TCP/IP
Course notes: MCSE
Menu Contents:
Introduction to TCP/IP
TCP/IP Architecture
Internet Addressing
Subnetting TCP/IP networks
Internet Routing
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
NetBIOS Host Name Addressing
Windows Internet Name Service
TCP/IP Host Names & Browsing Networks
Domains Name Service
TCP/IP Services & Tools
Simple Network Management Protocol
Troubleshooting
CCNA - Cisco Exam Notes (in 4 parts).
Introduction:
Course notes taken by Craig Ellis CCNA+MCP
TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol.
Each Layer of the TCP/IP protocol stack is modular, which means that it only communicates with the layer above or below it.
TCP/IP can provide over 4.2 million addresses, each host identified by its own unique 32 bit address.
The maximum number of addresses assigned to a network card is 5.
Domain Name Service (DNS) was created so that instead of having to type the IP addresses of a company?s web page, you can access that site by a user-friendly name.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service provides PC?s with automatic configuration of the 3 necessary TCP/IP parameters. IP addresses, subnet-mask, and default gateway.
Windows Internet Name Service provides a NetBIOS computer name to IP address mapping in a database on a server.
DNS provides a database and search algorithm for resolving the host name into an IP address.
SNMP tracks specific TCP/IP events, using a database called a Management Information Database (MIB),
The Internet Proxy server is a firewall and web cache server that installs on the Windows NT server platform.
TCP/IP Architecture:
The Open System Interconnect (OSI) model consists of 7 layers:
Layer 7 Application (e-mail, Accessing remote files, printers & databases)
Layer 6 Presentation (Protocol conversion, Data Translation)
Layer 5 Session (Establishes communication connection, Transmit length, time)
Layer 4 Transport (Error handling, Flow control ? Buffer availability)
Layer 3 Network (Route taken, addressing messages)
Layer 2 Data-Link (Frame transmission, acknowledgement)
Layer 1 Physical (Cabling types, Network Interface Cards)
The TCP/IP (Department Of Defence) protocol stack has 4 layers:
Layer 4 Application, supporting NetBIOS and Windows Sockets Interface. (FTP, HTTP, NFS)
Layer 3 Transport, running 2 protocols (TCP) and (UDP)
Layer 2 Internet, running 2 protocols (IP) and (ICMP)
Layer 1 Network Interface running (ARP) and (NDIS)
TCP provides a reliable connection based delivery service.
UDP offers a connectionless datagram service that is an unreliable ?best effort? delivery.
IP provides a packet delivery for all other protocols within the suite.
ICMP allows systems on a TCP/IP network to share status and error information.
ARP is used to provide IP address to physical address resolution for IP packets.
NDIS allows multiple network adapters and protocols to co-exist on the same PC.
Internet Addressing:
An IP address uniquely identifies a system located on your network.
The network ID is the portion of the 32-bit IP address that identifies what network a particular system is on.
The host ID is the portion of the 32-bit IP address that identifies any device that has an IP address on your network.
The subnet mask is a 32-bit address that distinguishes the network ID portion of the IP address from the host ID.
Subnet mask for default Class A = 255.0.0.0 Class B = 255.255.0.0 Class C = 255.255.255.0
There are 5 class addresses used in TCP/IP ? Class A to E.
Class A = 0.1.0.0 to 126.0.0.0
Class B = 128.0.0.0 to 191.0.0.0
Class C = 192.0.0.0 to 223.0.0.0
Microsoft supports only A, B and C addresses. Class D is for multicasting and E is experimental.
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) dynamically binds a IP address to a physical hardware address.
It is possible to use HOSTS and LMHOSTS files to provide mappings for names to IP addresses where
WINS and DNS are not used.
A gateway can be used to connect 2 LANs that use different transport protocols or data forms.
It also can be used as a path for packets of data to be forwarded when there is no matching entry in the route table.
When a computer is configured with more than 1 IP address it is known as a multi-homes system.
IPCONFIG command is useful to show the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway settings.
PING command helps confirm connectivity. Use this command to send (ICMP) echo requests to a host name or IP address.
Subnetting TCP/IP networks
Subnet works by having small networks, so that congestion is not an issue.
You can determine which bits are used for network and hosts addresses by masking.
A subnet mask denotes one portion of the IP address as a network, the other as the host address.
Always use the AND process to determine if hosts your comparing are on the same network.
IP addresses used on the Internet are controlled by your local ISP (Internet Service Provider).
An octet means its made up of 8 bits, which are each a 0 or 1. Having 4 octets means that an IP address is made up of 32 bits.
When using bit borrowing from an octet, they have to be in a continuous block.
When defining a subnet mask:
Work out the number of segments on your network
Count the number of bits needed to represent the number of segments needed,
Push this number of bits to the high-order end of the octet and pad the remaining bits with 0?s.
To determine subnet ranges, use the shortcut formula of 2 to the power of X-2.
Subnet Table
Subnet Address Bits
Address Block
Mask Ends with:
Subnets
Class C Host
Class B Host
Class A Host
2
64
192
2
62
16382
4194302
3
32
224
6
30
8190
2097150
4
16
240
14
14
4094
1048574
5
8
248
30
6
2046
524286
6
4
252
62
2
1022
262142
7
2
254
126
-
510
131070
8
1
255
254
-
254
65534
 
