So I sat down this evening to do some more practicals and all in all it went well. I did however have the misfortune of running into a weird bug of sorts. I didn’t take any screenshots, but it isn’t hard to describe.

Basically, I was setting up ip default-network for EIGRP, playing around with loopback addresses and some static routes (read: getting side tracked and testing stuff out). Somewhere along the way one of my static routes got stuck. What do I mean by stuck? well I simply couldn’t remove it. When I typed in the correct no ip route command, I was told “%No matching route to delete”. Strange! ahh but you know me, I wouldn’t let a simple ‘no’ discourage me! I mean where would I be if that were the case? so onto the internets  I trawled and of course I found a (or the) solution to my problem. Well, it was sort of the solution to my problem, but it was designed for standard 2600 series switches, yet worked all the same

First off was clear ip route * — which successfully removed the static entry from my IP routing table, I could easy confirm it no longer showed up with show ip route static — functionally, we’re okay now. We haven’t got some strange static route we can’t get rid of highjacking our packet switching. But the static route still wasn’t removing itself from my running configuration. So on the same website, it said to use the no ip routing command and then the ip routing command, which essentially turns off all routing on the device then re-enables it. Whilst following these instructions certainly did remove the static route from my running configuration, it also removed all layer 3 routing protocol information from the running config. (in my case: router eigrp, summary addresses, static routes, ip default-network )

So be careful with this one, in a production network I’d recommend just clearing the static route from the routing table using the first command above, and removing the static route from the running config another time when router isn’t routing traffic say for example on a maintenance run. Of course, you could switch ip routing off and back on, and then paste in all your routing config (or even the entire running config) and depending on the routing protocol be up and running business as usual within a few seconds but as all things networks, if there is but a tiny unforseen error or set of commands that you fail to copy paste in, the results could be rather unpleasant.

So I set up GNS3 today so I could begin working on all the practicals for the CCNP course. Great piece of software that saves oh so many students oh so much money. I mean, one day I want to have a little home lab of my own but that day is not today, not when I’ve just graduated and I’m dirt poor. Regardless, I got GNS3 running and loaded it up with a few Cisco IOS images I acquired through not so legal peer to peer channels (educational purposes come on!) — once I had configured GNS3 not to suck up all my CPU cycles I was ready to begin!

Now, I’ve read all the theory for the BCSI and now I’m going back and doing all the practicals. I find that by doing it this way, I review the main points of the theory and get really into the nitty gritty of the practicals. As a bonus when I’m all done I consider myself a genius on the module. Anywho, I was onto the EIGRP Load Balancing lab of the second chapter before I hit a little snag.

Easy to debug ip packets when you're using an access list.

I was trying to ‘verify’ like the lab suggests that equal load balancing was an actual fact, and was actually occurring. To do so, I had made an access list to permit only ICMP traffic so I didn’t get spammed when I started up debug mode for ip packets. This gave me a pretty clear view of what was happening when I was doing my ping tests. And the clear view, indicated that equal load balancing wasn’t occurring. I was stumped. So I delved a little bit further, GNS3 is so handy it allows you to monitor the actual packet flows using Wireshark on a interface.

And I found equal load balancing wasn’t occurring! one of my interfaces were sending out all of the ICMP Request packets and the ICMP Response packets were actually being delivered to the other interface! it was so queer I couldn’t understand it.

Keeping in mind that the network was working, all pings did work and routing was all set up properly, I couldn’t quite trace the issue. I thought I found the problem when I found out that my interfaces were using the weighted average queuing system instead of FIFO (which as it turns out, happens when the bandwidth of an interface has been set low) but alas, this didn’t resolve the problem at all.

At last, after going through the running config on this Cisco IOS that I had never used before I found something that caught my eye: ip cef — was enabled. Now seeing this I slightly remembered that CEF was some switching thing for Layer 3, upon pulling up some Cisco authored CEF material I knew I had found my problem.

