CompTIA

Network+ Guide
to Networks,
Ninth Edition

Module 9: Wide Area

Networking

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May no
t be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Module Objectives
By the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Identify the fundamentals of IPv6 Addressing

2. Identify the fundamental elements of Ports and Sockets

3. Identify the fundamental elements of WAN service options

4. Explain how routers manage internetwork communications

5. Compare and contrast WAN connectivity technologies

6. Troubleshoot common connection problems

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 IPv6 Addresses

• An IPv6 address has 128 bits written as eight blocks of hexadecimal numbers separated by
colons
• Ex: 2001:0000:0B80:0000:0000:00D3:9C5A:00CC
• Each block is 16 bits
• Leading zeros in a four-character hex block can be eliminated
• If blocks contain all zeroes, they can be written as double colons (::), only one set of
double colons is used in an IP address
• Therefore, above example can be written two ways:
• 2001::B80:0000:0000:D3:9C5A:CC
• 2001:0000:B80::D3:9C5A:CC (this is the preferred method because it contains the
fewest zeroes)

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Types of IPv6 Addresses (1 of 4)

• Unicast address - specifies a single node on a network

• Global address can be routed on the Internet
• Link local address can be used for communicating with nodes in the same link
• Loopback address can be used to test that an interface and supporting protocol stack
are functioning properly
• Multicast address – delivers packets to all nodes on a network
• Anycast address - can identify multiple destinations, with packets delivered to the closest
destination

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Types of IPv6 Addresses (2 of 4)

Figure 3-16 Three types of IPv6

addresses

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Types of IPv6 Addresses (3 of 4)

Figure 3-18 The ipconfig command

shows IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
assigned to this computer

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Types of IPv6 Addresses (4 of 4)

• IPv6 autoconfiguration
• IPv6 addressing is designed so that a computer can autoconfigure its own link local IP
address
• This process is called SLAAC (stateless address autoconfiguration)
• Step 1 - The computer creates its IPv6 address
• It uses FE80::/64 as the first 64 bits (called prefix)
• The last 64 bits are generated from the network adapter’s MAC address
• Step 2 - The computer checks to make sure its IP address is unique on the network
• Step 3 - The computer asks if a router on the network can provide configuration information
• This message is called an RS (router solicitation) message

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Ports and Sockets (1 of 2)

• A port is a number assigned to a process that can receive data

• Port numbers ensure data is transmitted to the correct process among multiple
processes running on a single device
• A socket consists of host’s IP address and the port number of an application running on the
host
• A colon separates the two values
• Example - 10.43.3.87:23
• Port numbers are divided into three types:
• Well-known ports - 0 to 1023
• Registered ports - 1024 to 49151
• Dynamic and private ports - 49152 to 65535

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Ports and Sockets (2 of 2)

Figure 3-19 A virtual connection for

the Telnet service

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 WAN Essentials

• WAN and LAN differences include the following:

• LANs connect nodes; WANs connect networks spread over wide geographic area
• LANs are privately owned
• WANs are typically owned and operated by NSPs (network service providers) which
includes telcos and cable companies
• Examples include AT&T, Verizon, Spectrum, and Comcast

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Entry Point Equipment (1 of 3)

• If you have DSL or cable Internet service, you need a modem to connect to the service
• A modem is a modulation/demodulation device that converts digital to analog signals
• Data Terminal Equipment (DTE) is the customer’s endpoint device on the WAN
• Communicates on the LAN and is owned by the customer
• Data Communications Equipment (DCE) is the carrier’s endpoint device for the WAN
• Communicates on the WAN and is owned by the ISP
• Equipment located on the customer’s premises is called CPE (customer premises
equipment)
• Demarc (demarcation point) is the point where the carrier’s responsibility ends and the
customer’s responsibility begins

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Entry Point Equipment (2 of 3)

Figure 9-2 A router and a modem

define the endpoints where a LAN
connects to a WAN

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Entry Point Equipment (3 of 3)

• CSU/DSU (channel service unit/data service unit) – serves as the endpoint for a
dedicated connection between an ISP and a customer
• The Channel Service Unit (CSU) is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the
digital signal as it traverses the telecommunications line. It handles functions such as
framing, error detection, and signal regeneration
• The Data Service Unit (DSU) handles the interface between the CSU and the DTE
device, converting the data format used by the DTE to the appropriate format for
transmission over the digital circuit. It also performs functions such as clocking and
buffering to ensure smooth data transmission
• Together, the CSU and DSU form a vital component of a digital communication
system, ensuring reliable and efficient transmission of digital data over long distance