Internet Routing
A gateway provides router and protocol translation.
Routers and gateways forward packets, called datagrams around networks.
A bridge provides selective connection between LAN?s where only packets defined for the other side cross over.
Any Windows NT machine with multiple network interface cards can be configured as a router.
Gateways are routers that can also translate the packet format between topologies, i.e. token ring NIC and Ethernet NIC would require packet translation to the different formats.
Enable IP forwarding is the term used to enable routing in NT TCP/IP
Each independent router port has a routing table.
ROUTE command is used to add, modify, delete and display route information for one or all interfaces.
TRACERT command utility is used to trace a route from origin to destination
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
There are 2 methods of assigning an IP address to a clients computer, Dynamic and Manual addressing.
Manual entry is time consuming and is prone to human error.
DHCP server provides the DHCP client with the IP address, subnet mask and usually a default gateway.
DHCP scope is a managerial arrangement that identifies the configuration parameters for all of the DHCP clients on a physical subnet.
During initialisation a DHCP client boots with a null IP address since it does not have an assigned IP address.
Then the DHCP client broadcasts a DHCPDiscover message to its local hosts.
Any DHCP server that receives the DHCPDiscover message and has a valid configuration for the DHCP client will answer with a DHCPOFFER message.
The DHCP client sends a DHCPREQUEST message to the DHCP server accepting the offered IP address.
The DHCP server responds to the DHCPREQUEST message with a DHCPACK message that contains a lease for the IP address also configuration parameters.
BOOTP is used to boot and configure diskless workstations across the network.
DHCP message is an extension of the BOOTP message, routers acting as an RFC1542 relay agent can be used to transmit DHCP messages between multiple subnets.
A DHCP client is unable to use an IP address after the lease has expired.
When assigning SCOPES make sure they don't overlap when implementing multiple DHCP servers.
A reservation is an IP address that is reserved for a specific DHCP client.
Client options override scope options, which override global options in the DHCP manager.
DHCP data like active IP and excluded addresses are stored by the DHCP server in a database.
The DHCP database is backed up to the %systemroot%\system32\dhcp\backup\jet folder every 60 mins.
JETPACK is the utility that compacts the DHCP database.
NetBIOS Host Name Addressing
 
NetBIOS is an interface that software can use called an Application Programming Interface.
NetBIOS is only an API that programmers use to connect 2 computers using names i.e. CPU1 or MYCOMPUTER.
NetBIOS operates at the session & transport levels for the OSI model.
TCP is a connection-oriented service that guarantees proper data delivery.
UDP is a connectionless service that does not guarantee proper data delivery.
There are 3 TCP/IP port numbers supporting NetBIOS functionality:
Port 137 supports NetBIOS name service
Port 138 supports NetBIOS datagram service
Port 139 supports NetBIOS session service
NetBIOS names are 16 bytes, they consist of 15 bytes followed by a 1-byte control character in HEX.
The 3 NetBIOS functional processes are:
a. Name Registration
b. Name Discovery
c. Name Release
NBTSTAT is the most useful utility related to NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
NetBIOS Name Resolution Order:Local Name Cache
Wins Server
B-Node Broadcast
LMHOSTS file
HOSTS file
DNS Server
Windows Internet Name Service
 