IP CEF as it seems messes up equal load balancing for this particular test of mine, I was expecting my pings to be originate from one interface then originate from the other for the next packet and so on. But! as it turns out CEF being tricky as it is, does routes packets on a per destination basis. That is to say, if I have to send a packet to A.A.A.A and I have two equal cost links to that destination network, it will look at link utilization and mark A.A.A.A to be sent over the lower utilized interface. From what I gather, A.A.A.A will be sent over that interface for good or until some significant network change that makes that route unroutable. You might look at that and think, that’s hardly equal, but the equal load balancing comes in when you look at overall link utilization. If suddenly the interface A.A.A.A is using is congested, a new destination B.B.B.B will be sent over the other interface instead. The reasoning behind a per destination switching and not a per packet switching to me is mostly unknown. It could be that per packet switching means that packets can arrive at the destination network out of order, or that CEF results in better overall performance (it’s probably this one) — in any case, Cisco says: There are a few scenarios where per-packet load balancing is more advisable, e.g. the majority of traffic is between two hosts.

This little lesson has taught me one thing. When working with a new Cisco IOS that you haven’t worked with before, expect trouble! some default setting you rely on is not going to be enabled, or some ‘feature’ you’ve went without is going to throw you off balance and leave you scratching your head.

Okay so I got you! I’m not a blogger and this isn’t a blog! lately, it seems like this ‘blog’ is some kind of static html page because it never ever ever changes. Hmmm, so I think I’ll manually edit this static page today to provide a little update so to speak. Where am I today? well where did we leave off! uhh.. I don’t know it was such a long time ago since I wrote something.

So I came home from my little trip to the other side of the world and started up my new semester. I don’t really recall my first impressions of the semester but it was plagued with usual semester nonsense like stress of deadlines, groups with some crappy people and then exams and done! but if I will say one good thing of all that was the distraction it provided me from Ange, because you know, she’s all a guy could think about. ;P

Ummm what else what else.. ooohh so I managed to get my Cisco certification!! yep I’m not a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and I’m proud to be so, although I haven’t been mailed anything as of yet so I wonder where that is at! but I passed and that’s good. This was literally days before Ange arrived so the holidays really did start when she came, we visited all sorts of places here in Brisbane / Gold Coast. You know, we did all the touristy things like this and that and oh my god why do I run a blog I fail at this. What happened to me? am I past my prime? I’m only 22. *sigh*

Don't we look in loooove?

Anywho, that’s an update for you! Ange is here, she’s working and I’m at uni again. We’re looking for a place to move out to and hoping to be cooking each other meals any day now. Oh but we found this perfect place in Greenslopes and the guy that owned the property rented it out to his friend and we didn’t even stand a chance!! ahh.. it was perfect.

Oh well, life goes on.

So, I was doing some practicals today in the Cisco labs at QUT and I came across something I found awfully hard to troubleshoot! I found, that while I was trying to set up port security on some FastEthernet connections that were connecting to hosts, the switch was telling that there were two MAC addresses coming from my host. I was utterly confused! I thought it was something to do with the switch, or maybe my running-config so I spent ages looking them over and checking to see what the issue was. I was using two computers to simulate two hosts apart of the same VLAN across a few switches as seen below.

I had set my ports to only accept one sticky MAC address, because they would only need one as they were connected to a host and that is what the practical was telling me to do. But, for some strange unknown reason, the ports would shutdown because almost instantly after coming online, they received two different MAC addresses. I had to change the maximum number of MAC addresses to 2 using switchport port-security maximum 2 on the Interface. Take a look below, at what I saw when the two MACS cohabited peacefully.

This strange MAC address, that clearly didn’t fit – 0201.0000.0000 was somehow, coming in off my FastEthernet port and I had no idea why or how or why! especially, when I didn’t have this issue on one of my other switches that my other host connected to it making up the network simulation. I looked at my running-config on both switches over and over and was completely lost!