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Protocols (1 of 3)

• A router joins two or more networks and passes packets from one network to another
• Routers can do the following:
• Connect dissimilar networks (LANs and WANs)
• Interpret Layer 3 and often Layer 4 addressing
• Determine the best path for data to follow from point A to point B
• Routers may perform any of the following optional functions:
• Filter broadcast transmissions
• Prevent certain types of traffic from getting to a network
• Support simultaneous local and remote connectivity
• Provide high network fault tolerance through redundant components
• Monitor network traffic and report statistics
• Diagnose internal or other connectivity problems and trigger alarms

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Protocols (2 of 3)

• Router categories:
• Core routers, also called interior routers, direct data between networks within the
same autonomous system (AS)
• Edge routers, or border routers, connect an autonomous system with an outside
network
• Exterior routers refers to any router outside the organization’s AS
• Direct data between autonomous systems

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Protocols (3 of 3)

Figure 9-4 Core, edge, and exterior

routers

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Tables (1 of 2)

• A routing table is a database that holds information about where hosts are located and the
most efficient way to reach them
• Routers rely on them to identify which router is the next hop to reach a particular
destination host
• Routing tables contain IP addresses and network masks that identify a network that a host
or another router belongs to

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Tables (2 of 2)

Figure 9-5 Routers rely on routing

tables to locate destination hosts

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Path Types

• Routing paths are determined in one of two ways

• Static routing – A network administrators configures a routing table to direct messages
along specific paths
• Example - a static route between a small business and its ISP
• Dynamic routing – A router automatically calculates the best path between two networks
and maintains this information in a routing table
• The router can detect problems with failed or congested routes and reroute messages
through a different path

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Metrics

• Routing metrics are properties of a route used by routers to determine the best path to a
destination:
• Hop count
• Theoretical bandwidth and actual throughput
• Delay, or latency, on a potential path
• Load, or the traffic or processing burden
• MTU (maximum transmission unit), or the largest IP packet size in bytes allowable
without fragmentation
• Routing cost, or a value assigned to a particular route
• Reliability of a potential path
• Topology of a network

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Protocols to Determine Best Paths

• Routing protocols are used by routers to communicate with each other to determine the
best path
• Routers rate the reliability and priority of a routing protocol’s data based on these criteria:
• AD (administrative distance) – a number indicating the protocol’s reliability
• Convergence time – the time it takes to recognize a best path in the event of a change
or network outage
• Overhead – the burden placed on the underlying network to support the protocol

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Interior and Exterior Gateway Protocols (1 of 3)

• IGPs (interior gateway protocols) are routing protocols used by core routers and edge
routers within autonomous systems and are often grouped according to the algorithms they
use to calculate best paths:
• Distance-vector routing protocols calculate path on the basis of the distance to that
destination
• Link-state routing protocols enables routers to communicate beyond neighboring
routers in order to independently map the network and determine the best path
• EGPs (exterior gateway protocols) are used by edge routers and exterior routers to
distribute data outside of autonomous systems

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Interior and Exterior Gateway Protocols (2 of 3)

• OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is an IGP and a link-state protocol used on interior or
border routers
• Characteristics include the following:
• Supports large networks - imposes no hop limits (unlike RIP)
• Complex algorithm – calculates a more efficient best path
• Shared data – maintains a database of other routers’ links
• Low overhead, fast convergence – demands more memory and CPU power for
calculations, but keeps network bandwidth to a minimum and provides a very fast
convergence time
• Stability – uses algorithms that prevent routing loops
• Multi-vendor routers – supported by all modern routers

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Interior and Exterior Gateway Protocols (3 of 3)

• EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) is an advanced distance-vector

protocol that combines some of the features of a link-state protocol
• It is often referred to as a hybrid protocol
• Offers fast convergence time and low network overhead
• It is easier to configure and less CPU-intensive than OSPF
• Supports multiple protocols and limits unnecessary network traffic between routers
• EIGRP was originally proprietary to Cisco routers

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 WAN Connectivity

• WAN connectivity options include the following:

