It depends totally on the network. Different protocols are used depending on your environment. When you have a mixed environment then more protocols will likely be present.
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protocols in a general computer network
I am currently developing an application related with network packet analyzer.
The question is simple, in a common network, what kind of packets exist ?
suppose that the network is using tcp/ip and OSPF as routing protocol, what packets will exist?
so far I figure that it will only be TCP/IP data packet, icmp, tcp/udp and tcp/ip for OSPF purpose
can someone give me a detailed answer ?
thanks
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Answers
Let's give some answers then:
A pC boots up and requests an address: DHCP Request
DHCP server hands out an address: DHCP Reply
Computer A want to transfer a file,
computer A ARPS for computer B: ARP requests and replies (also proxy replies)
Name Resolution: DNS packets, maybe NBT too? maybe (shudder) WINS?
etceteras, and so far I am ignoring the routing protocol packets (OSPF in your case).
How far up the protocol chain do you want to go? IP is layer 2, TCP and UPD are layer 3. You have other protocols that sit on top of TCP/UP. JonSh has mentioned some, NetBIOS, WINS (which is actually part of NetBIOS) and DNS. In addition to those you have HTTP, FTP, Telnet, etc., etc., etc..
Do you want to decode layer 1; Ethernet, Token Ring, ATM, ect?
giltjr asks an excellent question. And you'll see different kinds of traffic depending on where you sample in a large network. You have all the layer 1 (physical differences) and layer 2 (framing options) stuff that you might or might not see depending on where you plug your analyzer in. Do you have to decode vlans and trunks?
You mention OSPF - you typically don't see OSPF inside a LAN.
Lots of ARP, if you run VRRP you'll see that. DHCP. Lots of STP.
What does this mean: I figure that it will only be TCP/IP data packet, icmp, tcp/udp and tcp/ip for OSPF purpose
TCP & UDP exist encapsulated within IP, which in turn is encapsulated in an Ethernet Frame. "TCP/IP" data packet - most packets carry "data" - even if it's a TCP ACK - that TCP portion will be considered IP data.
Do you have TCP/IP Illustrated Vol 1 & 2 by Richard Stevens? If not, pick them up.
http://www.amazon.com/exec
The shortest and best answer is really to run Ethereal on a LAN segment that would be typical of the environment that your app is going to run in.
To ask about protocol types in a common network, is really still somewhat general since it's totally dependant on what type of hosts are going to be running on your network. It's easy to assume Windows clients but if you have a mixed environment of Windows, Macs, Linux, then you're going to see some other traffic. Regardless though, Ethereal is a good one to give packet info.
Truth is there is no such thing as a general network; it will all depend who you pose the question to. Novell guys will answer TCPIP, IPX/SPX, Microsoft people will tell you its mostly TCPIP whilst Apple users still insist that Streettalk is the only protocol worth bothering about. Why reinvent the wheel? The only answer is the one that fits the particular environment that you are assessing at the time. Most of the answers above give you the right answer and all fit nicely (most of the time) to the OSI model but that wasn't actually what you asked, was it?
Use the ethereal as suggested and the results will break the traffic down into the layers being used and then into the specific packet types. We use OSPF throughout our LAN as it is the fastest non-proprietary routing protocol we could use. We then use EIGRP as a middle area betwen our cores (as these are all Cisco) and then BGP between our neighbours, other ISP's.
thanks alot for the answers, i might need to give more specifications here..
(thanks to keith_alabaster)
actually i do not want to be too complicated..
the application will actually generate fake packet data, such as packet type, size, source, destination, etc..
it will then put the 'fake' data into database to be later processed..
since network is not actually the main objective (secondary only), i might be satisfied with the model of campus network only...
thus typical microsoft network, running TCP/IP with a dozen of routers, simple structure of VLANs or LANs
it may connect to the internet using routing protocols and does not necessarily include BGP (it is too big)
also, i might only want to involved first three layers (physical, data link and network), since my project is to analyze packet type, not really what is encapsulated inside...thus eliminate the HTTP, Telnet, FTP, etc...
all of you have given me so much new things to consider...thank you3x
by the end i might split the points then....
JohSh, your question is one of they reasons I asked my last one. In one of other question he did state that he got Ethereal to work to trace network traffic, see:
http://www.experts-exchang
So what is he really attempting to do?
Sorry to be impolite....but i dont think what i am trying to do is important here
there is indeed connections with previous question, but you dont have to care about it
all i wanna know is just about network packets, how they interact...and so on...
as soon as i have answers, i will close this thread....
(got half so far...)
thanks...
>>all i wanna know is just about network packets, how they interact...and so on...
I reiteriate, "Do you have TCP/IP Illustrated Vol 1 & 2 by Richard Stevens? If not, pick them up."
http://www.amazon.com/exec
Haven't read those particular books but checking out the detail of the OSI model and the network model should give you the basis. The whole 'networking' philosophy is based around not caring what the frames and packets are doing or how they are interacting together. As I am sure you already know, the requirement is for a layer to be able to communicate between the next higher and lower ones. This is what allows IPX/SPX and TCP/IP packets to be carried across the same topology and to the same machines.
The two models I mention above will give you a graphical representation of how the various layers are aligned and into which layer a particular protocol would fit.
http://images.google.com/i
http://en.wikipedia.org/wi
This is another one I like
Well, your right we don't need to know. Just like when you are feeling bad and you go to the doctor to get checked out, you don't need to tell the doctor anything. You can make him just guess why you are there and what they need to do.
If we understood what you were attempting to do we might be able to give you more help or more references.
Based on your questions you are either attempting to do something that could be considered illegal, you have an idea for a new product/function, or something else that I can't even begin to guess. For the illegal function, I can see why you would not want to tell us. For a new product/function I could also see why you would not want to tell us. As for something other than being illegal or a new product/function I have no idea why you would not want to tell us.
In a "common network" the type of packets that exist are those that are needed for the type of communciations required. In my network I may have packets that I think are common that most other's don't. Of couse I have IBM mainframes using SNA protocols that I think are common (70% of the world corporate data still exists on IBM mainframe and still go though SNA) while other may not think SNA type traffic is common. I have very little IPX/SPX so I don't think that is common, but somebody who started off in the Novell world may think that is very common.
You asked for detailed answer to a generic question with no back ground. I doubt if you will get the full answer you want. Answers are related not just to a question, but the expected results. Without knowing the epxected results, the answer may be meaning less, because the question could be the wrong question.
Good luck with your project and hopefully somebody will stumble across the correct answer for you.
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by: AccyStanleyPosted on 2005-11-01 at 07:52:23ID: 15200849
Download Ethereal and see for yourself - would be real useful for the rest of your application too.
www.ethereal.com
Good luck