Video Series: Configure VLANs, InterVLAN Routing, and VoIP with Cisco CME

This blog post is a result of the incredible number of views I've noticed on this article, Cisco VOIP Phone Setup in Packet Tracer, I shared some years back. I have had numerous requests to share the file and have done so but that is only just an initial basic setup. 

I have since done some updates to this tutorial and have created a series of video tutorials which I share on my Youtube page. 

To ensure best network design and implementation practice is followed, I decided to throw in VLANs and InterVLAN routing into the mix. This is to ensure that Voice traffic is put into its own VLAN. You can later add QoS (MLS, CoS) if you want to which is necessary if you're doing this in an actual physical implementation. The main idea behind this series of videos is to help you begin off with a blank Packet Tracer network, setup the network, configure basic settings, configure VLANs, and then interVLAN routing, and finally end with VoIP functionality added to the network. 

You can now easily follow through this series of video tutorials to learn how to configure VLANs, InterVLAN routing and VoIP. I decided not to narrate the videos. If you want to learn about the concepts please visit the Cisco Learn site or take networking classes offered on Coursera, Teachable, or the many other sites that do this. My main objective is how to do it, not the why you do it this way, many courses out there will help you learn the theory.

How to make the most of this tutorial?

Open a blank packet tracer file, begin with Part A and follow along. You can pause and play the video as you setup and configure the network.

Part A: Setup network

Part B: Configure basic settings for devices / Part C: Configure VLANs

Part D: Configure InterVLAN routing

Part E: Configure VoIP

 

Setting up a SOHO network with VoIP and Data services in Packet Tracer

A simple tutorial on building a small office home office network that can be expanded via a wireless bridge to perhaps another building or room. This tutorial was used by my students to build a network with actual hardware for the IS/MCS 2020 Symposium. The setup is not very complicated and can be useful for small organizations or schools. 

Here is a short video of one of my students demonstrating the functionality of the setup.

The tutorial here shows you the configurations for the simulation in Packet Tracer. NOTE: Simulated network in PT works fine for most of the configs however it is not guaranteed everything will work well in actual hardware as IOS and config commands may vary. You may have different IOS version. PT does not have Engenius so TP Link devices were used in PT to simulate them so additional documentation will be included as a follow-up to this article (Part 2).

So here goes Part 1 of the configuration. (Note that the much of the tutorial will show the config commands and little explanation. I am assuming you have basic to intermediate level understanding of network concepts, otherwise this could end up as a very lengthy tutorial)

For the actual hardware configuration, these were the following devices that were used.

Device Model

• x1 2900 Series router
• x3 2960 Catalyst switches. (you can use 2950)
  
• x2 Engenius wireless bridges (ENH202)
  
• x4 Cisco 7945G/7960 IP Phones
• x2 TP Link Wireless AP

You could simulate this setup by opening a blank PT file and add the following devices shown in the image below. Alternatively, you can download the completed network file here.

Figure 1. The simulated setup in Packet Tracer

PART 1

Task1: Configure basic settings on all routers and switches. 

I generally keep the same settings and change passwords where security is of concern. Documenting configs is helpful for future reference. So the configs below will generally be the same across all routers and switches.

hostname __________ (you can use your own hostnames)
no ip domain-lookup
enable secret in40matic
domain-name informatics.net
service password-encryption
banner motd @
***************************
Device managed by Informatics
Unauthorized access prohibited!
***************************
@
line con 0
password In4matic2020
login
line vty 0 4
login local
transport input ssh
username admin password adminpass1234
crypto key generate rsa general-keys modulus 1024
wr

Task 2: Configure VLANs on all 6 switches

Configure VLANs to separate data, voice and management traffic on the Layer 2 devices, the 4 switches. Create the following vlans;

• Data #10
• Voice #150
• Native #99
• Management #100 (optional) 

config t
vlan 10
name Data
vlan 150
name Voice
vlan 99
name Native

Task 3: Configure EtherChannel on the switches as shown in Figure 1.

Although not required for a SOHO, its good practice to design and build the network with scalability in mind. Having said that we will configure etherchannel to increase the trunk link bandwidth to at least 200MB. 

Sw1

int range fa0/1-2
channel-group 1 mode desirable

Sw2

int range fa0/1-2
channel-group 1 mode desirable 

Sw3

int range fa0/1-2
channel-group 2 mode desirable

Sw4

int range fa0/1-2
channel-group 2 mode desirable

Cisco Packet Tracer as a teaching and learning tool for computer networks in DWU

I recently published an article co-authored with Dr. Peter Anderson in the DWU Journal on Cisco Packet Tracer as a teaching and learning tool in DWU. This paper was basically a reflection on my teaching experiences with Packet tracer for the networking courses.

Here is the introduction.

Computer networks have become a fundamental tool of today's corporate environment. “Computer networks consist of devices that provide communication paths between electronic machines to create local networks inside buildings as well as the interconnection of networks in such structures as campuses and the Internet” (Frezzo, Behrens et al. 2010).

As Lammle (2010) suggests, “computers have become invaluable to us personally and professionally. Our society has become highly dependent on these resources and on sharing them with each other. The ability to communicate with those we need to whether they’re in the same building or in some far-away land completely hinges on our capacity to create and maintain solid, dependable networks” (Lammle, 2010). To have such skills that will enable an IT professional to create and maintain networks requires rigorous training. It is a demanding field of expertise since the efficient operation of many business organizations today rely upon the smooth operation of its computer network.

You can download or read the paper here 

Cisco VOIP Phone Setup in Packet Tracer

HERE IS AN UPDATED VIDEO SERIES THAT COVERS THIS TUTORIAL

The following tutorial is a result of endless research on how to setup a LAN with two or three IP Phones that can call each other. I compiled this tutorial together for my CCNA 1 students. The actual setup and documentation itself was used for the 2015 IS Open Day room 223 display, modelling a small business office setup. The last part involved a challenge activity for them to create trunk links to ensure calls can be made over the WAN

I used the Packet Tracer instructor version however any version will still support the following documentation.

The following diagram shows that there are four (4) Cisco IP Phones connected; two phones to the Madang network and two phones to the Lae network.

The current configurations for this setup are shown below;