trace route - every mac address it hits

[Party.Ryan]

I need a tool that does a trace and tells me every piece of hardware it hits.
It is for use on our LAN/WAN so I can find which hubs it it going through, which don't specifically have IP's.

[Moby-Dick]

but do they have MAC addresses ?

This is one of the disadvantages of using unmanaged hubs I suspect.

[Enverex]

As far as I know, switches and hubs don't really exist, they just route annonamously..


NS

[Party.Ryan]

Every piece of hardware on a network has a mac address, that is how they talk and route (on a LAN) as the majority of hubs do not have a IP addresses but they still need to route/pass packets to other devices and this is all done via MAC addresses.


For example, a very simple example.
---------------------
Setup:
Comp1 --- HUB --- Comp2

CMD:
tracert comp2
Tracing route to comp2 [192.168.0.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.0.2

Trace complete.
----------------------

Now if the "HUB" goes down i simple wont get a reply. But if I have drawn up a network map based on "tracert" it would tell me that the comp2 is down, when in fact it is not.

So I need a tool that can tell me every single possible network breakdown to allow me to setup an alert system to pin point the exact hardware that I have a problem with. - Not just "there is some problem between comp1 and comp2"

[Paul Adams]

Really?

I always assumed hubs are broadcast devices with zero intelligence, and switches associate their ports with MACs of other devices on the network to reduce some of this noise, but they don't need (or have) MACs themselves?

If it's not an endpoint (node or managed device) or routing device then why would it need a MAC?

[p0lish]

try Visual Route - 30 days free trial

[Party.Ryan]

Originally posted by Paul Adams
Really?

I always assumed hubs are broadcast devices with zero intelligence, and switches associate their ports with MACs of other devices on the network to reduce some of this noise, but they don't need (or have) MACs themselves?

If it's not an endpoint (node or managed device) or routing device then why would it need a MAC?

I think you're right, I was just never understood how else they would work.

So every packet that goes into a hub with a source address is then broadcasted to everything connected to the HUB and then end point accepts or rejects it depending on whether it was sent to that specific device?

If so, I now understand a hub better (thanks), but could you explain a switch again?

Cheers

and thanks p0lish, ill try that.

[Moby-Dick]

A switch is more aware of itself, especially if it isa managed one. It should also be aware of the MAC adrresses connected to it and will only broacast on the ports that are actually talking to each other.

the broadcast nature of a hub enables you to use a packet sniffer on it, as is sees all the traffic going into and out of a hub. Connecting a packet sniffer to a switch (unless its the monitor port) will only show traffic going to and from that particular port.

[Party.Ryan]

Originally posted by Moby-Dick
A switch is more aware of itself, especially if it isa managed one. It should also be aware of the MAC adrresses connected to it and will only broacast on the ports that are actually talking to each other.

the broadcast nature of a hub enables you to use a packet sniffer on it, as is sees all the traffic going into and out of a hub. Connecting a packet sniffer to a switch (unless its the monitor port) will only show traffic going to and from that particular port.

ahhh ok cheers, I can see the difference here...

ok, do you have any ideas (apart from following cables) how I would trace what hardware packets are passing through?

cheers so far lads

[Moby-Dick]

Have you got a network diagram you can post ?

[Party.Ryan]

Nope, I'm looking at creating one. Thats why im interested in what hardware packets pass.

[Moby-Dick]

You'll be needing to trace some cables then. m'afraid

you can use software like this

http://www.neon.com/gglls.html

or gfi languard security to probe your network to see whats out there....

[Party.Ryan]

cheers, ill get my gloves on

edit: you try out kerio? what you think?

[Moby-Dick]

I've got it running at the moment - Its not too bad but as I cant buy licences for the older version I'll probably stick with Outpost for my clients.