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Shooting Trouble with IP

As more and more companies are adopting IP-based networks, the jobs of network engineers and analysts are becoming more demanding. Learn about IP protocols and packets, addressing, and routing protocol topics to get you started with IP troubleshooting.
This chapter is from the book

This chapter focuses on a number of objectives falling under the CCNP Troubleshooting guidelines. Understanding basic TCP/IP troubleshooting principles not only applies to the CCNP certification but to all industry certifications. A solid understanding of how IP works is essential for troubleshooting any small, medium, or large network.

This chapter and the remaining chapters assume knowledge of the previous chapters, which deal conceptually with protocol characteristics, models, troubleshooting methods, support tools, and resources. Each chapter starts by introducing a hands-on chapter scenario. To gain practical experience, build the network in the scenario if at all possible and follow along. If that isn't possible, the content and explanations are detailed enough for you to learn from without needing the equipment in front of you. Several integrated walk-through scenarios and Trouble Tickets enable you to benefit from the added learning advantages offered by practical application. After the Shooting Trouble with IP scenario, I explore TCP/IP concepts, symptoms, problems, and action plans.

This chapter covers the following topics:

  • Scenario: Shooting Trouble with IP
  • Protocols and Packets
  • Addressing
  • Routing Protocols
  • Trouble Tickets
  • Trouble Tickets Solutions

Supporting Website Files

You can find files and links to utilities that support this book on the Cisco Press website at http://www.ciscopress.com/1587200570. Even if you do not have a lab, you can take advantage of the supporting configuration files including the logs to understand device input and output. The files are listed throughout the chapters in italics.

In order to be able to read and work with some of the supporting files offered at http://www.ciscopress.com/1587200570, you may want to download some of the programs listed in Table I-1 in the Introduction.

Scenario: Shooting Trouble with IP

It is now time to get started with the practical Shooting Trouble with IP scenario. First, add the additional equipment, perform a write erase or erase startup-config to clear your configurations from previous labs, and rewire according to Figure 3-1.

NOTE

My lab uses the 2514, 2501, 3640, 3620, and 2516 Cisco routers, but yours can include any number of devices that have similar interfaces. See Appendix C, "Equipment Reference," for the hardware used throughout the book.

Figure 01Figure 3-1 Shooting Trouble with IP


The scenario goal is to put in the basic configurations, and then add Routing Information Protocol (RIP) as the routing protocol to work toward end-to-end connectivity between the hosts. Where appropriate, use best practices such as descriptions on interfaces, hosts tables, and so on. Configure r1 and work your way through r5. As always, test and document along the way and when you finish configuring.

Remember, however, that there is not always one right or wrong way to accomplish the tasks presented. The ability to obtain the end result using good practices is extremely important in any real-world network. My troubleshooting and device configurations start in Example 3-1; you can compare your work to that and perhaps see a different approach to obtaining the end result. Figure 3-2 shows a picture of my lab before wiring, and Figure 3-3 shows the after-wiring picture. I have physically labeled each of my devices so that I don't have to think about that later. Refer back to Figure 3-1 as you continue to set up and troubleshoot.

Figure 02Figure 3-2 Scenario Lab Photo Before Wiring


Figure 03Figure 3-3 Scenario Lab Photo After Wiring


The terminal server at the top of the equipment stack in Figure 3-2 is not a required piece of equipment for the lab, but more a convenience. I am using a Cisco 2511 with the first five terminal leads connected to each of the console ports on my five routers. See Appendix C for more information on how to configure a terminal server and use one for your lab. My 2511 configuration is in Example 3-1 with the significant output shaded.

Example 3-1 Terminal Server Configuration (2511)

ts#show running-config 
...
hostname ts
enable password donna
ip subnet-zero
ip host r1 2001 1.1.1.1
ip host r2 2002 1.1.1.1
ip host r3 2003 1.1.1.1
ip host r4 2004 1.1.1.1
ip host r5 2005 1.1.1.1
interface Loopback0
 ip address 1.1.1.1 255.0.0.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
...
line con 0
 transport input none
line 1 16
 transport input all
 no exec
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 exec-timeout 30 0
 password donna
 logging synchronous
 login
end

Although I give you Figures 3-1 through 3-3, it is really a better practice to draw your own network diagram. Some people prefer columns and rows of this type of data, but I prefer colorful diagrams to assist with troubleshooting later. For example, you might draw your devices and media with a blue pen, label the IP parameters with a black pen, label IPX parameters with a red pen, draw a green circle around the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) areas, and so on. Label which interfaces are DCE or DTE for your lab. Document device names, locations, Layer 2 and Layer 3 addresses, routed and bridged protocols, routing protocols, access control lists (ACLs), configuration files, and verify full connectivity. Perform some simple ping and trace tests (see Table 3-1), run show tech-support, and document some more. All of this gives you a starting point for normal baseline activity when your network is running well. Keep in mind that I want you to concentrate only on IP-related baselining for this chapter.

NOTE

You will adjust your hands-on lab for new equipment, software, protocols, media, services, problems, and so on as you progress through various Trouble Tickets and chapters. Feel free to substitute whatever equipment you have for the hosts, routers, and switches in Figure 3-1. All 2600s and 3600s, or better yet all 6500s, would be nice, but that isn't what I have either.

