NetWithHiru-Blog-Series-01

 

My First Networking Project: Connecting

Accounts and Delivery Departments

Introduction


This project focuses on the design and implementation of an inter-departmental network using Cisco Packet Tracer. The network connects two departments, Accounts and Delivery, ensuring efficient communication through proper IP addressing and routing configurations. The project demonstrates fundamental networking concepts such as subnetting, device configuration, and connectivity testing in a simulated environment.

Objectives

  • To design a simple network connecting the Accounts and Delivery departments
  • To configure IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways using the 192.168.40.0 network
  • To implement routing between two different networks using a router
  • To connect all devices using appropriate network cables
  • To verify network connectivity between departments using the ping command
  • To gain practical experience in using Cisco Packet Tracer for network simulation

Network Requirements

  • The network should include two departments: Accounts and Delivery
  • Each department must contain at least two PCs
  • Appropriate networking devices such as switches and a router must be used
  • All devices should be configured using the given IP network 192.168.40.0
  • Proper IP addresses, subnet masks, and default gateways must be assigned
  • All devices must be connected using appropriate cables
  • The network should allow communication between both departments
  • Devices in the Delivery department should be able to successfully ping devices in the Accounts department

Network Topology

Device Configuration

Router Configuration
enable
configure terminal

interface g0/0
ip address 192.168.40.1 255.255.255.192
no shutdown

interface g0/1
ip address 192.168.40.65 255.255.255.192
no shutdown

PC Configuration

Each PC was manually configured with an IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway

Cabling Details

  • Straight-through cable used between PCs and switches Straight-through
  • Straight-through cable used between PCs and switches Straight-through

Connectivity Testing

  1. Open Command Prompt on any PC in Packet Tracer
  2. Type:
     ping [ip address]
  1. If the ping is successful, connectivity between departments is working

Results

All devices in Accounts and Delivery departments were able to communicate successfully. The network was configured correctly with proper IP addressing, routing, and cabling.

Challenges

During this project, I encountered a few challenges:

  • Router Configuration: Configuring the router interfaces with the correct IP addresses and subnet masks was difficult at first. I had to carefully match each interface to the correct subnet for Accounts and Delivery departments.
  • Subnetting Confusion: Dividing the 192.168.40.0 network into two subnets was challenging initially. I had to calculate the correct subnet ranges to avoid IP conflicts.

Conclusion

This being my first blog, I am proud to document my journey into hands-on networking. Designing and implementing an inter-department network using Cisco Packet Tracer not only helped me understand IP addressing, subnetting, and router configuration but also gave me practical experience in troubleshooting and problem-solving. While setting up the router and ensuring connectivity was challenging, overcoming these obstacles made the learning process very rewarding.

Moving forward, I plan to expand this blog with more advanced networking topics such as VLANs, DHCP configuration, and network security simulations. I also hope to share tips, screenshots, and step-by-step guides for other students who are starting their own networking

Location: Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nervous, Excited, and Proud — My pfSense Configuration Journey

Image
  My pf Sense Configuration Journey    .🖉 When my lecturer told us we would be setting up a firewall using pfSense, I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. This is the story of how I went from zero experience to successfully logging into a pfSense dashboard and everything that went wrong (and right) along the wa y. Starting Fresh: VMware for the First Time The first thing I had to do was set up a virtual machine environment. I had heard about VMware before, but I had never actually used it. My go-to had always been VirtualBox so even before I touched pfSense, I was already stepping into unfamiliar territory. Installing VMware was a new experience on its own. The interface looked different from what I was used to, and I had to take some time to get comfortable with how it worked. It was a small hurdle, but it reminded me that in this module, almost everything would be new. Installing pfSense: More Steps Than I Expected Once VMware was ready, it was time to...
Read more

Ethical Hacking Journey

Image
Blog #3 - I Installed Kali Linux Before My Lecturer Even Mentioned It One big reason I got into this path is Wenura Mendis sir and his streaming channel Vibernet Sreaming . Watching his content opened my eyes to the world of ethical hacking and cybersecurity in a way that felt real and practical not just theory. It inspired me to stop watching and start doing. So when I enrolled in the Cisco Networking Academy Ethical Hacking course, I didn't want to just follow along in class. I wanted to get my hands dirty before anyone told me to. That's where this whole Kali Linux journey began. "I didn't wait to be taught. I broke things, fixed them, broke them again - and learned more than any classroom could have given me in a single week." If you've been following my blog series, you already know I don't wait around. The moment I enrolled in the Cisco Networking Academy Ethical Hacking course, I knew I needed Kali Linux on my machine. Not next week. Not when ...
Read more