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T216 Cisco networking (CCNA)

Course Companion Introduction 2

1 The Cisco Course Gradebook 2

1.1 Taking an assessment 2

1.2 The gradebook 5

2 NetLab 8

2.1 Accessing NetLab 8

2.2 Booking a session 10

2.3 Using a booked session 13

2.4 Accessing a router 13

2.5 Saving your work 14

2.6 What if the kit is misbehaving? 16

2.7 Seeing the work you have done 16

3 Firewalls 18

3.1 I have no firewall – what do I do? 18

3.2 My firewall is stopping me from … 19

Copyright © 2008 The Open University WEB 00310 4 1.1


Introduction T216 Cisco networking uses a diverse range of technologies and techniques to enable you to access the course and ensure your personal success. Typically this means that we need to help you understand these, what their purpose is and also the technological risks involved.

This guide will offer insight on:

• the Cisco Course Gradebook and how to use this system to your personal academic advantage

• NetLab – how you can access and use this resource to assist in your practical activities

• firewalls – how to recognise and overcome any possible issues that may present themselves on this course.

1 The Cisco Course Gradebook Once you have started your studies, your tutor will be maintaining contact with you at agreed intervals. As part of this, they will be activating chapter assessments on a weekly basis. The T216 website will contain both your schedule for the chapters you must complete and deadlines for the final exams in each CCNA part.

In this section, you will learn how to:

• find a chapter assessment and complete it • look at a gradebook and use the tool to improve on any mistakes you may have

made.

1.1 Taking an assessment The chapter assessments are an essential tool in developing your understanding of the course material. They will also help to prepare you for the questioning style used in the four end-of-part final exams; these must be passed satisfactorily before you can progress to the Cisco CCNA certification exam, which must be taken at an approved test centre (Pearson Vue).

To find the assessment you should log in to the cisco.netacad.net site and visit the course homepage. The link to the assessment (‘Take Assessment’) can be found in the same place for tutors and students alike (Figure 1a).

When you have clicked on the link, you will encounter the Assessment Selection page (Figure 1b), which allows you to choose which assessment to take. There will be links to each of the chapters. The availability of the assessment will also be shown. Your tutor will have activated these assessments for a 24x7 profile per week.

Course Companion | 2


Figure 1

Once you have clicked on the assessment of choice you will be moved on to the Assessment Settings page (Figure 2); here you will be advised of the duration of the exam (essential in any final assessments). You can choose the number of questions per page, from 5 to 15. If you are in a location with bandwidth considerations you are advised to select 5, as this will guarantee that the questions are delivered to your computer desktop before there are any possible ‘timeout’ issues.

Figure 2



Finally, before you start the assessment, you will see the Take Assessment screen (Figure 3). This gives you an introduction to the assessment.

Figure 3

You will be advised of the number of questions in the assessment before you start it (look just above the Begin Assessment button). The Open University has no control over this. This is the same for each final exam, but in those the number of questions will vary from 40 upwards.

Figure 4 shows an example page with the questions blurred out. Please heed the advice given on this page: if a question asks you to select three different options then please do not pick four, as this will reduce the score you gain for this question to zero. Also, the scroll-wheel on your mouse can change the answers that you have selected for multiple-choice questions – if you choose to scroll through the exam then please ensure that you click outside each question before continuing to use the scroll-wheel.

Figure 4



You can move through the assessment by using the navigation tool at the bottom of each page. When you reach the end of the exam you will see the submit page. This may warn you that you have not completed some questions (Figure 5); if so, please use the navigation tool to go back and review the questions you may have missed.

Figure 5

Once you are satisfied, press the Grade Exam button. The assessment system will give you immediate feedback on your score. You may also wish to analyse each question, which is accomplished with the gradebook (see Section 1.2).

Reading each chapter and completing the end-of-chapter assessments will ensure you stand every reasonable chance of:

1 being successful in the TMAs (tutor-marked assignments) 2 being successful in the final assessments 3 improving your grade performance in the T216 final exam 4 obtaining your CCNA certification, when you take the commercial certification

exam.

