Dropbox Special Access: Week 1 – Assignment 1: Analyze a Network with a Network Diagnostics Tool – Availability Ends
For this assignment, you must complete either Option A or Option B.
Option A – Analyze a Network with a Network Diagnostics Tool
For this assignment option, you must analyze your own network traffic to discover your behavior profile and evaluate your network using the Colasoft Capsa Free network traffic monitoring tool that is used within the industry to optimize network performance, identify abnormalities in network performance and behavior, and comprehend the behavior of the average network user.
Record your screenshots and answers to the prompts/questions in each of the following steps.
- Download, install, and open Colasoft Capsa Free. (If asked to purchase Colasoft Capsa Enterprise simply close the window.) In the Capture panel of the application, select the network interface card (NIC) you will be using throughout the assignment. If you are not sure which to select, check the adaptor that has values changing in the Packets column. Typically, Wi-Fi adaptors should be selected for laptops and mobile devices, while Ethernet adaptors should be selected for desktop systems. Take a screenshot of the network adaptors in the Capture panel and paste the screenshot in a Word document.
- Select the Full Analysis option in the Analysis Profile pane toward the bottom of the application window and click the Start button. The application window will display the Dashboard, which has a default view displaying the Global—Utilization (Percent), Total Traffic by Bytes, Top IP Total Traffic by Bytes, and Top Application Protocols by Bytes. You may minimize the window, but do not exit the application. Monitor your network traffic for approximately four hours of typical computer use. You must actively use the computer during this time to ensure enough packets are captured. Once you have captured over 50k packets, click the Stop button. Take a screenshot of the application showing the Default view of the Dashboard and paste it in your document.
- Click the Summary tab and record the following data; Total Bytes, Total Packets, Utilization, Bps, and Pps.
- Identify the top five nodes within the Top IP Traffic by Bytes area and describe what they are and why traffic was generated for that node in your document. For example, if the IP Address 192.168.1.1 shows up as the third highest, describe why it is the third highest and justify the number of bytes transferred to it.
- Identify the top five nodes within the Top Application Protocols by Bytes area and describe what the protocols are used for in your document. Explain how those protocols correlate to your typical network utilization defined in Step 1.
- Click the IP Explorer item within the Node Explorer pane on the left. Then click on the Protocol tab in the center top. In the center bottom, select the IP Endpoint tab. Note the top five countries listed under the Internet addresses node and their corresponding bytes in your document. Analyze the values and explain them with respect to your typical network behavior. Are the values and countries what you expected?
- Click the Full Analysis node within the Node Explorer within the left pane. Select the IP option within the Dashboard tab below the tab headings. Report the approximate values of each of the items reported in the bar graph within the Global—Top IP Group by Total Traffic (Packets) as well as the approximate percentage of total packet traffic (this is a manual calculation). Explain your thoughts about the distribution of the values.
- Return to the Summary tab. Compare the total Utilization and bps with the network adaptor’s maximum bandwidth displayed at the bottom of the application window. Explain your thoughts about the distribution of the values.
- Describe your typical Internet/network utilization. Be sure to identify the services, websites, and protocols you frequently use and how you typically use them.
- What observations and conclusions can you make about your network usage?
- Is your network bandwidth sufficient for your typical network utilization? Justify your opinion.
- Based on the number of bps, what is the theoretical maximum number of network nodes your network can sustain? Explain why your answer is theoretical rather than realistic.
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Option B – Compare Network Diagnostics Tools
For this assignment option, you must research three network diagnostic tools to write a short paper that compares different network diagnostic tools. Do not use protocol analyzers for this assignment. Protocol analyzers will be used in Week 2.
Your paper should address the following:
- Explain what a network diagnostics tool is and how it is used by organizations.
- Describe how each of your chosen tools work. How are they similar? How do they differ?
- Create a table that compares and contrasts each tool in terms of functionality, advantages, disadvantages, etc.
- Make a final recommendation for the tool you think is the most effective. Be sure to justify your choice.
Length: 3-5 pages
Resources: Include at least 3 resources
Your completed paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards. Be sure to adhere to University’s Academic Integrity Policy.
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