It wasn’t until I decided to connect my computer back up to the university network, to get Internet access, so I could Google this address that I found the problem. And the problem as it seems lies in the operating system Windows Server 2003 that I was using on my hosts. Turns out, there is a function in the LAN adapter on Windows Server 2003 that is installed that faciliates and enables Network Load Balancing. Now, this funny address, was apart of that service on my computer. And the reason I didn’t have the issue on my other host was because the service was disabled. On the offending computer as shown below, you can see the network service enabled.

So, all you have to do to get rid of this pesky MAC address that keeps appearing across your MAC tables and whatnot, is disable this service like shown below.

And, with a simply unchecking of the box. You are free of this problem! and with that, I was able to change my port security maximum back to 1 MAC address and have the sticky MAC learning work as it should. So! what did I learn today? when setting up the IP addresses at the beginning of your simulation, make sure to have Network Load Balancing unticked if I’m working on Windows Servers 2003 or 2000.

Lost in the mega city known as London, I bourne witness to many events, and done many things myself. So many in fact, that I am unable to recount them all to you! I call myself a failure of a blogger, even though I do try towards the end to blog about my experiences and whatnot. So I will retell a few random tales in this one seemingly random blog post.

This is either Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square.

The night was young, and it was Wednesday. Orange has a fantastic deal thing where you get 2 for one cinema tickets if you text ‘film’ to ’241′. We did just that, and once again myself, Ange, Charlie and Joe went to the movies to see “The King’s Speech”. We went in, sat down and watched the movie. It was a good movie, the main actor stuttered very well.

Cowboy Mitch and Ironman Joe

There was a day, where I was once again let out alone on the world. I went to Monument and walked across by London Bridge and walked along the Thames River until aligning myself with St Pauls Cathedral. I was killing time really, as I had a date with Joe. I met Joe at Piccadilly Circus, we went through a cool underground tunnel and came out at some place with a fancy name (it starts with T) and it was like an arcade recreational area. We did some dance, dance revolution, we went on a 3D ride – they were both really fun. Then we got some Chinese food from a Chinese restraunt in Chinatown. It was a buffet, we loved it. After which we decided, being the lads we are we had to go to a Toy store. Only I didn’t know it was the most awesomest toy store in London at the time. We went there and posed with massive lego men.. pretended to wear girly fairy dresses, and hugged big cat dolls. I was a cowboy, and Joe was Ironman.

I was there!! see.

Ange and me were on the tourist trail, we were in Camden Town which is definitely on the tourist trail. Someone offered me drugs, I said no. Then we went looking for food while it rained, I somehow manipulated Ange into saying ‘yes’ to going to a Chinese buffet for dinner. It was my second buffet in only a few days. I loved every moment of it. We ate so so much but the ice cream machine was broken, that made Ange sad. After our meal Ange led me down a darkened river, we saw some swans and ascended some stairs and walked around a corner. She pointed out her old school and told me some old stories, one which included a fence and a spending unmanned car. Ange took me up to the top of Primrose Hill and didn’t let me look at the view until we were up the very top. It was amazing. It was cold. But it was worth it.

I told you he looks smart, hey look a squirrel!

It was Ange’s birthday. I don’t know why but we went to Richmond Park to see some squirrels, I guess because I’ve never seen squirrels but it was her day. Maybe she likes making me happy? she’s nice like that. The whole family was out and Maurice was looking smart as usual, we had some nuts too. The squirrels never knew what was up. They came to us alright, there were a few of them too! plus a bunch of birds, big crow looking things that tried to steal the nuts from the furry little squirrels. They had fuzzy tails and could be tricked into thinking you had a nut so they’d come up to you. It was funny to see. I love squirrels. They should live in Australia too.

My girls are weird ones!

We were back at Aldgate one evening, at the pub known as the Duke of Somerset. Myself, Ange and Charlie had ourselves seated with an array of alcohol around us. We played darts while we waited for others. Others came, then we played pool and limbo and danced some too. Charlie can really dance sometimes. Then we went to a house party hosted by Vicente and Jose. It was crowded and that made it more fun, there were weird characters. I met Constantine there, he disappeared for a bit and came back with alcohol that he bought off the same people who said they couldn’t sell it to us because they didn’t have the license too. That was cool. After the party was done and dusted and we felt tired, we went off to get some food. I had fried chicken. I love eating fried chicken and love London so much more for having it.

