of unused addresses A 192.168.247.0 255.255.255.0 28 15 B 192.168.247.64 255.255.255.16 10 15 C 192.168.247.128 255.255.255.32 27 31 D 192.168.247.192 255.255.255.64 8 63 E 192.168.247.256 255.255.255.128 26 127 Table 1 Subnet Details Device Interface IP Address Subnet mask in dotted decimal form (e.g. 255.255.255.0 for a /24 mask length) Default gateway R1 FA0/0 192.168.247.0 255.255.225.224 N/A FA0/1 192.168.247.1 255.255.225.224 N/A S0/0 192.168.247.2 255.255.225.224 N/A R2 FA0/0 192.168.247.3 255.255.225.224 N/A FA0/1 192.168.247.4 255.255.225.224 N/A S0/0 192.168.247.5 255.255.225.224 N/A 1st PC subnet A NIC 192.168.247.6 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 Last PC subnet A NIC 192.168.247.7 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 1st PC subnet B NIC 192.168.247.8 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 Last PC subnet B NIC 192.168.247.9 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 1st PC subnet C NIC 192.168.247.10 255.255.255.224 10.10.10.223 Last PC subnet C NIC 192.168.247.11 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 DNS server NIC 192.168.247.12 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 Eagle Server NIC 192.168.247.13 255.255.225.224 10.10.10.223 Table 2 Addressing Table b. Analysis of address space usage You will submit an explanation encompassing: a statement on how many further subnets are available using the address range and mask that you have been allocated. a comment on how efficiently the address space you have been allocated has been used a brief description of how the address space you have been allocated could be utilised more efficiently to leave a maximum number of addresses free for future expansion. You should not state any actual addresses but rather provide a general description of the process used. There are still 13 subnets available using the address range and mask that have been allocated, regarding the space usage of addresses. This allows for several more networks to be set up on the LAN if necessary. The subnet is what lets the flow of traffic in a network which is between the hosts to be differentiated, which is founded upon the configuration of the network itself. IN order to arrange hosts in groups that make sense, subnetting not only aids in network performance, but is also an important contingency factor in network security as well—which is also crucial. One of the most common and necessary parts of subnetting is called the subnet mask. Every subnet mask has 32 bits—basically 4 bytes apiece. It is usually written using dot-decimal notation, just as IP addresses do. In binary, a normal subnet mask would look like this: 11111111 11111111 11111111 00000000. In order to apply a subnet mask, it does not work like the IP address. At the same time, neither does the subnet mask operate completely independently from the IP address either. In order to practically apply the mask to an IP address, this irrevocably divides the address into two separate parts, which creates two things: a host address, as well as something called an extended network address. “One of the problems associated with the use of IP addresses is the fact that even with the use of classes, their use can be inefficient” (Held, 2002, p. 76). For the subnet mask to be solvent, the bits at the most left side must be set to the value of ‘1.’ This is a perfect example of what is meant: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 would be considered totally invalid as a mask, simply because the bit at the side most to the left is set at ‘0.’ On the contrary, the bits that are at the right in a legitimate subnet mask are required to be set at zero and not one. This means that the following would also not be valid: 11111111 11111111 11111111 11111111 Indeed, every subnet mask that is supposed to be valid must indeed have two parts: the side on the left that are always having their mask bits at one—which, in this case we are talking about the part called the extended network—as well as the side on the right where all of the bits are set at zero, which is the part of the host, just as in the example we analysed above. These issues are very important to understand from the logical point of view. If these specifications are not followed exactly, it would logically follow then as to why certain functions would not be carried out in the correct manner. Certainly there might be ways that one could try to circumvent these protocols, but it is not recommended. This is the best way we know how to assign IP addresses given the nature of the subnet mask having been provided. The address space that was allocated might better have been utilised more efficiently by having spaced them out better. In other words, the process that would be ideal for leaving the max number of addresses free for future expansion requires that one leave breaks in between the number of percentage points between each IP address. This allows for other IP addresses to be put on the network without putting too many addresses on the server all at once. Sometimes too many IP addresses can cause one to have to renew the DHCP lease in the TCP/IP settings due to the slow pace of the individual router being used, depending upon the individual case-by-case basis. Without a doubt, the amount of processors being used on a particular LAN can also have an effect on the speed and quality of a connection as well. The more computers that