Table 3-1 gives you a layered yet divide-and-conquer approach to quickly spotting IP issues. It would be wonderful if I could tell you to just start at the first item in the table and work your way through, but you need to think methodically (as Chapter 1, "Shooting Trouble," suggested). It is helpful to divide and conquer along the way in practical application to quickly narrow down the real problem. If you can't communicate with your gateway, for instance, it is a little difficult to communicate with a remote host. If you can't communicate with yourself, it is impossible to communicate with a local host.

Table 3-1 IP Troubleshooting Checklist

Isolating Problems

Commands and Symptoms

Check MAC address, IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and other static or DHCP1 parameters.

Windows NT/2000: ipconfig /all
Windows 95/98: winipcfg
UNIX: ifconfig

Ping your loopback from your workstation to see whether the TCP/IP stack is loaded.

ping 127.0.0.1

Ping yourself from your workstation to verify your NIC2.

ping 192.168.1.11

Ping a local host from your workstation to verify local communications.

ping 192.168.1.12

Ping your default gateway from your workstation to verify you can communicate with your local router interface.

ping 192.168.1.1

Are you getting ARPs3 from the gateway? If so, the gateway's MAC address should be in the workstation ARP table.

arp –a

Ping a remote host and another if it fails from your workstation.

ping 192.168.3.5

Perform a trace to the remote host to find hop-by-hop router issues.

Windows: tracert [-d]
UNIX/Cisco: traceroute

Is it a host problem or a router problem?

show ip interface brief
show run interface e0
show ip interface e0
show interfaces e0
show ip route
show ip protocols
show ip arp
show ip cache
show ip access-list

Combine ping and trace to look for packet loss in the path.

pathping 192.168.3.5

Use an application to test the upper layers.
NetBIOS issues
Sockets issues

Start => Run \\192.168.3.5
Find computer
nbtstat –A IP_address
ping 192.168.3.1
telnet 192.168.3.1
ftp 192.168.3.1
tftp 192.168.3.1

Eliminate any name resolution issues by not using hostnames or NetBIOS names at first.

When other things are working, fix any name resolution issues. Ensure name resolution files are in their required locations and have the appropriate names. Troubleshoot files, DNS4/WINS5 servers, and the network issues to and from these devices.

Name resolution
DNS, hosts file, NIS tables
WINS, lmhosts file (NetBIOS)
nbtstat –c (view cache)
nbtstat –R (reload cache)
Microsoft Browser services (NetBIOS issues)
Start, Run \\computername
Find computer or net view
nbtstat –A IP_address
Sockets issues
ping hostc
telnet hostc


NOTE

Although the commands I use in this book are in their complete form, using truncated commands is virtually a mandatory practice in the real world. More importantly however, you should know the submode from which the command can be issued. At times I tend to issue global configuration commands in interface submode. This works just fine assuming that you don't need help in the midst of the command. If you are unsure, however, type the command from the appropriate submode and make use of the Tab key and ? for help.

Using the scenario diagram in Figure 3-1, configure r1 similar to what is in Example 3-2. My r1 is a Cisco 2514, but you can use any Cisco router that has two Ethernet interfaces and two serial interfaces for the lab. My passwords are all donna because that is easy to remember for the labs, but that is exactly why they should not all be donna for practical application. Throughout the following examples, I have made a few careless mistakes that you may or may not make. I will troubleshoot them when all my routers are configured per the scenario diagram.

Example 3-2 r1 Configuration (2514)

Router>enable
Router#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)#hostname r1
r1(config)#enable password donna
r1(config)#line vty 0 4
r1(config-line)#login
r1(config-line)#password donna
r1(config-line)#exit
r1(config)#interface ethernet 0
r1(config-if)#description e0 to hosta and hostb
r1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
r1(config-if)#no shut
00:10:12: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0, changed state to up 
00:10:13: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0,
  changed state to up
r1(config)#interface ethernet 1
r1(config-if)#description e1 to r2e0 
r1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.4.1 255.255.255.0
r1(config-if)#no shut
r1(config-if)#interface serial 0
r1(config-if)#description s0 to r5s0
r1(config-if)#ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
r1(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r1(config-if)#no shut
00:13:11: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to down
r1(config-if)#ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
r1(config)#ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
r1(config)#$192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
r1(config)#ip host r4 10.2.2.2
r1(config)#ip host r5 10.1.1.2
r1(config)#router rip
r1(config-router)#network 192.168.1.0
r1(config-router)#network 192.168.2.0
r1(config-router)#network 192.168.4.0
r1(config-router)#network 10.1.1.0
r1(config-router)#end
r1#copy running-config startup-config

NOTE

For the first router configuration, I illustrate the enable command to take you into enable mode Router# and the configure terminal command to take you to the global configuration mode Router(config)#, where the Cisco output reminds you that you can press Ctrl+Z to return to enable mode from any prompt. Alternatively, you can type end to return to the privileged prompt (enable mode) or exit to back up one level at a time. I will assume from this point on that you are very comfortable with entering and exiting these modes and therefore I will eliminate the initial enable and configure terminal commands from my examples.

