TITLE: STATIC ROUTING CONFIGURATION
THEORY:
Routing is a critical process within networking that involves transmitting data packets from one
network to another. It is carried out by devices operating at the network layer, such as routers,
which make determinations about the most optimal path for delivering packets. These decisions
are based on the information stored in routing tables.
A routing table serves as a data structure used by routers to ascertain the next hop for forwarding
packets. It comprises a list of network destinations along with their associated paths. When a
router receives a packet, it consults the routing table to identify the appropriate path for
forwarding the packet towards its intended destination.
Static routing is a technique that involves manually configuring routing tables, wherein the
network administrator defines specific routes for packets to follow. It is also referred to as
nonadaptive routing since the routes are preconfigured and do not automatically change based on
network conditions.
Network administrators employ static routes when there is a singular or preferred route for traffic
to reach a particular host or network. Static routing is simpler and less computationally intensive
compared to dynamic routing because it does not entail complex routing algorithms. Each
destination in a static routing table has only one entry, resulting in a relatively small table.
However, due to their manual configuration, static routes do not adapt automatically to changes
in the network. If the network topology changes or new routes need to be added, administrators
must update the static routing configurations manually. Static routing is typically utilized in
small networks where changes are infrequent and a high level of security is desired.
To configure a static route on a router, the following command is used: Router(config)# ip route
(network address) (subnet mask) (next-hop IP address/exit interface)
"IP Route" indicates the initiation of static route configuration.
"Network Address" denotes the address of the destination network.
"Subnet Mask" represents the subnet mask associated with the destination network.
"Next-Hop IP Address/Exit Interface" specifies either the IP address of the router
connected to the desired network or the exit interface through which the packet should be
sent.
By configuring static routes, network administrators gain manual control over traffic flow,
ensuring efficient and secure delivery of packets to their intended destinations.
OBSERVATION:
In the given network configuration, two 2960 series switches are connected. Three PCs are
connected to each switch using Fast Ethernet (FA) ports, specifically FA0/2, FA0/3, and FA0/4.
To establish connectivity between the switches and the PCs, straight-through cables are used.
Additionally, each switch is connected to a router using a Fast Ethernet (FA) port. These
connections also utilize straight-through cables. Another router is introduced, and all routers are
interconnected using serial DTE cables.
The IP addresses for the first set of PCs (PC1, PC2, and PC3) are configured as follows: PC1 is
assigned the IP address 192.168.0.2, PC2 is assigned 192.168.0.3, and PC3 is assigned
192.168.0.4. The subnet mask for all three PCs is set as 255.255.255.192, and the default
gateway for all of them is 192.168.0.1.
Similarly, the second set of PCs (PC4, PC5, and PC6) are assigned IP addresses as follows: PC4
is assigned 192.168.0.66, PC5 is assigned 192.168.0.67, and PC6 is assigned 192.168.0.68. The
subnet mask remains the same (255.255.255.192), and the default gateway for all three PCs is set
to 192.168.0.65.
Moving on to the router configurations, for Router 0, the IP addresses are assigned as
192.168.0.129 for serial interface Serial0/2/0 and 192.168.0.134 for Serial0/2/1. For Router 1,
the IP addresses are configured as 192.168.0.130 and 192.168.0.137 for its serial interfaces.
Similarly, Router 2 is assigned IP addresses of 192.168.0.133 and 192.168.0.138 for its serial
interfaces.
Finally, the Fast Ethernet port (FA0/0) of Router 0 is configured with the IP address 192.168.0.1,
while the Fast Ethernet port (FA0/0) of Router 1 is configured with the IP address 192.168.0.65.
By assigning these IP addresses and configuring the network accordingly, communication can be
established between the PCs and routers within the network.
Static routing of router 0
Static routing for router 1
Static routing for router 2
In this way, the static routing were configured for each routers. We manually specified the routes
including IP address of destination network, subnet mask ,and next hop address for each router to
connect different destination networks. Finally, we were able to achieve the communication
between PCs at different networks as shown in figure below.
OUTPUT:
CONCLUSION:
During the lab, we focused on static routing, manually configuring routes for communication
between separate networks. Static routing offers simplicity and control, allowing precise traffic
direction. It's ideal for stable network layouts with predictable paths. We optimized traffic flow,
prioritizing critical data, and enhancing performance. Static routing proved effective, providing
simplicity, control, and traffic optimization. However, it requires manual configuration and lacks
dynamic adaptation to network changes. Careful consideration of network stability and
anticipated modifications is essential.