are being used, the higher chance that the network is going to be slower. In the process that has been delineated here, the IP addresses were assigned based on ease of usage; however, it is not necessarily recommended that such addresses should be assigned as quickly as it was done here. For example, it might behoove the person assigning IP addresses to perhaps switch up addresses in the hopes that it might thwart the attempts of hackers, viruses, or malware getting easier chances to make attacks. This would probably make such attacks more difficult in nature in order to carry out without a doubt. Application Layer services In your unique parameter web page you have been allocated two application layer services. In most cases the name is given as an abbreviation. For each one provide: The full title of the protocol if it is given in abbreviated form (e.g. HTTP is hypertext transfer protocol). a brief description of the purpose of the application the transport layer protocol (or protocols) usually used to transport the application protocol the normal (well known) transport layer port(s) that the protocol uses (some may use more than one) a very brief description of how the protocol works, for example the key messages sent by the protocol The full title of the protocols were both not given in abbreviated form, therefore this was not a huge issue. Briefly, this application sought to connect a wide variety of devices over five different networks A through E in hopes of appropriately assigning IP addresses given the various subnetting procedures that were followed after having been assigned a subnet mask of /27. The transport layer protocols were fundamental in assisting to transport the overall application protocol as is evidenced by the many pieces that went into designing this complicated network configuration. Of course, this was done in a simple manner so as to make the explanation of the process more simplified, and, as such, easier to understand without a lot of convoluted language. Fortunately there were not many issues with the transport layer protocols that were necessary in order to successfully set up this network configuration. The transport layer ports that the protocol uses are very important in terms of providing security for the users. This means that any kind of ports within transmission of information have to be just as safe as the protocols that are being utilized in order to transmit that information. Otherwise, a jeopardized or compromised port could mean lack of security within a network. Without a doubt, it is clear that precautions must be taken to secure network ports. The key messages sent by the protocol are requesting information from the server. HTTP is key, being “the Webs underlying protocol” (Janssen, 1999, pgh. 1). Once these requests are fulfilled—via a manner of request attempts—the key messages get through. For example, when someone is using email, they are using a POP server via an SSH (a secure shell). Basically, an SSH is to a POP server. According to Peterson and Davie (2011), “The Secure Shell (SSH) protocol is used to provide a remote login service and is intended to replace the less secure Telnet and rlogin programs used in the early days of the Internet” (p. 667). It is what the HTTPS is to the HTTP. “HTTP provides a general framework for access control and authentication, via an extensible set of challenge-response authentication schemes, which can be used by a server to challenge a client request, and by a client to provide authentication information” (Fielding, 2014, pgh. 1). HTTP is a secure form of the HTTP site. The SSH is protecting, via encryption, information that is sent via the POP server. A majority if not all major email clients use SSH in order to protect their POP clients. It’s important to know how a network acts from the inside out (Tanenbaum & Wetherall, 2011). This is precisely because the information being sent is privileged information to which no one should have access unless they are breaking the law, in which law enforcement should have full access. Of course, the debate versus what is legal and what is not is not always crystal clear, as in the case of Edward Snowden. Who has access to various networks and why? These are crucial questions that must be asked in light of the fact of who is handling our national security, and who can and cannot be questioned. In this particular case, the server was set up to be intentionally vague and uninteresting because this is not a network that anyone is going to actually use, nor would it be par for the course for someone trying to protect privileged information. However, it is important to note that, beyond protecting information, basic internet protocols are put in place because they are supposed to ensure that the messages that are sent by the protocol are protected. That is the main point. References Fielding, R. (2014). Hypertext transfer protocol. Retrieved 8 March 2015 from https://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-ietf-httpbis-p7-auth-26. Held, G. (2002). The ABCs of TCP/IP. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Janssen, W.C. (1999). A next generation architecture for HTTP. IEEE Internet Computing, 3(1), 69-73. Peterson, L.L., & Davie, B. (2011). Computer networks: A systems approach. US: Elsevier. Tanenbaum, A.S., & Wetherall, D. (2011). Computer networks. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. Read More