Module 8 : Summary

Summary

This page summarizes the topics discussed in this module. IP is an unreliable method for delivery of network data. ICMP is an error reporting protocol for IP. When datagram delivery errors occur, ICMP is used to report these errors back to the source of the datagram. ICMP echo request and echo reply messages allow the network administrator to test IP connectivity to aid in the troubleshooting process. Network communication depends on the proper configuration of TCP/IP for both sending and receiving devices. A router also must have the TCP/IP protocol properly configured on its interfaces, and it must use an appropriate routing protocol. To test the availability of a destination use the ICMP ping command. Incorrect routing information can cause a datagram to travel in a circle. The datagram will not reach its destination within the maximum hop count defined by the routing protocol. This is also known as the TTL. The ICMP message format starts with the type, code, and checksum fields. The type field indicates the type of ICMP message being sent. The code field includes further information specific to the message type. The checksum field, as in other types of packets, is used to verify the integrity of the data. Destination unreachable messages are delivered to the sender when a datagram cannot be forwarded. Codes in the message header provide information about the problem. When a datagram is not forwarded due to an error in the header, an ICMP type 12 parameter problem message is sent to the source of the datagram. Control messages inform hosts of conditions such as network congestion or the existence of a better gateway to a remote network. The ICMP redirect/change request is a common control message. It is initiated by a gateway, which is a term commonly used to describe a router. The following situations will cause default gateways to send ICMP redirect/change request messages: A packet enters a router and leaves from the same interface. The subnet/network of the source IP address is the same as the subnet/network of the next-hop IP address of the routed packet. The datagram is not source-routed. The route for the redirect is not another ICMP redirect or a default route. All ICMP timestamp reply messages contain the originate, receive, and transmit timestamps. The host can subtract the originate time from the transit time to estimate transit time across the network. Transit time will vary based on traffic and congestion on a network.