Cisco Packet Tracer Introduction

Cisco Packet tracer is a simulator software used to illustrate at a basic level how network work. It is used to create & simulate network virtually. It gives similar situation close to as exists physical. Packet tracer is developed at Cisco Systems. It is a dominant and energetic tool that show the various protocols used in networking.

Cisco Packet tracer includes layer 2 protocols such as Ethernet and PPP, layer 3 protocols such as IP, ICMP, and ARP, and layer 4 protocols such as TCP and UDP. Routing protocols can also be traced. Packet Tracer is a supplement to and not a replacement for experience with real equipment. Click here to download Packet tracer software.

Choosing Devices and Connections 

Here we will begin building our first cisco packet tracer network topology by selecting devices and the media in which to connect them. Several types of devices and network connections can be used. Here in this lab, we will keep it simple by using End Devices, Switches, and Connections. 
Single click on each group of devices and connections you will see the various choices. When we select a device in the left panel, in the right panel we see all the listed devices of that type. 

Adding a Switch

 

Select a switch, by clicking once on the left panel and then click once on any switch at the right panel.

Add the switch by moving the plus sign “+”  and click on the topology area.  It will draw a switch at the topology area of packet tracer

Adding an End Device to Topology 

Select end devices at the left panel, by clicking once and then select a PC

Add the PC by moving the plus sign “+” below  SW0, and click once to place PC in topology. 

Perform the above steps to place 3 more PCs at the topology.

 

Connecting All PCs with Switch

Select a connection at the left panel by clicking once and then select an automatically choose connection type by clicking once.  

After clicking automatically choose connection type click on PC0 and then on switch0. It will connect pc0 to switch0

Perform this process for all other 3 PCs

If you don’t want to use in automatically choose a connection type, then select appropriate connection type and do the following steps.  
Click once on PC0

• Choose Fast Ethernet


• Drag the cursor to Switch0


• Click once on Switch0 and choose FastEthernet0/1


• Notice the green link lights on PC0 Ethernet NIC and amber light Switch0 FastEthernet0/1 port. The switch port is temporarily not forwarding frames, while it goes through the stages for the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) process.


• After an about 30 seconds the amber light will change to green indicating that the port has entered the forwarding stage. 

You can see the port number moving the cursor over the link light. It will show Ethernet type and number.

Try out more topologies at different scenarios. That will increase your packet tracer skills.