Remember that the dollar sign ($) at the beginning of a line of user input is the Cisco IOS indication that the text was too much for the width of the terminal screen. You can always press Ctrl+A to get to the beginning or Ctrl+E to get to the end of a line.

Now move on to configuring r2 as in Example 3-3. My r2 is a Cisco 2501, but you can use any Cisco router that has at least one Ethernet interface and two serial interfaces for the lab. I copied the hosts table lines from r1 and pasted them into this configuration. In future examples, I plan to just paste the configuration for the hosts table and passwords to save a little typing.

Example 3-3 r2 Configuration (2501)

Router(config)#hostname r2
r2(config)#enable password donna
r2(config)#line vty 0 4
r2(config-line)#login
r2(config-line)#password donna
r2(config-line)#exit
r2(config)#interface ethernet 0
r2(config-if)#description e0 to r1e1
r2(config-if)#ip address 192.168.4.2 255.255.255.0
r2(config-if)#no shut
r2(config-if)#int 
00:41:44: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Ethernet0, changed state to up
00:41:45: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Ethernet0,
  changed state to ups0
r2(config-if)#description s0 to r3s0/1
r2(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r2(config-if)#ip address 192.168.6.1 255.255.255.0
r2(config-if)#no shut
00:42:22: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial0, changed state to down
r2(config-if)#interface serial 1
r2(config-if)#description s1 to r3s0/2
r2(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r2(config-if)#ip address 192.168.5.1 255.255.255.0
r2(config-if)#router rip
r2(config-router)#network 192.168.4.0
r2(config-router)#network 192.168.5.0
r2(config-router)#network 192.168.6.0
r2(config-router)#exit
r2(config)#ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
r2(config)#ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
r2(config)#$192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
r2(config)#ip host r4 10.2.2.2
r2(config)#ip host r5 10.1.1.2
r2(config)#end
r2#copy running-config startup-config

NOTE

The shaded output may appear a little confusing in text and is quite annoying in practice. Had I turned on logging synchronous, my input would not have been interrupted. You should do this for your configurations.

Configure the rest of your routers now and check your work using the following examples. I copied the text in Example 3-4 to Windows Notepad to easily paste it into r3, r4, and r5.

Example 3-4 Notepad File Including Passwords and Hosts Table

enable password donna
ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
ip host r3 192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
ip host r4 10.2.2.2
ip host r5 10.1.1.2
line vty 0 4
login
password donna
line console 0
logging synchronous
exit

Example 3-5 and Example 3-6 start my r3 configuration. My r3 is a Cisco 3640, but you can use any Cisco router that has at least one Ethernet interface and four serial interfaces for the lab. Although the capabilities are not important in this chapter, having multiple serial interfaces on a router enables you to set up your own Frame Relay switch later in the book. Depending on the capabilities, the Fast Ethernet interface will give you an opportunity to experiment with duplex and speed concepts as well.

Note in Example 3-5 that I attempted to configure the e0 interface when it was really fa2/0 that I needed to configure. A physical inspection of the device confirmed that the Fast Ethernet port was located in Slot 2; because you can't physically see my device, however, I proceeded with the show interfaces command.

NOTE

In practical troubleshooting, don't forget the little things. For example, the position of the caret (^) is quite helpful in finding exactly where the syntax error exists within a line.

Wherever you see ... I eliminated some of the output to shorten the length of the configuration.

Example 3-5 r3 Configuration (3640)

Router(config)#hostname r3
r3(config)#enable password donna
r3(config)#ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
r3(config)#ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
r3(config)#$192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
r3(config)#ip host r4 10.2.2.2
r3(config)#ip host r5 10.1.1.2
r3(config)#line vty 0 4
r3(config-line)#login
r3(config-line)#password donna
r3(config-line)#line console 0
r3(config-line)#logging synchronous
r3(config-line)#exit
r3(config)#int e0
        ^
% Invalid input detected at '^' marker.
r3(config)#end
r3#show interfaces
Serial0/0 is administratively down, line protocol is down 
 Hardware is CD2430 in sync mode
...
FastEthernet2/0 is administratively down, line protocol is down 
 Hardware is AmdFE, address is 00b0.6481.e300 (bia 00b0.6481.e300)
 MTU 1500 bytes, BW 100000 Kbit, DLY 100 usec, rely 255/255, load 1/255
 Encapsulation ARPA, loopback not set, keepalive set (10 sec)
 Half-duplex, 100Mb/s, 100BaseTX/FX
 ARP type: ARPA, ARP Timeout 04:00:00
...
r3#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
r3(config)#interface fastethernet 2/0
r3(config-if)#ip address 192.168.3.1 255.255.255.0
r3(config-router)#interface serial 0/0
r3(config-if)#desc r3s0/0 to r1s1
r3(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r3(config-if)#clock rate 64000
r3(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.2 255.255.255.0
r3(config-if)#no shut
r3(config-if)#interface serial 0/1
r3(config-if)#description r3s0/1 to r2s0
r3(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r3(config-if)#clock rate 64000
r3(config-if)#ip address 192.168.6.2 255.255.255.0
r3(config-if)#no shut
r3(config-if)#interface serial 0/2
r3(config-if)#description r3s0/2 to r2s1
r3(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r3(config-if)#clock rate 64000
r3(config-if)#ip address 192.168.5.2 255.255.255.0
r3(config-if)#no shut

Finish configuring r3, r4, and r5 and test your configurations.

