Packet Guide to Routing and Switching: Exploring the Network Layer

by Bruce Hartpence

Overview

Go beyond layer 2 broadcast domains with this in-depth tour of advanced link and internetwork layer protocols, and learn how they enable you to expand to larger topologies. An ideal follow-up to Packet Guide to Core Network Protocols, this concise guide dissects several of these protocols to explain their structure and operation.

This isn’t a book on packet theory. Author Bruce Hartpence built topologies in a lab as he wrote this guide, and each chapter includes several packet captures. You’ll learn about protocol classification, static vs. dynamic topologies, and reasons for installing a particular route.

This guide covers:

• Host routing—Process a routing table and learn how traffic starts out across a network
• Static routing—Build router routing tables and understand how forwarding decisions are made and processed
• Spanning Tree Protocol—Learn how this protocol is an integral part of every network containing switches
• Virtual Local Area Networks—Use VLANs to address the limitations of layer 2 networks
• Trunking—Get an indepth look at VLAN tagging and the 802.1Q protocol
• Routing Information Protocol—Understand how this distance vector protocol works in small, modern communication networks
• Open Shortest Path First—Discover why convergence times of OSPF and other link state protocols are improved over distance vectors

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449315245
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/25/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	180
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Bruce is a faculty member in the Network, Security and Systems Administration (NSSA) Department in the Golisano College of Computing and Information Science (GCCIS) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York. He splits his time between teaching, projects and writing.

Table of Contents

Preface;
Audience;
Contents of This Book;
Conventions Used in This Book;
Using Code Examples;
Safari® Books Online;
How to Contact Us;
Content Updates;
Acknowledgments;
Chapter 1: Routing and Switching Strategies;
1.1 Switching: Forwarding and Filtering Traffic;
1.2 Routing: Finding Paths;
1.3 IPv6;
1.4 Reading;
1.5 Summary;
1.6 Review Questions;
1.7 Review Answers;
1.8 Lab Activities;
Chapter 2: Host Routing;
2.1 The Decision Process;
2.2 Host Routing Tables;
2.3 Addressing;
2.4 Tracking the Packets;
2.5 Reading;
2.6 Summary;
2.7 Review Questions;
2.8 Review Answers;
2.9 Lab Activities;
Chapter 3: Spanning Tree and Rapid Spanning Tree;
3.1 Why Are Loops Bad?;
3.2 The Structure of Spanning Tree BPDUs;
3.3 The Operation of Spanning Tree;
3.4 Spanning Tree Messages;
3.5 Cisco Improvements;
3.6 VLANs and Spanning Tree;
3.7 The Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol;
3.8 Security;
3.9 Reading;
3.10 Summary;
3.11 Review Questions;
3.12 Review Answers;
3.13 Lab Activities;
Chapter 4: VLANs and Trunking;
4.1 Problem: Big Broadcast Domains;
4.2 What Is a VLAN?;
4.3 What is a Trunk?;
4.4 VLAN Design Considerations;
4.5 Reading;
4.6 Summary;
4.7 Review Questions;
4.8 Review Answers;
4.9 Lab Activities;
Chapter 5: Routing Information Protocol;
5.1 Version 1 Versus Version 2;
5.2 Protocol Description;
5.3 Structure;
5.4 Basic Operation;
5.5 Advanced Operation;
5.6 How Do I Get Off of My Network?;
5.7 RIP and Loops;
5.8 Security;
5.9 RIP and IPv6;
5.10 Reading;
5.11 Summary;
5.12 Review Questions;
5.13 Review Answers;
5.14 Lab Activities;
Chapter 6: Open Shortest Path First;
6.1 Protocol Description;
6.2 Being Link State;
6.3 Structure and Basic Operation;
6.4 Advanced Operation;
6.5 OSPF and IPv6;
6.6 Reading;
6.7 Summary;
6.8 Review Questions;
6.9 Review Answers;
6.10 Lab Activities;
Colophon;