1.2 The gradebook The gradebook is the tool that provides a link between you, your tutor, Cisco Systems and The Open University in monitoring your performance and offering assistance if required.

A key feature of the gradebook is your ability to review your chapter exams, and identify where you may need to review your understanding of some of the concepts explored.



Finding the gradebook is no different from finding any other part of the cisco.netacad.net system: it is part of your course home page (Figure 6).

Figure 6

The gradebook is a complex tool: for you, the student, the view is of your own personal performance; for the tutor, the performance of each group member is shown (Figure 7).

Figure 7

As a rule of thumb, 40% is acceptable to The Open University as a minimal pass, although higher grades are advisable; 70% is the guideline approved by Cisco Systems; and the commercial certification, which is separate from this course, requires you to accomplish over 85% to attain a pass.

To review your performance, you can view questions from assessments that you have completed and that have been ticked by your tutor. This can be done by clicking on the appropriate ‘Chapter X’ upright bar (Figure 8 shows an example).

Figure 8



In analysing your exam you will see the following, as shown in Figure 9:

1 each numbered question (with the type in brackets underneath, where MCSA indicates a multiple-choice single-answer question and MCMA indicates a multiplechoice multiple-answer question)

2 the points attributed to each question 3 how many points were available in total 4 questions you have correctly completed (indicated by the lack of information in the

table cell) 5 questions you have partially completed (indicated by a number greater than zero) 6 questions you have not succeeded in completing (indicated by a zero).

Figure 9

To look at a question you have underperformed in (any question for which you have an entry, such as questions 19 or 21 in Figure 9), click on the score in the relevant column. You will see a page similar to that shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10

It is prudent also to look at the questions you have completed successfully on the exams you have completed, as a revision review technique and to identify any ‘chance’ answers.

If, after reviewing your answer and the curriculum page the question relates to, you are still perplexed by the subject then please take the time to contact your tutor by the method agreed. They may be able to provide reassurance and insight into the issue you are facing.



Please do not waste your time retaking chapter assessments – after taking one it is important that you move on to the next, as time is limited. Your score in the final exam does not count towards your OU credit. However, it is the best way for you to judge your own performance in terms that will be tested when you take the CCNA certification exam. As the pass mark for this professional qualification is 85%, a good target mark in the final would be 80%.

It is essential you are aware that for the four final exams (CCNA 1, 2, 3 and 4) The Open University cannot enable any student to review their answers.

2 NetLab Unlike many systems you may encounter in your studies and in industry, NetLab is not a simulator but a system that allows managed remote access to live router, switch and firewall systems.

For your CCNA 2, 3 and 4 studies NetLab will be used to:

• support the e-sim and e-lab material in the Cisco Curriculum • provide ad-hoc access to live router systems whilst you follow your personal study

programme • offer assessment opportunities in select cases • act as a follow-up tool once you have attended the day schools.

2.1 Accessing NetLab Depending on the location of your tutor and the volume of demand, you may have an account on either the Open University system, which is http://netlabs.open.ac.uk, or the Barnfield College system, which is http://www.netlabs.barnfield.ac.uk.

You will be issued with a log-in name (likely to be your student PI, e.g. M1234567) and a default password, which you will replace as soon as you log in for the first time (Figure 11). In creating your NetLab profile, you will need to include a personal email address (which may be your Open University address) and the time zone you prefer to work in. At this time you will also be told which system you will be using. Please be aware that NetLab is case sensitive; any letters that are upper case must remain so.

Note: you will have only one account on one system.


http://netlabs.open.ac.uk/

http://www.netlabs.barnfield.ac.uk/


Figure 11



2.2 Booking a session Once you are in the system, you may see classes you have booked and ones booked for you (your tutor may have a session planned for you, depending on your personal needs).