Now that you have configured your lab, perform some basic lower-layer tests to verify your drawing and your internetwork. Make sure all used interfaces are in a line protocol up state as in Example 3-6; if they are not in a line protocol up state, fix any noticeable problems at this point. Notice how show ip interface brief is a very appropriate command to quickly spot lower-level issues.

Example 3-6 IP Interface Testing

r1>show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status        Protocol
Ethernet0       192.168.1.1   YES NVRAM  up            up   
Ethernet1       192.168.4.1   YES manual up            up   
Serial0         10.1.1.1      YES NVRAM  up            up   
Serial1        unassigned   YES unset administratively down down  
r2>show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status        Protocol
Ethernet0       192.168.4.2   YES NVRAM   up          up   
Serial0         192.168.6.1   YES NVRAM   up          up   
Serial1         192.168.5.1   YES NVRAM administratively down down  
r3>show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address       OK? Method Status        Protocol
Serial0/0       192.168.2.2      YES unset  down          down  
Serial0/1       192.168.6.2      YES unset  up            up   
Serial0/2       192.168.5.2      YES unset  down          down  
Serial0/3       unassigned       YES unset  down          down  
...
FastEthernet2/0    192.168.3.1   YES manual up            down  
r4>show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status        Protocol
Ethernet0/0      unassigned   YES unset administratively down down  
Serial0/0       10.2.2.2    YES manual down         down  
Serial0/1       unassigned   YES unset administratively down down  
r5>sh ip int brie 
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status           Protocol
BRI0          unassigned     YES unset  administratively down down  
BRI0:1         unassigned    YES unset  administratively down down  
BRI0:2         unassigned    YES unset  administratively down down  
Ethernet0       unassigned   YES unset  administratively down down  
Serial0        10.1.1.2      YES manual up          up   
Serial1        unassigned    YES unset  administratively down down

NOTE

In the real world of supporting networks, I typically use the shortcut sh ip int brie to quickly identify my interface status and addresses. I spell brief out to the cheese (brie) just in case there are any ISDN Basic Rate Interfaces (BRI).

Think about these line and protocol issues. Target the lower layers to get all the required interfaces to a status of up/up before you continue. Check your work using the following examples.

First I spotted, for interface s1, the unassigned IP address and the administratively down status on r1, which I correct in Example 3-7. Because my interface command was interrupted once more, I must have forgotten logging synchronous on r1, so I added it and saved the configuration.

Example 3-7 Correcting Interface Issues on r1

r1(config)#interface serial 1
r1(config-if)#description s1 to r3s0/0
r1(config-if)#bandwidth 64
r1(config-if)#ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0
r1(config-if)#no shut
05:16:39: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial1, changed state to up
05:16:40: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial1, changed state  to up
r1(config-if)#end
r1#sh i
05:16:50: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by consolep int brief
Interface       IP-Address    OK? Method Status        Protocol
Ethernet0       192.168.1.1   YES NVRAM up             up   
Ethernet1       192.168.4.1   YES manual up            up   
Serial0         10.1.1.1      YES NVRAM up             up   
Serial1         192.168.2.1   YES manual up            up   
r1#configure terminal 
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
r1(config)#line console 0
r1(config-line)#logging synchronous 
r1(config-line)#end
r1#copy running-config startup-config

The r1s1 interface would have come up fine without the bandwidth statement, but it is optimal for routing protocols to configure the correct bandwidth statement on your interfaces. The description is optional as well, but it certainly makes troubleshooting easier when you know exactly what is connected to an interface. Now move along to r2, which has issues with interface s1 being administratively down. Fix these issues now and check your work in Example 3-8.

Example 3-8 Correcting Interface Issues on r2

r2(config)#interface serial 1
r2(config-if)#no shut
05:20:08: %LINK-3-UPDOWN: Interface Serial1, changed state to up
05:20:09: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial1,
  changed state to up
r2(config-if)#end
r2#show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status        Protocol
Ethernet0       192.168.4.2   YES NVRAM up            up   
Serial0         192.168.6.1   YES NVRAM up            up   
Serial1         192.168.5.1   YES NVRAM up            up   
r2#copy running-config startup-config

r3 requires you to look at your drawing more closely so that you can concentrate on just the interfaces being used. Configure any missing IP addresses and issue a no shut command on any used interfaces that are showing as administratively down. Check the status of the interfaces in Example 3-9.

Example 3-9 Correcting Interface Issues on r3

r3#show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status        Protocol
Serial0/0       192.168.2.2   YES manual up           up   
Serial0/1       192.168.6.2   YES manual up           up   
Serial0/2       192.168.5.2   YES manual up           up   
Serial0/3       unassigned    YES manual down         down  
...
FastEthernet2/0    192.168.3.1   YES manual up          down

Example 3-9 indicates that a problem still exists with s0/3 and fa2/0. The other end (host) is not running for my Ethernet hostc connection, but you need to examine further the cause of the down/down status for s0/3. Think about what's in your tool bag from the preceding chapter to assist you further in spotting lower-layer problems. Check your thoughts against Example 3-10.

