Table of Contents for
Packet Tracer Network Simulator

Version ebook / Retour

Cover image for bash Cookbook, 2nd Edition Packet Tracer Network Simulator by Jesin A Published by Packt Publishing, 2014
  1. Cover
  2. Table of Contents
  3. Packet Tracer Network Simulator
  4. Packet Tracer Network Simulator
  5. Credits
  6. About the Author
  7. About the Reviewers
  8. www.PacktPub.com
  9. Preface
  10. Who this book is for
  11. Conventions
  12. Reader feedback
  13. Customer support
  14. 1. Getting Started with Packet Tracer
  15. Installing Packet Tracer
  16. Interface overview
  17. Creating a simple topology
  18. Summary
  19. 2. Network Devices
  20. Customizing devices with modules
  21. Emulating WAN
  22. Accessing the CLI
  23. Summary
  24. 3. Generic IP End Devices
  25. Servers
  26. Other end devices
  27. Configuring end devices
  28. Summary
  29. 4. Creating a Network Topology
  30. Testing connectivity with PDUs
  31. Using the simulation mode
  32. Clustering a topology
  33. Summary
  34. 5. Navigating and Modifying the Physical Workspace
  35. Moving devices physically
  36. Managing cables and distances
  37. Customizing icons and backgrounds
  38. Summary
  39. 6. Configuring Routing with the CLI
  40. Dynamic routing protocols
  41. The Routing table
  42. Load sharing
  43. Summary
  44. 7. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
  45. BGP versus dynamic routing protocols
  46. Configuring BGP in Packet Tracer
  47. Summary
  48. 8. IPv6 on Packet Tracer
  49. IPv6 static and dynamic routing
  50. Using both IPv4 and IPv6
  51. Summary
  52. 9. Setting Up a Wireless Network
  53. Wireless networks and physical workspaces
  54. Summary
  55. 10. Configuring VLANs and Trunks
  56. InterVLAN routing with routers and layer 3 switches
  57. Switch-to-switch trunk links
  58. Analyzing broadcasts in the simulation mode
  59. Summary
  60. 11. Creating Packet Tracer Assessments
  61. The initial network
  62. The answer network
  63. Testing the activity
  64. Summary
  65. Index

Managing cables and distances

The physical view adds a dimension of distance for wired and wireless devices. This is very useful for working out the placement of wireless devices.

Cable distances

Measuring a cable is as easy as placing the pointer on a cable in the physical view (as shown in the following screenshot):

Cable distances

Standard copper Ethernet cables can extend up to a length of 100 meters; let's test this with the physical view:

  1. Create the same two PC topologies that we used previously (as shown in the following screenshot) but use the copper cable instead of the fiber one.
  2. In the physical view, move both the PCs to the intercity by following the instructions in the previous section.
  3. Navigate to the intercity and check the distance between them. If the distance is less than 100 meters, move them further apart, until the distance between them is more than 100 meters.
    Cable distances
  4. Now come back to the logical view and you'll find that the link status of both the PCs is red because the connection came down due to the distance.
  5. Delete the link between the PCs and place a Repeater-PT from the hubs section. Connect both the PCs to the repeater with a copper straight-through cable. The link still remains down because this repeater was placed in the main wiring closet (which is still at a larger distance) that is very far from the intercity, as shown in the following screenshot:
    Cable distances
  6. Move to the physical view, navigate to the Main Wiring Closet and move the repeater to the intercity. Go to the intercity and place the hub between the two PCs. Now you'll find that the link comes up as the repeater boosts the signal.

Cable manipulation

Let's move to the cable manipulation part of the physical workspace. Once you have a lot of devices, it becomes confusing to see which cable connects to what. Packet Tracer's physical workspace has a feature that allows cables to be color coded.

To color-code a cable, click on a wire in the physical view, choose Color Cable from the context menu, and pick a color from the Select Color dialog box. The following screenshot shows cables after they've been color coded:

Cable manipulation

The physical workspace also has a bend point creation feature that can be used to remove the tangled look of cables. To create a bend point, click on a cable and choose Create bendPoint from the context menu. Any number of bend points can be created on a single link, as shown in the following screenshot:

Cable manipulation

In addition, bend points can also be grouped together to form group points. To create a group point, drag a bend point and place it on another bend point. The red circle changes to a yellow square, as shown in the following screenshot:

Cable manipulation

To delete a bend point, use the delete tool from the Common Tools bar and click on the bend point. This removes only the bend point; the connection still remains.

To delete a group point, use the same delete tool and click on the group point. A context menu contains options to either ungroup a single bend point or to ungroup all. This removes only group points; the bend points remain as it is.