Packet Tracer Lab

Overview

This lab focuses on planning and implementing a dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 network environment using Cisco Packet Tracer. You will practice VLSM subnetting, configure both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing on routers and hosts, and verify end-to-end connectivity across multiple network segments.

Learning Objectives

• Plan IPv4 addressing using VLSM from a larger network block (172.17.0.0/16)
• Configure IPv4 and IPv6 addresses on router interfaces and end hosts
• Implement a simple dual-stack network architecture
• Assign correct IPv4 and IPv6 default gateways
• Verify local and inter-network connectivity using ping and web browsing tests

Network Topology

Prerequisites

• Cisco Packet Tracer (latest compatible version)
• Basic understanding of:
  • IPv4 subnetting and VLSM
  • IPv6 addressing fundamentals
  • Router interface configuration
  • Host network settings

IPv4 Address Planning (VLSM)

Constraints

• Base Network: 172.17.0.0/16
• Use VLSM to efficiently allocate subnets
• Allocate subnets from largest to smallest host requirements
• Use the first available subnets
• Assign the first usable address to the router interface
• Assign host addresses in ascending order

Subnet Planning Table

💡 Tip: Calculate the minimum prefix length needed: 2^n - 2 ≥ required_hosts

Addressing Table (Dual Stack)

Configuration Steps

Part 1: Router Configuration (R1)

Enable IPv6 Routing

R1> enable
R1# configure terminal
R1(config)# ipv6 unicast-routing

Configure Interface G0/0 (Network A)

R1(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
R1(config-if)# ip address <YOUR_IPV4> <YOUR_SUBNET_MASK>
R1(config-if)# ipv6 enable
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:DB8:1:1::1/64
R1(config-if)# ipv6 address FE80::1 link-local
R1(config-if)# no shutdown
R1(config-if)# exit

Configure Interfaces G0/1 and G0/2

Repeat the above steps for GigabitEthernet0/1 and GigabitEthernet0/2, using the respective IPv4 addresses from your VLSM plan and IPv6 prefixes:

• G0/1: 2001:DB8:1:2::1/64
• G0/2: 2001:DB8:1:3::1/64

Part 2: Host Configuration

For Each Host (GUI Method in Packet Tracer)

1. Click on the device → Desktop tab → IP Configuration
2. Set IPv4 Address and Subnet Mask per your VLSM table
3. Set Default Gateway to the router interface IPv4 address for that segment
4. Set IPv6 Address per the addressing table above (e.g., 2001:DB8:1:1::2)
5. Set IPv6 Prefix to /64
6. Set IPv6 Default Gateway to FE80::1 (link-local)

🔁 Repeat for all hosts: Sales, Billing, Accounting, Design, Engineering, CAD, and Admin.

Part 3: Verification & Testing

Test Web Connectivity

1. On a client (e.g., Sales), open Web Browser from Desktop tab
2. Navigate to IPv6 address of Accounting server: http://[2001:DB8:1:1::4]
3. Navigate to IPv6 address of CAD server: http://[2001:DB8:1:2::4]
4. Repeat from other clients to verify cross-segment access

Test ICMP Connectivity

# From Sales PC Command Prompt:
PC> ping <IPv4_of_Billing_PC>
PC> ping 2001:DB8:1:1::3          # IPv6 ping to Billing
PC> ping 2001:DB8:1:2::4          # IPv6 ping to CAD (cross-segment)

Verify Router Configuration

R1# show ipv6 interface brief
R1# show ip interface brief
R1# show running-config | section GigabitEthernet

Troubleshooting Tips

• ✅ Ensure ipv6 unicast-routing is enabled on R1
• ✅ Verify no shutdown is applied to all interfaces
• ✅ Confirm link-local address FE80::1 is configured correctly
• ✅ Double-check that host gateways match the router interface addresses
• ✅ Use ping and tracert/traceroute to isolate connectivity issues

Repository Structure (Suggested)

.
├── docs/
│   ├── addressing-plan.md      # VLSM calculations & final table
│   ├── topology.png            # Packet Tracer topology screenshot
│   └── verification-log.txt    # Ping/web test results
├── packet-tracer/
│   └── INF26207_DualStack_Lab.pkt  # Saved Packet Tracer file
├── scripts/
│   └── router-config.rtf       # Copy-paste ready router commands
└── README.md

Deliverables Checklist

• Completed VLSM subnetting table
• Fully populated dual-stack addressing table
• Packet Tracer file (.pkt) with working configuration
• Screenshots of:
  • Router show command outputs
  • Successful IPv4 and IPv6 pings
  • Web browser access to servers via IPv6
• Brief reflection on challenges encountered and how dual-stack supports network transition

📝 Note: This lab simulates a real-world scenario where organizations gradually migrate from IPv4 to IPv6. Dual-stack deployment allows both protocols to coexist during the transition period, ensuring backward compatibility while enabling future-proofing.