To book a class for self-study, please select the Scheduler link (circled in Figure 12). Here you will be able to see the list of different classes that you are enrolled in. Click on the relevant class name and you will see a list of exercises available for reservation (Figure 13).

Figure 12

To reserve the equipment (which is termed a ‘pod’, as it consists of a collection of routers) you click on the exercise you have chosen in the Exercise Name column (an example is highlighted in Figure 13). The basic pods allow you to complete any range of commands and exercises you wish, whereas the set exercises are designed to guide you through a specific skill.



Figure 13

Once you have clicked on an exercise you will be presented with the scheduler, which will provide access to a multitude of pods, and a diary, which allows you to book a slot of up to four hours in length, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only limitations imposed are:

• You can have only one session in each 24-hour period, as we wish to ensure everyone has fair access to the system.

• NetLab automatically deducts ten minutes from any booking. These are used to reset the system.

• We would appreciate a conservative booking policy – if you only need two hours then please book two, not four.

You choose your start time by clicking on the appropriate plus icon (Figure 14a). You will then be shown a summary of what you are about to reserve (Figure 14b). If necessary, go back to the calendar to make a change. Otherwise, when you are happy, select Confirm Reservation. You will receive a message telling you that your reservation has been made (Figure 14c).

Once you have become accustomed to the system, you can enable NetLab to either reload old work from your previous session (especially if you ran out of time) or work from a clean system.



Figure 14



2.3 Using a booked session When your booked time has arrived, the system home page will show you your scheduled labs with an Enter Lab link (Figure 15).

Figure 15

The system will take a maximum of five minutes to initialise the pod, after which you will be able to start work. Figure 16 shows an example of what you might see on the screen.

Figure 16

Many exercises are based on the mesh topology as this provides the simplest, best experience of WAN load-balanced and redundant routing.

2.4 Accessing a router Simply click on one of the router icons and a Java window will appear (this is called the NetLab telnet applet). See Figure 17 for an example.

Windows XP users may need to visit www.java.com to download (free) the latest JVM (Java Virtual Machine). Alternatively, you can change your profile (see the home page of the NetLab server) to allow you to use a local telnet applet if you feel this is easier.

The NetLab telnet applet allows you to change the font size and background colour; this makes the display more accessible and is used by many students.


http://www.java.com/


Figure 17

You will have a separate NetLab telnet applet for each router, which means you will have three open simultaneously as you are configuring each device. A useful tip is to ensure each window has a different colour, as typing the wrong command into the wrong router in the wrong window is easily done (and often is the cause of great confusion and the most inappropriate language!).

2.5 Saving your work One of the considerable benefits of NetLab is the capacity for students to save their work and recall this at a later date. In your lab, you can see the Load and Save tabs (shown in Figure 18).

Figure 18

The NetLab server allows you to copy all of your router configurations to a personal file store that can be viewed by your tutor, thus aiding our ability to help you with your studies (Figure 19).

Warning: loading will mean your existing configuration will be erased. Please ensure you have saved it before using the load option.



Figure 19



2.6 What if the kit is misbehaving? No technology is perfect and routers, being complex systems, will have their problematic five minutes. If you need to restore the pod whilst you are working on your lab, you can do so. The Action tab, shown in Figure 20, offers:

1 the ability to scrub all routers or simply one 2 password recovery (if you manage to mistype and cannot re-enter the router) 3 a power recycle to reboot the routers.

Figure 20

If all else fails, book a new session on NetLab using the ‘previous configuration’ option; NetLab will do the rest.

If you feel that the problem is beyond reasonable personal intervention, please in the first instance approach your tutor, who may be able either to assist or to contact the administrators for NetLab.

In the nicest possible sense, NetLab will run for years without many issues and often the problem is the user not entering the right command on the router. But this is all part of the learning experience.

2.7 Seeing the work you have done As previously mentioned, you can save all the work you have completed on the NetLab system. At any time you can review, copy and edit this work – this can be done without booking any time on the equipment.