A WINS server:
Eliminates the need for many network broadcasts and reduces network traffic.
a. A Windows NT server on a TCP/IP network.
b. Maintains a database of mappings for IP addresses to NetBIOS names.
A WINS Client is the PC that requests a NetBIOS mapping.
The LMHOSTS file contains mappings of IP addresses to NetBIOS names, and is a static file.
WINS provides a distributed database for registering and querying dynamic NetBIOS names to IP address mappings in a routed network environment.
WINS provides Point to Point name resolution - A PC requests an IP address mapping directly from the WINS server.
For WINS to work there must be at least 1 WINS server. 2 would be better for load sharing.
A WINS proxy agent or server extends the name resolution of WINS to non-WINS clients, such as UNIX.
WINS proxies don't register names, they listen for name resolution broadcasts from non-WINS clients. These broadcasts will not cross a router.
When multiple WINS servers are used sharing of database information is used between servers to keep information up-to-date this is called Replication.
A PULL partner is a WINS server that pulls in replication of database entries from its partner by requesting and then accepting the replications.
A PUSH partner is a WINS server that sends update notification messages to its partner when its database has changed.
The 4 WINS database files are stored in the \systemroot\system32\wins directory.
Windows NT server includes a utility called jetpack, which can be used to compact a WINS database.
TCP/IP Host Names & Browsing the Network
When connecting to a computer by its host name, the host name must be resolved to an IP address by:
a. Domain Name System (DNS)The HOSTS file - a text file on the local computer that has entries for host names and IP addresses.
When connecting your network to the internet you must register your domain name with the InterNIC.
Ping is a simple utility that uses the ICMP to send an echo request to an IP address.
TELNET is used to establish remote command sessions on PC's, routers, print server's etc.
FTP is a TCP/IP utility that copies files from 1 computer to another.
When adding hosts to the HOSTS file, it's necessary to use the fully qualified domain name of any host in a different DNS domain.
Browsing enables a user to search through the NT domains and severs to find files or printers.
There are 3 types of browsers:
a. Domain master browsers
b. Master browsers
c. Backup browsers
A potential browser is a computer that can become a master or backup browser.
A master browser is responsible for collecting information about the servers in its workgroup or the servers in its domain that are on the same subnet.
A domain master browser receives lists of resources from each master browser in the internetwork, compiling a list of all resources available on the internetwork.
A backup browser receives the resource list from the master browser and fulfils browse requests from the clients in its domain/workgroup.
A browser election is a process to determine which computer will be the master browser.
Domain Name Service
Every network interface card or connection has a unique 48-bit numeric ID called a Media Access Control (MAC) address, displayed in HEX.
To access another host, you need to know its IP address or host name.
NIS provides a centrally managed file distribution system for mainly UNIX based hosts.
A DNS record consists of a name, record type and an IP address.
The fully qualified domain name is the name of the host suffixed by a period, followed by the domain name.
DNS is not a dynamic service like WINS and DHCP.
The root servers provide addresses to the domain servers associated with that root.
A secondary DNS server is a backup server with a copy of the zone information from the master server.
The first database needed is the primary zone for your domain.
The primary zone requires a reverse address zone to store reverse order records, called PTR records.
The DNS manager utility can manager a local or remote server.
Use the DNS manager utility to add records to either a primary or a secondary zone.
The DNS manager can connect to other DNS servers and act as a backup server. This is known as a secondary zone within DNS.
Host name resolution order:
Local host name
HOSTS file
DNS Servers
WINS (NetBIOS)
B-Node Broadcast
LMHOSTS file
 
TCP/IP Services & Tools
The most common uses of UNIX connectivity are for FTP and WWW services.
LPD (Line Printer Daemon) printing service allows printing from operating systems that would normally not be able to print to Windows NT services.
RAS common connections are PPP (Point to Point Protocol) or SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol)
PPP is a cross-platform protocol that can be used to connect to both NT and UNIX systems.
RAS connections must have TCP/IP connections.
RAS clients can use statically assigned IP addresses, dynamically assigned IP addresses or both.
Network monitor is used to track network usage.
A MAC address is assigned to a NIC by the hardware manufacturer.
The only type of DNS message is a request from a client.
Simple Network Management Protocol
 
SNMP provides a simple method for remotely managing virtually any network device.
SNMP allows large networks to be brought under control from a central location.
SNMP requires a SNMP management system and a SNMP agent to function.
An SNMP agent responds to GET, GET NEXT and SET commands issued by a management system.
TRAP is issued only by SNMP agents.
You can not perform performance Monitor monitoring of TCP/IP without first installing the SNMP service.
Management Information Bases (MIB) define a hierarchical structure of manageable objects, which define what may be monitored and configured on a network device with a management system.
Internet MIB II provides a standard set of objects essential to fault tolerance and management in an internet environment.
The SNMP service is installed manually.
The SNMPUTIL.EXE utility allows the SNMP service to be verified so that it can communicate with management systems correctly.
Troubleshooting
 
A network TCP/IP problem occurs when data is not being passed between networks.
A subnet TCP/IP problem occurs when data is not being passed between hosts on the same subnet.
A host TCP/IP problem occurs when a host computer is configured incorrectly, other users can not communicate with it.
A service TCP/IP problem occurs when a service i.e. TELNET, FTP or DNS is not functioning correctly.
PING is used to test connectivity and verify that a TCP/IP address is reachable.
Use PING when troubleshooting in successive order :Loopback address
Local Host
Default gateway
Far side of the router
Remote host.
ARP utility is used to view and amend IP address to MAC address translation tables.
NETSTAT utility is used for protocol statistics and active connections using TCP/IP.
NBTSTAT utility is used for protocol statistics and active NBT connections describe NetBIOS over TCP/IP.
IPCONFIG utility relates the entire TCP/IP configuration present on you PC.
TRACERT utility is used to locate failures along a TCP/IP communications path.
ROUTE utility is used to configure network routing tables.
NSLOOKUP is used to examine information from DNS servers.
HOSTNAME displays the IP host name of the local machine.
NET START, NET STOP Starts or stops a network service.
Event viewer and Network monitor are tools that analyse and identify TCP/IP connectivity issues.
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