CCNA-INTERVIEW What is a router?

A router is a device that connects more than one physical network, or segments of a network, using IP routing software. As packets reach the router, the router reads them and forwards them to their destination. CISCO ROUTER BOOTUP PROCESS Booting up the Router Cisco routers can boot Cisco IOS software from these locations: 1. Flash memory 2. TFTP server 3. ROM (not full Cisco IOS) Locating the Cisco IOS Software Default boot sequence for Cisco IOS software: 1. NVRAM 2. Flash (sequential) 3. TFTP server (network boot) 4. ROM (partial IOS)

Booting up the router and locating the Cisco IOS

1. POST (power on self test) 2. Bootstrap code executed 3. Check Configuration Register value (NVRAM) which can be modified using the config-register command 0 = ROM Monitor mode 1 = ROM IOS 2 - 15 = startup-config in NVRAM

4. Startup-config file: Check for boot system commands (NVRAM)

If boot system commands in startup-config

a. Run boot system commands in order they appear in startup-config to locate the IOS b. [If boot system commands fail, use default fallback sequence to locate the IOS (Flash, TFTP, ROM) If no boot system commands in startup-config use the default fallback sequence in locating the IOS: a. Flash (sequential) b. TFTP server (netboot) c. ROM (partial IOS) or keep retrying TFTP depending upon router model 5. If IOS is loaded, but there is no startup-config file, the router will use the default fallback sequence for locating the IOS and then it will enter setup mode or the setup dialogue. 6. If no IOS can be loaded, the router will get the partial IOS version from ROM

Default (normal) Boot Sequence

Power on Router - Router does POST - Bootstrap starts IOS load Check configuration register to see what mode the router should boot up in (usually 0x102 to 0x10F to look in NVRAM) - check the startup-config file in NVRAM for bootsystem commands (normally there aren't any) - load IOS from Flash.

Boot System Commands

Router (config)# boot system flash IOS filename - boot from FLASH memory Router (config)# boot system tftp IOS filename tftp server ip address - boot from a TFTP server Router (config)# boot system rom - boot from system ROM Configuration Register Command Router (config)# config-register 0x10x (where that last x is 0-F in hex) When the last x is: 0 = boot into ROM Monitor mode 1 = boot the ROM IOS 2 - 15 = look in startup config file in NVRAM

ROM Monitor (ROMMON)

The ROM monitor is a bootstrap program that initializes the hardware and boots the Cisco IOS-XR software when you power on or restart a Cisco router. This mode is accessed only manually interrupting the boot process and placing the system in ROMMON access this mode. Once in ROMMON, you can perform ROM monitor tasks, including reinstalling the Cisco IOS-XR software, recovering passwords etc. Two ways to enter ROM monitor mode are provided:

Reset the Configuration Register and Reload the Router Manually Halt the Initialization Process During System Reload

Discuss WAN (wide area network)

A WAN is extended over longer distances that a LAN (local area network). It can range from a few miles to across the world. TCP/IP is

the primary WAN protocol and was developed to provide reliable, secure data transmissions over long distances.

Static routing
It is simply the process of manually entering routes into a device's routing table. These routes can be entered by a network administrator who configures the routes manually. Admin overhead.

Dynamic Routing
A routing protocol is used find the best path to the destination Router overhead.

RIP
1. The Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a distance-vector protocol that uses hop count as its metric 2. It is an interior gateway protocol (IGP), which means that it performs routing within a single autonomous system 3. RIP routers maintain only the best route (the route with the lowest metric value) to a destination. 4. RIP is a dynamic, distance vector routing protocol. 5. RIP is a classful routing protocol. 6. RIP cannot handle more than 15 hops. 7. RIP is inefficient because RIP prefers paths with the shortest hop count. The path with the shortest hop count might be over the slowest link in the network.

EIGRP

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) is an advanced distance vector routing protocol Advanced operational efficiency Capabilities of both link state and distance vector A classless routing protocol EIGRP uses bandwidth, delay, load and reliability to calculate the metric for its routing table. EIGRP uses a DUAL algorithm to avoid loops.

OSPF
Open Shortest Path First is a routing protocol that supports the concept of a core area to which everything attaches. It uses a link state routing. An OSPF domain is divided into areas. Areas are logical groupings of hosts and networks, including their routers having interfaces connected to any of the included networks. Each area maintains a separate link state database whose information may be summarized towards the rest of the network by the connecting router. Thus, the topology of an area is unknown outside of the area. This reduces the amount of routing traffic between parts of an autonomous system. OSPF selects the best routes by finding the lowest cost paths to a destination Area 0 is known as backbone area. All other OSPF areas must be connected to backbone area.

OSPF Router Types

Internal Routers An internal router connects only to one OSPF area. All of its interfaces connect to the area in which it is located and does not connect to any other area. Backbone Routers Backbone routers have one or more interfaces in Area 0 (the backbone area). Area Border Router (ABR) A router that connects more than one area is called an area border router or ABR. Usually an ABR is used to connect nonbackbone areas to the backbone

Autonomous System Boundary Router (ASBR)

If the router connects the OSPF Autonomous System to another Autonomous System, it is called an Autonomous System Boundary Router (ASBR).

Designated Router (DR)

The Designated Router (DR) is the router to which all other routers within an area send their Link State Advertisements. The Designated Router will keep track of all link state updates and make sure the LSAs are flooded to the rest of the network using Reliable Multicast transport.

Backup Designated Router (BDR)

The BDR takes over from the DR when the DR fails.

What is an autonomous system?

An autonomous system is one network or sets of networks under a single administrative control. It breaks up parts of the network into manageable chunks. An AS is a connected group of IP networks that follows to a single and clearly defined routing policy.

What is BGP?

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), performs routing between different autonomous systems. It is an exterior gateway routing protocol that enables groups of routers (called autonomous systems) to share routing information.

What mask would you use to supernet two class C addresses?

The subnet would be 255.255.254.03

ARP (ADDRESS RESOLUTION PROTOCOL)

It is used to find the MAC Address with known IP address. A host wishing to obtain a physical address broadcasts an ARP request onto the TCP/IP network. The host on the network that has the IP address in the request then replies with its physical hardware address.

Reverse ARP (RARP)

A host to discover its IP address can use it. In this case, the host

broadcasts its physical address and a RARP server replies with the host's IP address.

SUBNET

A subnet is a logical grouping of connected network devices When subnets are properly implemented, both the performance and security of networks can be improved.

DNS

The DNS translates Internet domain and host names to IP addresses.

DNS server
A DNS server is any computer registered to join the Domain Name System. A DNS server runs special-purpose networking software, features a public IP address, and contains a database of network names and addresses for other Internet hosts.

NAT definition
NAT translates the IP addresses of computers in a local network to a single IP address. It maps private IP addresses to public IP addresses Process of assigning a public address to a computer (or group of computers) inside a private network Used to access resources outside the Local Area Network, like the Internet

VLAN (Virtual LAN)

Logical grouping of networks Implementing VLAN increases the no. Of broadcast domains. Improved Administration Efficiency Virtual Groups Enhanced Network Security

Why not just subnet my network?

Each VLAN should be in its own subnet. The benefit that a VLAN provides over a subnetted network is that devices in different physical locations, not going back to the same router, can be on the same network. The limitation of subnetting a network with a router is that all devices on that subnet must be connected to the same switch and that switch must be connected to a port on the router.