Cisco Packet Tracer Lab - Multilayer Switching

This lab continues from a previous exercise, with SW2 replaced by a multilayer switch. The goal of this lab is to configure inter-VLAN routing and ensure connectivity to external networks using a Layer 3 point-to-point connection between SW2 and R1.

Lab Setup

The network consists of the following components:

• SW1: Layer 2 Switch
• SW2: Multilayer Switch (3560-24PS)
• R1: Router (2911)
• PC1, PC2: VLAN10 (10.0.0.0/26)
• PC3, PC4: VLAN30 (10.0.0.128/26)
• PC5: VLAN20 (10.0.0.64/26)
• PC6, PC7: VLAN10 (10.0.0.0/26)
• Internet Cloud: Simulated internet for testing external connectivity (ping 1.1.1.1)

Task Summary

1. Replace ROAS with Point-to-Point Layer 3 Connection

• Remove the Router-on-a-Stick (ROAS) configuration on R1 and SW2.
• Establish a Layer 3 connection between R1 and SW2 using the IP addresses shown in the network diagram.
  • R1 (G0/0): 10.0.0.193/30
  • SW2 (G1/0/1): 10.0.0.194/30
• Configure a default route on SW2, pointing to R1's G0/0 interface (10.0.0.193) as the next hop.

2. Configure SVIs on SW2

• Configure SVIs (Switch Virtual Interfaces) on SW2 for each VLAN.
• Use the last usable IP address from each subnet:
  • VLAN10: 10.0.0.62/26
  • VLAN20: 10.0.0.126/26
  • VLAN30: 10.0.0.190/26
• Assign these IPs to the respective SVIs for inter-VLAN routing.

3. Test Inter-VLAN Connectivity

• Use ping to test connectivity between hosts on different VLANs.
  • Example: Ping from PC1 (10.0.0.1) in VLAN10 to PC5 (10.0.0.65) in VLAN20.

4. Test External Connectivity

• Test internet connectivity by pinging the external IP address 1.1.1.1 from any host.
• Ensure that default routes and internet access are properly configured through R1.

Verification

• SVI Configuration: Ensure each VLAN has a correctly configured SVI on SW2.
• Routing: Verify that SW2 can route between VLANs and has a default route to R1.
• Trunking: Confirm that the trunk between SW1 and SW2 is working properly and carries all VLANs.
• Inter-VLAN Ping: Test pings between hosts in different VLANs to verify inter-VLAN routing.
• Internet Ping: Test pinging 1.1.1.1 to confirm internet connectivity through R1.

Commands Used

On SW2 (Multilayer Switch):

# Configure Layer 3 point-to-point connection
interface GigabitEthernet1/0/1
 no switchport
 ip address 10.0.0.194 255.255.255.252
 no shutdown

# Configure SVIs for VLANs
interface Vlan10
 ip address 10.0.0.62 255.255.255.192
 no shutdown

interface Vlan20
 ip address 10.0.0.126 255.255.255.192
 no shutdown

interface Vlan30
 ip address 10.0.0.190 255.255.255.192
 no shutdown

# Configure default route to R1
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.0.0.193

On R1 (Router):

# Configure point-to-point connection to SW2
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 ip address 10.0.0.193 255.255.255.252
 no shutdown

Results

• Inter-VLAN Routing: Successful ping between PCs in different VLANs.
• Internet Connectivity: Successful ping to external IP 1.1.1.1 from any host.
• Trunking: The trunk between SW1 and SW2 is fully functional.

Conclusion

This lab demonstrates how to replace ROAS with a Layer 3 point-to-point connection, configure SVIs for VLANs, and ensure both inter-VLAN and external connectivity. All tasks were completed successfully.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Jeremy's IT Lab for providing valuable resources and tutorials that greatly contributed to the completion of this exercise. His in-depth explanations and practical demonstrations have been instrumental in enhancing my understanding of Cisco networking concepts and the effective use of Packet Tracer.

For more information and additional resources, visit Jeremy's IT Lab and check out his YouTube for the full course, Jeremy's IT Lab Free CCNA 200-301 | Complete Course