Example 3-10 Correcting Physical Issues on r3

r3#show controllers serial 0/3
CD2430 Slot 0, Port 3, Controller 0, Channel 3, Revision 15
Channel mode is synchronous serial 
idb 0x6129A1A0, buffer size 1524, V.35 DTE cable
...

Everything looks normal on the r3 end of things from a physical point of view, so now investigate the other end of the connection as in Example 3-11.

Example 3-11 Investigate r4 serial 0/0 Connection

r4#show controllers serial 0/0
Interface Serial0/0
Hardware is Quicc 68360
No serial cable attached
idb at 0x60AC9A40, driver data structure at 0x60ACEE10
...

I have an advantage in that I can physically inspect my devices; I hope you can do the same if you are following along in your own lab. If you look very closely in the picture of my equipment, you may be able to detect the error, but I won't assume that for now. The show controllers commands certainly display the problem here. Although I did not specifically illustrate the output of show controllers s0/1, the output of s0/0 is quite helpful. I had the cable plugged into s0/1 rather than s0/0 on r4. On the 3640, s0/0 is closest to the power switch, which is typical. This mistake affected the serial connection between r3 and r4. Example 3-12 shows the output show ip interface brief after the physical correction and assigning the appropriate address to s0/3.

Example 3-12 After the Physical Cable Swap from serial 0/1 to serial 0/0

r3#show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK? Method Status        Protocol
Serial0/0       192.168.2.2   YES manual up          up   
Serial0/1       192.168.6.2   YES manual up          up   
Serial0/2       192.168.5.2   YES manual up          up   
Serial0/3       10.2.2.1      YES manual up          up   
...
FastEthernet2/0 192.168.3.1   YES manual up          down  
r3#copy running-config startup-config

After you bring your hosts back online, the Fast Ethernet 2/0 status should change from up/down to up/up. I give that a test in Example 3-13. My Fast Ethernet interface did not come up when I brought the host online, so follow along to determine the issue.

The first thing I noted was that the network card dongle did not light up for 10 or 100 Mbps. Next, look at Figure 3-1 and label what type of cable you need if you have the PC connected directly into the Fast Ethernet port. Category 5 crossover is correct. I fixed the problem by replacing my original straight-through cable with a crossover Category 5 in-line coupler so that I could use two short straight-through cables to make my connection. Figure 3-4 shows a picture of the coupler. In practical application, this is where using colored cables would help you to very quickly spot the issue. For example, use the normal gray cable for straight-through and use red for crossovers. Things appear to be working for now in Example 3-13.

Figure 04Figure 3-4 Crossover Category 5 In-line Coupler

Example 3-13 Fast Ethernet 2/0 Status

r3#show run interface fastethernet 2/0
interface FastEthernet2/0
 ip address 192.168.3.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
end
...
07:22:02: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface FastEthernet2/0,
  changed state to up
r3#show ip interface brief
Interface       IP-Address   OK?  Method Status        Protocol
Serial0/0       192.168.2.2   YES manual up            up   
Serial0/1       192.168.6.2   YES manual up            up   
Serial0/2       192.168.5.2   YES manual up            up   
Serial0/3       10.2.2.1      YES manual up            up   
...
FastEthernet2/0 192.168.3.1   YES manual up            up

Make sure you have made all corrections, including those that you need for your lab, so that you can continue the tests in Example 3-14 for some simple router ping tests. Recall from the preceding chapters that ping tests up through Layer 3.

Example 3-14 Testing the Scenario with Ping

r1>ping r2
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 192.168.4.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
.!!!!
Success rate is 80 percent (4/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 4/4/4 ms
r1>ping r3
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 192.168.2.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 28/30/32 ms
r1>ping r4
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 10.2.2.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
.....
Success rate is 0 percent (0/5)
r1>ping r5
Type escape sequence to abort.
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 10.1.1.2, timeout is 2 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round-trip min/avg/max = 28/30/32 ms

Next check the routing tables and routing protocols as in Example 3-15 to make sure r1 has a route to get to r4.

Example 3-15 r1 Routing Table

r1>show ip route
Codes: C - connected, S - static, I - IGRP, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
    D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area 
    N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
    E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2, E - EGP
    i - IS-IS, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2, * - candidate default
    U - per-user static route, o - ODR
Gateway of last resort is not set...
C  192.168.4.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet1
R  192.168.5.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:02, Serial1
   10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 1 subnets
C    10.1.1.0 is directly connected, Serial0
R  192.168.6.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:02, Serial1
C  192.168.1.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0
C  192.168.2.0/24 is directly connected, Serial1
R  192.168.3.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:02, Serial1
r1>show ip protocols 
Routing Protocol is "rip"
 Sending updates every 30 seconds, next due in 3 seconds
 Invalid after 180 seconds, hold down 180, flushed after 240
 Outgoing update filter list for all interfaces is not set 
 Incoming update filter list for all interfaces is not set
 Redistributing: rip
 Default version control: send version 1, receive any version
  Interface    Send Recv  Key-chain
  Ethernet0    1   1 2          
  Ethernet1    1   1 2          
  Serial0     1   1 2          
  Serial1     1   1 2          
 Routing for Networks:
  10.0.0.0
  192.168.1.0
  192.168.2.0
  192.168.4.0
 Routing Information Sources:
  Gateway     Distance   Last Update
  192.168.2.2     120   00:00:02
 Distance: (default is 120)