And this is just the beginning.

It was the 20th of January, an auspicious day indeed. I woke in the morning after several preparations being done the night before and I knew that that day was the day I would be completely helpless to the wants and cares of the Evil Ange overlord herself. It was her birthday, her rules, she was the birthday girl and she held supreme and reigned over all. Hmph.

But really, it wasn’t that bad. For starters, she likes me so takes care to treat me right despite the occasional rumour that she beats me behind closed doors ( and it is a rumour!! ) umm umm, yes so we woke up to what was the weirdest thing I have ever associated with birthdays since then.

Breakfast cake. I. kid. you. not.

We went upstairs, and sure enough there was Maurice and Mama awake and with cake, burning candles galore. 22 looks like alot of candles and so a few old jokes were made and all that. I got out the camera and snapped a few great shots. Woo woo!

The cake is on fiiire!

But yes, breakfast birthday cake? weird!! the day started out weird. Hmmmm. So after that we all decided to pack into the car and drive down to Richmond for a trip down nostalgia lane for them and wow-look-squirrels lane for me. It was so weird driving through Richmond! mainly because the streets were smaller than usual and alot of them were all cobble stone, it was some real medieval stuff out here! the building were old despite there being some fanciful shops that the occupants of the car were like “wow that wasn’t there before!!”. I laughed.

The park was massive! there was loads of deer, and not the nice Nara bowing sort of deers found in Japan but the sort of deer with big antlers and they look like they’re really mean too. We drove past them, thank the queen, and found a parking lot where we prompted parked and run around with nuts trying to engage the furry little creatures known as Squirrels.

SQUIRREEEEELLLLS!!! omgomgomg.

Squirrels 101 – if you pretend to have a nut, and pretend to throw it down to the squirrel, they will come running towards you! it’s so cool. But despite that party trick, we had actual nuts so they came REALLY close and we were able to take really bad photos of them. It was so cool, after this little saga we drove around some more before going for some food in inner Richmond! we sat in this little quaint pub and had some food. Very nice, when we left there was this lane called “Water Lane” next to the river and it was completely flooded. Awesome in the ironic sense and that sense that comes along when there is alot of water where it shouldn’t be!! Susanne (Mama / Mami) just brought a bunch of bread crumbs out from no where and started throwing them into the water, it really confused me.. until I saw a flock of geese come over to us and start fighting over them!

Next Ange had to go visit Max, while I showed Maurice some flipping skills. Literally, I was flipping doing cartwheels and stuff. I think he was impressed. By then Mami had picked us up and we were on our way back, but that was just half the fun. That night I had a planned, or rather asked Charlie to plan a surprise birthday party for Ange. She did and it was glooorious! Ange had no idea, she thought I was going to take her out on a romantic date or something. But I didn’t. Teehee. We dressed up all nice and date-like, I was looking really classy and she was looking very hawt too. I told her it was a surprise and left hints to some other random place in Covent Garden. I told her I’d know my way from TGI Fridays so she led me there, the place where the surprise birthday party was held. TEEHEEE!! I had to break the news that I booked our date in TGI Fridays and I think she was disappointed! until she saw everyone else. YAAY. We had the whole crew there, Charlie, Joe, Ewa, Katherine, Vicente and Jose. We sat down for a lovely dinner and Ange remarked that she had no idea about the party and was flabbergasted.

Come on, we look good.

What came next was even cooler! Charlie had made dessert! on epic birthday-like proportions! yay. Out came the TGI Friday guy and he had a microphone and he announced to the entire place that it was a special girls birthday. TEEEEEHEEEE!! xD She started blushing and he appeared with a tray of muffins that spelled out ‘Happy Birthday Angelina’. Amazing Charlie heheh, and we sang and sang Happy Birthday. It was such a good night, and best of all we got to take home the left over muffins which came to the rescue a few nights later when we were starving.

