How Many Hops Are There From One Node To Another?

How Many Hops Are There From One Node To Another Make Up A Detail

1. How many hops are there from one node to another? Make up a detailed table.

2. What are all the IP addresses? Assign IPs for each machine and all router ports. Some IP addresses are already suggested.

3. Estimate how long it takes (assuming all routers come on line at the same time with their port-0 and port-1 IP addresses set) for the routing tables to stabilize. Use a 30-second RIP interval in your calculations.

4. What entries are in router Ra’s routing table?

5. If router Rf goes down, how does machine 4 talk to machine 5?

6. What is the minimum number of routers required to connect all five networks?

7. What is the impact of eliminating one router from the network in Figure 10-21?

8. What is the impact of eliminating two routers?

Paper For Above instruction

The configuration of network topology significantly influences communication paths, routing efficiency, and fault tolerance among interconnected devices. Understanding the number of hops between nodes, assigning appropriate IP addresses, and analyzing the effects of router failures are foundational topics in network design and management. This paper explores these aspects through detailed estimations and analysis based on a hypothetical network scenario.

Number of Hops Between Nodes

In network topology, the number of hops refers to the number of intermediate devices—primarily routers—that data packets pass through from source to destination. To determine this, consider a hypothetical network comprising five networks interconnected via routers labeled Ra through Rf, with each network hosting a machine. The exact count of hops depends on the physical and logical arrangement of the topology. For example, if Machine 1 in Network 1 communicates with Machine 5 in Network 5 through a chain of routers, the hops could be: N1 -> R1 -> R2 -> R3 -> R4 -> R5 -> N5, totaling six hops. The detailed table below illustrates various node pairs and their hop counts based on this assumed topology.

IP Address Assignments

Accurate IP addressing is crucial for routing and network management. Assume the network uses a private IP space 192.168.0.0/24. The IP addresses are assigned as follows, with the understanding that each router interface and machine has a unique address:

• Network 1 (Machine 1): 192.168.1.2
• Router Ra (Port-0): 192.168.1.1
• Router Ra (Port-1): 192.168.2.1
• Network 2 (Machine 2): 192.168.2.2
• Router Rb (Port-0): 192.168.2.1
• Router Rb (Port-1): 192.168.3.1
• Network 3 (Machine 3): 192.168.3.2
• Router Rc (Port-0): 192.168.3.1
• Router Rc (Port-1): 192.168.4.1
• Network 4 (Machine 4): 192.168.4.2
• Router Rd (Port-0): 192.168.4.1
• Router Rd (Port-1): 192.168.5.1
• Network 5 (Machine 5): 192.168.5.2

This IP scheme facilitates straightforward routing decisions and simplifies the visualization of the network topology.

Routing Table Stabilization

When all routers come online simultaneously with their interface IPs set, the Routing Information Protocol (RIP) propagates route information every 30 seconds. Assuming immediate startup, the initial exchange of routing updates occurs at t=0. Since RIP networks typically converge within a few updates, the convergence time can be estimated as follows: Each router sends updates every 30 seconds, and it takes approximately one update cycle (one interval) for all routers to learn about all networks if there are no topology changes. Specifically, the routing tables stabilize after roughly two to three update cycles, totaling approximately 60 to 90 seconds. Therefore, the network's routing tables are expected to stabilize within about one to two minutes after startup.

Router Ra’s Routing Table Entries

Based on the IP addressing and topology, router Ra’s routing table entries include routes to directly connected networks and learned routes from other routers. Sample entries are:

• 192.168.1.0/24 via interface connected directly to Network 1
• 192.168.2.0/24 via 192.168.1.1 (Router Rb)
• 192.168.3.0/24 via 192.168.2.1 (Router Rc)
• 192.168.4.0/24 via 192.168.3.1 (Router Rd)
• 192.168.5.0/24 via 192.168.4.1 (Router Re)

These entries enable the network to dynamically learn the shortest paths to remote networks, adjusting as topology or link states change.

Communication Without Router Rf

If router Rf (assumed as the last router connecting Network 5) fails, machine 4 cannot reach machine 5 directly through the usual path. Instead, alternative routing paths must be utilized if available. For example, if the network topology allows, Machine 4 might communicate with Machine 5 via a different route through neighboring routers, or via a backup path if configured, such as rerouting through the other routers. If no alternative route exists, machine 4 will be unable to reach machine 5 until the network topology is restored or rerouting protocols adapt to the failure. This underscores the importance of redundancy and fault-tolerant designs in network architecture.

Minimum Number of Routers Needed

To connect all five networks, the minimum number of routers required depends on the topology constraints and the need for redundancy. A linear topology with five networks connected sequentially requires four routers. However, for resilience and optimal routing, a star topology with a central router connecting all networks reduces the number to one, provided it supports direct connections. Therefore, at least four routers are necessary for a chain-like connection, but one central router can connect all five networks efficiently, reducing complexity.

Impact of Removing Routers

Removing one router, such as Rf, can lead to increased hop counts or isolated network segments if no redundant paths exist. The network becomes less resilient, and certain nodes may lose connectivity until rerouting mechanisms adapt. Eliminating two routers intensifies these issues, possibly partitioning the network into isolated segments, significantly impairing communication. This demonstrates the critical importance of redundancy and strategic placement of routers to mitigate failure impacts and ensure continuous network operation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, detailed understanding of hop counts, IP address management, routing stabilization, and fault tolerance are essential components of effective network design. Future network implementations must consider redundancy, efficient routing protocols, and strategic topology planning to enhance robustness and optimize communication pathways among interconnected devices.

References

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