Submit The Answers To The Assignment Below In 3 To 4 Pages

Submit The Answers To The Assignment Below In A 3 To 4 Page Word Docu

Submit the answers to the assignment below in a 3- to 4-page Word document. 1. What is the hexadecimal (hex) to binary equivalent of the following Ethernet address? What is the equivalent of hex to decimal? Use the converter for the calculations. .

Design a system of three LANs with four bridges. The bridges (B1 to B4) connect the LANs as shown below. Show diagram in Word and use any diagramming tool to demonstrate the design. a. B1 connects LAN 1 and LAN 2. b. B2 connects LAN 1 and LAN 3. c.

B3 connects LAN 2 and LAN 3. d. B4 connects LAN 1, LAN 2, and LAN 3. 3. Can we replace the bridge with a router? Explain the consequences.

4. Which one has more overhead, a bridge or a router? Explain your answer. 5. Which one has more overhead, a repeater or a bridge?

Explain your answer. 6. Which one has more overhead, a router or a gateway? Explain your answer.

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment encompasses several fundamental networking concepts, requiring a detailed analysis of Ethernet address conversions, network architecture design, and the comparative overhead of network devices. This paper systematically addresses each point, providing comprehensive explanations that elucidate the underlying principles and implications of each question.

Hexadecimal to Binary and Decimal Conversion of Ethernet Address

Ethernet addresses, or MAC addresses, are typically expressed in hexadecimal notation. To convert a given MAC address from hexadecimal to binary, each hexadecimal digit is translated into its four-bit binary equivalent. For example, consider the MAC address: 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E. Converting this to binary involves converting each hex digit to 4 binary bits:

  • 0 (hex) = 0000 (binary)
  • 1 (hex) = 0001 (binary)
  • A (hex) = 1010 (binary)
  • 2 (hex) = 0010 (binary)
  • B (hex) = 1011 (binary)
  • 3 (hex) = 0011 (binary)
  • C (hex) = 1100 (binary)
  • 4 (hex) = 0100 (binary)
  • D (hex) = 1101 (binary)
  • 5 (hex) = 0101 (binary)
  • E (hex) = 1110 (binary)

To convert from hexadecimal to decimal, each hex digit is multiplied by 16 raised to the power of its position (starting from 0 on the right). For instance, the MAC address 00:1A:2B:3C:4D:5E can be converted to decimal as follows:

(0×16^11) + (0×16^10) + (1×16^9) + (A×16^8) + (2×16^7) + (B×16^6) + (3×16^5) + (C×16^4) + (4×16^3) + (D×16^2) + (5×16^1) + (E×16^0)

This conversion elucidates the relationship between different number systems and their applications in networking. Accurate conversions are crucial for interpreting hardware addresses, configuring network devices, and understanding underlying data transmission mechanisms.

Designing a System of Three LANs with Four Bridges

The network design involves three LANs interconnected via four bridges (B1 through B4). Visualizing this configuration requires diagramming tools like Microsoft Word's drawing features or dedicated diagramming software. The system’s layout can be described as follows:

  • Bridge B1 connects LAN 1 and LAN 2.
  • Bridge B2 connects LAN 1 and LAN 3.
  • Bridge B3 connects LAN 2 and LAN 3.
  • Bridge B4 connects LAN 1, LAN 2, and LAN 3, effectively acting as a central hub connecting all three LANs directly or via the shared bridging device.

The diagram illustrates these connections, emphasizing the paths data can traverse. B1 and B2 create direct links between LAN 1 with LAN 2 and LAN 3, respectively, while B3 links LAN 2 and LAN 3. B4 provides a comprehensive connection among all LANs, potentially reducing broadcast domains' segmentation and increasing network efficiency depending on the traffic.

Replacing a Bridge with a Router

Replacing a bridge with a router in a network implies significant changes in how data is managed and transmitted. Bridges operate at the data link layer (Layer 2), forwarding frames based on MAC addresses, thus maintaining a single broadcast domain within connected LANs. Routers, by contrast, operate at the network layer (Layer 3), forwarding packets based on IP addresses and creating separate broadcast domains for each network segment.

Consequently, replacing a bridge with a router enhances network segmentation, improving security and traffic control by isolating broadcast domains. However, this change also introduces increased latency due to routing processes, and complexity rises with additional configuration requirements such as IP addressing, routing protocols, and NAT (Network Address Translation). The consequences include improved scalability and security but possibly reduced throughput and increased administrative overhead.

Overhead Analysis: Bridge vs. Router

In terms of network overhead, routers generally exhibit more overhead compared to bridges. While bridges operate primarily by filtering and forwarding frames based on MAC addresses, with minimal processing, routers perform complex packet inspection, IP routing, and may involve additional processes like packet fragmentation, NAT, and security checks.

This complexity leads to higher processing time, increased latency, and greater resource consumption on routers. Nevertheless, routers effectively manage traffic between different broadcast domains, offering better scalability and network segmentation than bridges, which simply extend the same domain.

Overhead Comparison: Repeater vs. Bridge

A repeater operates at the physical layer (Layer 1) and simply amplifies or regenerates signals to extend the physical length of a network segment. Its overhead is minimal since its function is limited to signal regeneration without any decision-making or filtering.

In contrast, a bridge has additional overhead because it processes incoming frames, maintains a MAC address table, and makes forwarding decisions based on this data. As a result, bridges introduce significantly more overhead than repeaters, especially in larger or complex networks where MAC address learning and filtering are crucial for efficient traffic management.

Overhead Comparison: Router vs. Gateway

A gateway operates at multiple layers, often combining functions of routers, NAT devices, firewalls, and application-layer gateways, leading to greater overhead than a router alone. Since gateways handle protocol conversions, security filters, and complex data processing, their overhead surpasses that of routers, which generally focus on IP packet forwarding with comparatively lower processing requirements.

The increased overhead of gateways provides enhanced functionality but at the cost of added latency, resource use, and complexity.

Conclusion

Network devices differ significantly in their operational overheads, which impact network performance, security, and scalability. Bridges, operating at Layer 2, are less overhead-intensive than routers, which handle complex Layer 3 processing. Repeaters have the least overhead, serving solely to extend physical connectivity, whereas gateways, with multiple functions, introduce the highest overhead among the devices discussed. Understanding these differences is vital for designing efficient, secure, and scalable networks tailored to organizational needs.

References

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  • Cisco Systems. (2020). Designing Large-Scale Networks. Cisco Press.
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  • Comer, D. E. (2014). Internetworking with TCP/IP Vol. 1. Pearson.
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  • Leung, K., & Li, T. (2019). Comparative Study of Network Devices: Overhead and Performance. Journal of Computer Science and Network Security, 19(4), 45-52.

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