Continue to think about the issue here; the output contains some pretty useful information (particularly the shaded areas). However, you should analyze any problems that I specifically mentioned and fix them now. Check your configurations against mine so that you can return and continue to test out end-to-end host connectivity. I made a few other minor changes, which I highlight in the next few examples. Examples 3-16 through 3-21 include the running configurations for all my routers at this time.

NOTE

Checking the running and startup configurations is not the most efficient way to troubleshoot, but this is a good check to make sure that your configurations are as close to mine as possible with your lab environment. For those of you who are relying on me for your lab, this gives you an opportunity to analyze the configurations for existing and future issues.

Example 3-16 r1 (2514) Configuration

r1#show running-config 
...
hostname r1
enable password donna
ip subnet-zero
ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
ip host r3 192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
ip host r4 10.2.2.2
ip host r5 10.1.1.2
!
interface Ethernet0
 description e0 to hosta and hostb
 ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
interface Ethernet1
 description e1 to r2e0 
 ip address 192.168.4.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
interface Serial0
 description s0 to r5s0
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
 no ip mroute-cache
 no fair-queue
interface Serial1
 description s1 to r3s0/0
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
router rip
 network 10.0.0.0
 network 192.168.1.0
 network 192.168.2.0
 network 192.168.4.0
ip classless
line con 0
 logging synchronous
 transport input none
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 password donna
 login
end
r1#

Next look at r2's configuration in Example 3-17.

Example 3-17 r2 (2501) Configuration

r2#show running-config 
...
hostname r2
enable password donna
ip subnet-zero
ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
ip host r3 192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
ip host r4 10.2.2.2
ip host r5 10.1.1.2
interface Ethernet0
 description e0 to r1e1
 ip address 192.168.4.2 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
interface Serial0
 description s0 to r3s0/1
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 192.168.6.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
 no ip mroute-cache
 no fair-queue
interface Serial1
 description s1 to r3s0/2
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 192.168.5.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
router rip
 network 192.168.4.0
 network 192.168.5.0
 network 192.168.6.0
ip classless
line con 0
 logging synchronous
 transport input none
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 password donna
 login
end
r2#

Make any adjustments to your r2, and then analyze the r3 configuration in Example 3-18.

Example 3-18 r3 (3640) Configuration

r3#show running-config 
...
hostname r3
enable password donna
ip subnet-zero
ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
ip host r3 192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
ip host r4 10.2.2.2
ip host r5 10.1.1.2
interface Serial0/0
 description s0/0 to r1s1
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 192.168.2.2 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
 no ip mroute-cache
 clockrate 64000
interface Serial0/1
 description s0/1 to r2s0
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 192.168.6.2 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
 clockrate 64000
interface Serial0/2
 description s0/2 to r2s1
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 192.168.5.2 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
 clockrate 64000
...
interface FastEthernet2/0
 description fa2/0 to hostc
 ip address 192.168.3.1 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
router rip
 network 10.0.0.0
 network 192.168.2.0
 network 192.168.3.0
 network 192.168.5.0
 network 192.168.6.0
ip classless
line con 0
 logging synchronous
 transport input none
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 password donna
 login    
end
r3#

Descriptions are the only modifications I found necessary and this may seem a little mundane, but documentation is extremely helpful for troubleshooting. Next analyze the r4 configuration in Example 3-19.

Example 3-19 r4 (3620) Configuration

r4#show running-config 
...
hostname r4
enable password donna
ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
ip host r3 192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
ip host r4 10.2.2.2
ip host r5 10.1.1.2
interface Ethernet0/0
 no ip address
 shutdown    
interface Serial0/0
 description s0/0 to r3s0/3
 ip address 10.2.2.2 255.255.255.0
 no ip mroute-cache
 bandwidth 64
 clockrate 64000
interface Serial0/1
 no ip address
 shutdown
router rip
 network 10.0.0.0
ip classless
line con 0
 logging synchronous
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 password donna
 login
end    
r4#

Last but not least, compare your r5 configuration to Example 3-20. \

Example 3-20 3-20 r5 (2516) Configuration

r5#show running-config 
...
hostname r5
enable password donna
ip subnet-zero
ip host r1 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 192.168.4.1 10.1.1.1
ip host r2 192.168.4.2 192.168.5.1 192.168.6.1
ip host r3 192.168.2.2 192.168.5.2 192.168.6.2 192.168.3.1 10.2.2.1
ip host r4 10.2.2.2
ip host r5 10.1.1.2
hub ether 0 1
 link-test
 auto-polarity
...
interface Serial0
 description s0 to r1s0
 bandwidth 64
 ip address 10.1.1.2 255.255.255.0
 no ip directed-broadcast
 no ip mroute-cache
 no fair-queue
 clockrate 64000
...
router rip
 network 10.0.0.0
ip classless
line con 0
 logging synchronous
 transport input none
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 password donna
 login    
end
r5#

Although you have tested many things, there is still a problem with the routing table display (as you witnessed in Example 3-15). There are many ways to fix this problem, and by now I predict that you thoroughly looked through the configurations and researched your network diagram (refer to Figure 3-1) to spot the issue of discontiguous subnets.