• Broadband – cables and bandwidth are shared between multiple customers
• The ISP makes a “best effort” attempt to provide up to advertised bandwidth
• Bandwidth is asymmetrical (asynchronous) which means download speeds are
faster than upload speeds

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

• DSL (digital subscriber line) is a WAN connection method that operates over the PSTN
(public switched telephone network)
• DSL supports multiple data and voice channels over a single line
• It requires repeaters for longer distances
• The distance between the customer and CO affect actual throughput
• DSL uses advanced data modulation techniques
• A DSL connection might use a modulation technique based on amplitude or phase
modulation to alter the waves at higher frequencies to carry data

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Cable Broadband (1 of 3)

• Cable broadband (also called cable Internet or cable modem access) is based on coaxial
cable wiring used for TV signals
• Cable broadband was standardized by an international cooperative effort
• It yielded a suite of specifications called DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface
Specifications)
• Service is typically offered at asymmetric speeds
• Such as up to 70 Mbps download and 7 Mbps upload
• The newest DOCIS standard is 4.0 and allows for symmetric multi-gigabit speeds up to 10
Gbps downstream and 6 Gbps upstream
• HFC (hybrid fiber coaxial) networks use fiber-optic cabling to connect the cable
company’s distribution center to distribution hubs and then to optical nodes near customers

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Cable Broadband (2 of 3)

Figure 9-13 HFC infrastructure

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Cable Broadband (3 of 3)

• A cable modem modulates and demodulates signals for transmission and reception via
cable wiring
• They operate at the physical and data Link layers of the OSI model
• A cable modem may connect to connectivity device such as a router or switch
• It is possible to use a device that combines cable modem functionality with a SOHO router
to share available bandwidth on an entire network
• Cable broadband provides a dedicated and continuous connection
• It does require many subscribers to share the same local line which raises concerns about
security and actual throughput

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Leased Lines

• Leased lines provide dedicated bandwidth on fiber optic connections

• A dedicated line offers the following advantages:
• Dedicated bandwidth
• Symmetrical bandwidth
• SLA-backed guarantee
• Ongoing monthly costs of a leased line vary greatly depending on many factors:
• Required bandwidth
• The distance to the ISP’s exchange or between the company’s own locations

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) (1 of 2)

• MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) enables multiple types of Layer 3 protocols to travel
over any one of several connection-oriented Layer 2 protocols
• MPLS can handle various types of payloads
• It is often used by ISPs on their own networks for moving traffic from one customer site to
another
• MPLS labels include information about where the router should forward the message next
• The labels may also include prioritization information
• The primary benefits of MPLS include the following:
• MPLS connections are highly scalable for business
• Customers can prioritize their own traffic across the WAN
• The ability to label traffic offers more reliability, predictability, and security

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) (2 of 2)

Figure 9-20 Label switching routers

simply forward the message without
calculating routes

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Internet Connectivity Issues

• When you lose Internet connectivity, troubleshooting can help determine the location of the
problem and the party responsible for repairing the connection
• The following list presents some common issues to look for on your own equipment:
• Interface error
• DNS issues
• Router misconfiguration
• Interference

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Interface Problems (1 of 2)

• Several commands provide insights into device and interface performance, vulnerabilities,
and misconfigurations
• With Cisco devices, different commands are available depending on the mode you’re in
• To step up to privileged EXEC mode, enter the enable command
• show config
• You can see the device’s running-config file with the command show running-config
(or sh run)
• show interface
• To get an overview of all the device’s interfaces, enter the command show interface
(or sh int)

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Interface Problems (2 of 2)

Figure 9-29 A router’s interface

information

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Issues (1 of 2)

• On a Cisco router, the show ip route command lists the router’s routing table
information
• Common routing issues include the following:
• Missing route
• Routing loop
• Asymmetrical routing

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Routing Issues (2 of 2)

Figure 9-30 A router’s routing table

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
 Summary
Now that the lesson has ended, you should be able to:

• Identify the fundamentals of IPv6 Addressing

• Identify the fundamental elements of Ports and Sockets

• Identify the fundamental elements of WAN service options

• Explain how routers manage internetwork communications

• Compare and contrast WAN connectivity technologies

• Troubleshoot common connection problems

Jill West, CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 9th Edition. © 2022 Cengage. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned,
copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.