To use this resource, please select the File link on your NetLab homepage (circled in Figure 21).

Figure 21



You can click on any of the exercises you have saved, or any of the routers on which you have worked (Figure 22).

Figure 22



The configuration is standard Cisco format and can be copied into other Cisco equipment. NetLab also allows you to edit this file for a future exercise (Figure 23).

Figure 23

3 Firewalls A firewall is an application or hardware device that monitors the network traffic on your computer and will allow only incoming traffic that is based on an initial request created by your computer. Firewalls can also monitor applications on your computer. If they decide that there is hostile software or scripts running on your computer, they will block the application or communication involved.

So why this section?

• If you do not have a firewall on the computer system you are using, it is vitally important that you consider protecting your computer(s).

• Many of you taking this course will not have any issues with your firewall. However, some of you may find that your firewall is blocking cisco.netacad.net and NetLab.

The Open University CCNA course looks in a small part at firewalls and how they operate; here I will refrain from technical discussion, and look instead at how you may consider resolving any issues you may encounter.

3.1 I have no firewall – what do I do? Depending on your operating system, there are many answers to this question and many free solutions. If you are using a third-party system (such as one that belongs to an internet café, an educational institution or your employer) you can (almost) safely assume they have such systems in place, and do not need to be concerned.

There are two types of firewall you can obtain:

• hardware, which is a device you will have to purchase and fit between your computer and your broadband/ADSL connection

• software, which in most home systems will reside on your computer.



3.1.1 Hardware firewalls Most wireless or wired broadband and ADSL modems come with a firewall component. If you are unsure, you are advised to complete an internet search on the model/make to establish what its capabilities are.

If you feel that a broadband and ADSL modem is the ideal solution, there are many high-street and web-based retailers who offer adequate technology for around £20 to £50.

3.1.2 Software firewalls The Online Applications CD, which you should have received on starting this course or from another course with The Open University, contains all the software you need to succeed on this course. If you follow the menu, you will be able to install the firewall provided (Kaspersky Anti-Hacker).

Alternatively, if you have Windows XP, service pack 2, the firewall is adequate protection for the purposes of this course. To check whether the Windows XP firewall is operational, you can go to Settings/Control Panel/Security Center (Figure 24).

Figure 24

If you are using a system that is not Windows based, such as Linux, you can find a comprehensive list of suitable firewalls at:

http://www.linux.org/apps/all/Networking/Firewalls.html


http://www.linux.org/apps/all/Networking/Firewalls.html


3.2 My firewall is stopping me from … The most common complaint tutors and course managers receive when the course starts is ‘I cannot log in’. This is often caused by some well-known firewalls, on offer from most high-street retailers, doing their job too well.

Please note: the problem could also be user error. Are you logging in to the righthand side of cisco.netacad.net, not the top left? Have you used the correct password and/or username?

The Cisco website uses Java Server Pages (JSP) to check your password and log-in. JSP (see http://java.sun.com/products/jsp/ if you want more information) is considered as potentially malicious script by these firewalls.

Some possible solutions are as follows:

• Read the firewall manual, and add cisco.netacad.net to the list of trusted websites.

• Check to see if you can add JSP to any trusted scripting tools. • Check to see if you have the same problem with the firewall disabled (but please

do not treat this as a permanent solution). • Discuss with your network manager the possibility of adding cisco.netacad.net to

the corporate list of trusted sites. If you are still having issues:

• Consider installing another firewall (hardware or software). Using NetLab occasionally causes some students issues. Firewalls block communication channels (called ports), but NetLab requires port 23 to be open (for communication via telnet). On a private firewall this is seldom an issue, as you are initiating the communication. However, corporate firewalls and access control lists (see CCNA 2) normally block this, so employees do not hack into central services. Again tact, diplomacy and explaining why you need this access may persuade the network manager to consider adapting the access policies to suit your studies.


http://java.sun.com/products/jsp/

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