Birthday Muffins! Happy Birthday Ange!!

Mission success, Ange had been duped and a magical memorable birthday had taken its course. Whoop whoop!

So there I was, the first time since really being in Europe that I was left alone without the protection of my one and only Ange. As I recall it, she had a revision class or some nonsense and me being the typical explorer type adventure going lad as I am! I decided it was high and nigh time that I hit up the streets of London to take in some of the fanciful architecture of random buildings. So the plan was one of ease, I’d go to the Science Museum! having a wonderful experience at the Science Museum in Brisbane it makes sense that I’d have an even better experience in London right? one of the greatest cities of the world.

Look at the silly streets and lovely brickyness.

Well the problem was, I got lost. Through no fault of my own mind you, I got directions but there was construction works and several footpaths that would usually be utilized on such a trip were unavailable to me. But alas, I’m an adventure going explorer guy! so no problems there.. it was a while since I had departed South Kensington train station after a bit of an emotional departure from Ange too (no looking back, waves or tears) but I was out in the real world now and it was down to business. Um so yes, after ALOT of walking and obviously being lost, I was munching on a nice little sandwich thing when I accidently found myself staring at the one and only Buckingham Palace!! the residence of the Queen, now now I know what you’re thinking. If you’re a London goer you probably know that South Kensington is no where near the Queens Palace and all that.

In my defense, it looks like the sort of place a Queen would live.

Well as it turns out this monumental Palace looking building wasn’t the Buckingham Palace (should have figured with the lack of weird looking guards) but it was actually in fact the Museum of Natural History! go figure, but that meant I was close because me being all trusty and fore thinking remembered the two museums being close together. Turns out it is much within my prowess to get close together into really really far away from each other because I walked for AGES around looking for the Science Museum and ended up going past theatres, colleges, weird random pointless monuments (London has alot of those), anywho! eventually.. da daaa, I made it to the Science Museum.

Well well well, the Science Museum. I don’t know what to say except for the fact that I’m going back again, why? not because it was so awesome, but more likely because I saw nothing awesome and I know there are epically awesome things there so I’m going back to find them dammit! I had 2 hours and a half from when I left Ange on the train to make my way back to her for lunch with her, Charlie and Joe but by the time I actually arrived at the Science Museum I had already spent (not wasted! =P) 45 minutes. Hmmhmhmm, so yes, I think I got caught up in an area of the museum that was lame and it wasn’t til the end that I was in some small not so amazing part of the museum. I saw those weird temporary exhibits that just aren’t as good as the permanent laser type ones.

One of my kids will feature Jones as a middle name.

So eventually I get the call “get your arse down here” from Charlie and sure enough I figure out the fastest way there and masterfully work ‘the Tube’ to my will and managed to arrive at Aldgate (which I lovingly pronounce as Old gate) tadaa!! I’m here. And so we went off to the pub! yeehee the pub! I love that place. We were becoming quite the ‘regulars’ at this establishments and so much in fact that Ange being the angelic thing she is recruited or somehow garnered a fan bartender (no we didn’t get free drinks. =S) But that’s not important, what’s important is that I made it back alive to my friends in this strange land after being lost in London, on my own, fighting the mass of people we call the Poms.

See? Brick Lane.

To be honest, my memory fades quick and after looking at some photos it turns out we didn’t visit the pub that evening! we went off to Brick Lane for some Indian food! and by ‘we’ I mean myself, Ange, Charlie and JOOOOE!! we sat, had our curry and nan bread and talked about random things past. After that, we split up and myself and Ange did a bit of sight seeing through London. Took some strange photos and ended up walking through Leicester Square and Picadilly Circus. It was quite a night and I saw alot of things, like flashing advertisements at night time! Upon arriving home I got cornered by Ange’s mum, the even more so angelic Susanne, and she fired questions at me regarding what had seen, done and seen today in my adventurous trip around London.

And so I report it here!