NOTE

This is probably an opportune time to review IP classless, because it automatically showed up in your configurations. It is the default for IOS 12.0 and it very much affects how the router does a lookup and whether it makes use of a default route even if one exists. Believe it or not, the ip classless command changes the classful lookup to classless even for classful routing protocols. At times the router might receive packets destined for a subnet of a network that has no network default route. To have the Cisco IOS software forward such packets to the best supernet route possible, use the ip classless global configuration command. To disable this feature, use the no form of this command: no ip classless. I'll have you experiment with this in the Trouble Tickets.

The Routing Information Protocol (RIP) does not support discontiguous subnets, or at least RIPv1 does not support this. However, what would be the result of changing the routing protocol to RIPv2? Example 3-21 displays the steps necessary to change the existing RIPv1 to RIPv2 on r1; repeat these steps on r2 through r5 as well.

Example 3-21 Configuring RIPv2

r1(config)#router rip
r1(config-router)#version ?
 <1-2> version
r1(config-router)#version 2
r1(config-router)#end
r1#copy running-config startup-config

Test and analyze the results of your configuration. First look at the output of show ip route and show ip protocols as in Example 3-22 and test with ping as in Example 3-23. Display the routing table, the IP routing protocols, and ensure that r1 can ping all other routers before you continue. Compare the results to Figure 3-1 to determine if anything is missing.

NOTE

I assume you are familiar with the routing table legend that tells you that R is for RIP and C is for directly connected routes, so I have eliminated that part of the routing table display in many examples. Refer back to Example 3-15 if you need to review it again.

Example 3-22 Testing and Analyzing r1 RIPv2 Routes and Protocols

r1#show ip route
...
C  192.168.4.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet1
R  192.168.5.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:13, Serial1
   10.0.0.0/8 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
R    10.0.0.0/8 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:13, Serial1
C    10.1.1.0/24 is directly connected, Serial0
R  192.168.6.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:13, Serial1
C  192.168.1.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0
C  192.168.2.0/24 is directly connected, Serial1
R  192.168.3.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.2.2, 00:00:13, Serial1
r1#show ip protocols 
Routing Protocol is "rip"
 Sending updates every 30 seconds, next due in 1 seconds
 Invalid after 180 seconds, hold down 180, flushed after 240
 Outgoing update filter list for all interfaces is not set
 Incoming update filter list for all interfaces is not set
 Redistributing: rip
 Default version control: send version 2, receive version 2
  Interface    Send Recv  Key-chain
  Ethernet0    2    2           
  Ethernet1    2    2           
  Serial0      2    2           
  Serial1      2    2           
 Routing for Networks:
  10.0.0.0
  192.168.1.0
  192.168.2.0
  192.168.4.0
 Routing Information Sources:
  Gateway     Distance   Last Update
  192.168.2.2     120   00:00:05
 Distance: (default is 120)
r2#show ip route
Codes: C - connected, S - static, I - IGRP, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
    D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area 
    N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
    E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2, E - EGP
    i - IS-IS, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2, * - candidate default
    U - per-user static route, o - ODR
Gateway of last resort is not set
C  192.168.4.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0
C  192.168.5.0/24 is directly connected, Serial1
R  10.0.0.0/8 [120/1] via 192.168.4.1, 00:00:05, Ethernet0
        [120/1] via 192.168.6.2, 00:00:16, Serial0
        [120/1] via 192.168.5.2, 00:00:16, Serial1
C  192.168.6.0/24 is directly connected, Serial0
R  192.168.1.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.4.1, 00:00:05, Ethernet0
R  192.168.2.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.4.1, 00:00:05, Ethernet0
          [120/1] via 192.168.6.2, 00:00:16, Serial0
          [120/1] via 192.168.5.2, 00:00:16, Serial1
R  192.168.3.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.6.2, 00:00:16, Serial0
          [120/1] via 192.168.5.2, 00:00:16, Serial1

Perform your ping tests if you like, but you may not be any more successful than you were with RIPv1 from r2's standpoint. Even if you were, for a hint as to the real issue here, the same thing would occur if I told you to use Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) instead of RIPv2. The fix is in Example 3-23, so check your thoughts against it and make any necessary changes to your configurations.

Example 3-23 Turning Off Automatic Summarization and Reviewing the Routing Table

r1(config)#router rip
r1(config-router)#no auto-summary 
r1(config-router)#end
r1#copy running-config startup-config
r3(config)#router rip
r3(config-router)#no auto-summary 
r3(config-router)#end
r3#copy running-config startup-config
r2#show ip route
Codes: C - connected, S - static, I - IGRP, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
    D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area 
    N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
    E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2, E - EGP
    i - IS-IS, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2, * - candidate default
    U - per-user static route, o - ODR
Gateway of last resort is not set
C  192.168.4.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0
C  192.168.5.0/24 is directly connected, Serial1
   10.0.0.0/24 is subnetted, 2 subnets
R    10.2.2.0 [120/1] via 192.168.6.2, 00:00:00, Serial0
         [120/1] via 192.168.5.2, 00:00:00, Serial1
R    10.1.1.0 [120/1] via 192.168.4.1, 00:00:20, Ethernet0
C  192.168.6.0/24 is directly connected, Serial0
R  192.168.1.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.4.1, 00:00:20, Ethernet0
R  192.168.2.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.6.2, 00:00:00, Serial0
          [120/1] via 192.168.5.2, 00:00:00, Serial1
          [120/1] via 192.168.4.1, 00:00:20, Ethernet0
R  192.168.3.0/24 [120/1] via 192.168.6.2, 00:00:01, Serial0
          [120/1] via 192.168.5.2, 00:00:01, Serial1

As a result of the no auto-summary command on r1 and r3, Example 3-23 clearly illustrates that r2 is less confused about where to send the packets destined for network 10.0.0.0.

RIPv2 is classless and RIPv1 is classful. Classless routing protocols—such as RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF, and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS)—support variable-length subnet masking (VLSM) and summarization. All routing protocols support summarization, but the classful ones do that in a fixed manner, at the class boundary. Hence in this example, the routers could not differentiate between 10.1.1.0/24 and 10.2.2.0/24 because a completely different network separated them. This is what is meant by discontiguous subnets. The "Routing Protocol" and "Summarization" sections of this chapter provide a little more detail. You can count on gaining more practical experience with this issue in the Trouble Tickets.

NOTE

Just remember that pinging by hostname tries only the first IP in the hosts table. However, the other addresses in the hosts table (show hosts) are reachable via other commands, such as telnet. Other interfaces could be down or unreachable and you wouldn't know about it if you just pinged by hostname. So the show ip interface brief command complements this. Be wary, however, of the one-way link on Ethernet. This just means that you may be transmitting (Tx) but not receiving packets (Rx) or vice versa. Keep in mind that you transmit over one pair and receive over the other, so the Physical Layer is never exempt from problems even though you know you connected everything properly.

After you verify router connectivity, move on to verify host-to-host connectivity as in Example 3-24. You may find Table 3-1 to be a helpful guide here. This is a good time to check the interfaces and routing tables on all your other routers, too. Although I didn't display the output, all of my routers can ping all my other routers using the configured hosts table.

Example 3-24 displays the host-to-host testing from hosta to hostc. I assume you took time to configure the appropriate default gateways for your hosts; if not, do that now.

Example 3-24 Testing and Analyzing Host-to-Host Connectivity from hosta to hostc

C:\>ipconfig
Windows 2000 IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
    Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
    IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.11
    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
    Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
!!!hosta can ping itself
C:\>ping 192.168.1.11
Pinging 192.168.1.11 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.11: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.11: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.11: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Reply from 192.168.1.11: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=128
Ping statistics for 192.168.1.11:
  Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
  Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
!!!hosta can ping its gateway
C:\>ping 192.168.1.1
Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=255
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=255
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=255
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time<10ms TTL=255
Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1:
  Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
  Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms
!!!hosta can ping hostc
C:\>ping 192.168.3.5
Pinging 192.168.3.5 with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Reply from 192.168.3.5: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=126
Reply from 192.168.3.5: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=126
Reply from 192.168.3.5: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=126
Ping statistics for 192.168.3.5:
  Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 3, Lost = 1 (25% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
  Minimum = 10ms, Maximum = 20ms, Average = 10ms
C:\>

Just in case you have any issues, you might find it helpful to display the host routing tables as in Example 3-25. Hosta has a default gateway of its local router interface 192.168.1.1. Hostc has a default gateway of 192.168.3.1, which you can verify by issuing the route print or ipconfig/winipcfg commands on the host.

Example 3-25 Testing and Analyzing Host-to-Host Connectivity from hosta Continued

C:\>route print
Interface List
0x1 ........................... MS TCP Loopback interface
0x2 ...44 45 53 54 42 00 ...... NOC Extranet Access Adapter
0x1000004 ...00 10 4b a5 ae 50 ...... FE575 Ethernet Adapter
Active Routes:
Network         Destination     Netmask      Gateway       Interface Metric
0.0.0.0         0.0.0.0         192.168.1.1  192.168.1.11    1
127.0.0.0       255.0.0.0       127.0.0.1    127.0.0.1       1
192.168.1.0     255.255.255.0   192.168.1.11 192.168.1.11    1
192.168.1.11    255.255.255.255 127.0.0.1    127.0.0.1       1
192.168.1.255   255.255.255.255 192.168.1.11 192.168.1.11    1
224.0.0.0       224.0.0.0       192.168.1.11 192.168.1.11    1
255.255.255.255 255.255.255.255 192.168.1.11 2               1
Default Gateway:    192.168.1.1
Persistent Routes:
 None

Now that you have a working IP scenario, it's time to investigate some of the underlying components of the TCP/IP suite.

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Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020