PC MAC Addresses in Packet Tracer

RyanCorbett

How is a Packet Tracer switch supposed to learn PC MAC addresses when there seems to be no way to assign them and they aren't pre-configured on the PCs ? Thanks for any help !

alan2308

They have MAC addresses. Directly from a PC in packet tracer:

PC>ipconfig /all


[B]Physical Address................: 0002.4AA8.34EB[/B]
IP Address......................: 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask.....................: 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway.................: 0.0.0.0
DNS Servers.....................: 0.0.0.0

And from the switch:

Switch#sh mac-address-table 
          Mac Address Table
-------------------------------------------


Vlan    Mac Address       Type        Ports
----    -----------       --------    -----


  [B] 1    0002.4aa8.34eb    DYNAMIC     Fa0/1[/B]

ciscoman2012

They are pre-configured on the PC's in Packet Tracer.

For example, add a PC to your topology and then double click on it. A window will come up and then click on the second tab option that says "Config". Then under Interface on the left click on "FastEthernet". Once there you can see the duplex and speed settings for that PC, in addition to the MAC Address and IP configuration information.

Hope this helps! Packet Tracer is a wonderful program by the way if you haven't figured out already!! Very useful!

RyanCorbett

thanks, fellows !...it seems like i don't know enough about packet tracer, then....just wondering why when i go to " show mac-address-table ", only the vlan1 interfaces show up and no other mac addresses....a switch is supposed to automatically learn directly connected MAC addresses, correct ?...hot damn, this stuff is confusing !...thanks again !.....:)

ciscoman2012

RyanCorbett wrote: »

thanks, fellows !...it seems like i don't know enough about packet tracer, then....just wondering why when i go to " show mac-address-table ", only the vlan1 interfaces show up and no other mac addresses....a switch is supposed to automatically learn directly connected MAC addresses, correct ?...hot damn, this stuff is confusing !...thanks again !.....:)

You are correct, but for some reason Packet Tracer won't recognize it until you try to send a frame through to the switch. For example, go on the PC and do a "Ipconfig /renew" in the Command Terminal and then it will appear.

RyanCorbett

ciscoman2012 wrote: »

You are correct, but for some reason Packet Tracer won't recognize it until you try to send a frame through to the switch. For example, go on the PC and do a "Ipconfig /renew" in the Command Terminal and then it will appear.

thanks, ciscoman...i've noticed ( to my dismay ) that there are quite a few commands that Packet Tracer doesn't support, as well...one would think since this program is of a proprietary nature that cisco would have done a more thorough job on it...oh well.... thanks again !

Ltat42a

RyanCorbett wrote: »

thanks, fellows !...it seems like i don't know enough about packet tracer, then....just wondering why when i go to " show mac-address-table ", only the vlan1 interfaces show up and no other mac addresses....a switch is supposed to automatically learn directly connected MAC addresses, correct ?...hot damn, this stuff is confusing !...thanks again !.....:)

Check out Youtube for "Packet Tracer", there's quite a bit tutorials on there!

hth

RyanCorbett

Ltat42a wrote: »

Check out Youtube for "Packet Tracer", there's quite a bit tutorials on there!

hth

thanks !

ciscoman2012

RyanCorbett wrote: »

thanks, ciscoman...i've noticed ( to my dismay ) that there are quite a few commands that Packet Tracer doesn't support, as well...one would think since this program is of a proprietary nature that cisco would have done a more thorough job on it...oh well.... thanks again !

I completely agree with you...but at the same point they couldn't have included everything. Well they could have, but since it was just for the Networking Acad. this was prob. more than sufficient.

If you have access to IOS images, you should try and download GNS3 especially for configuring routers. As far as I know, all commands work on there as they would a real switch (provided you have the correct IOS image). The benefit of using GNS3 over Packet Tracer is that GNS3 isn't a simulator. It is actually emulating the IOS image and using the real thing. Very nifty it just isn't as good for using switches as it has none in GNS3.

RyanCorbett

ciscoman2012 wrote: »

I completely agree with you...but at the same point they couldn't have included everything. Well they could have, but since it was just for the Networking Acad. this was prob. more than sufficient.

If you have access to IOS images, you should try and download GNS3 especially for configuring routers. As far as I know, all commands work on there as they would a real switch (provided you have the correct IOS image). The benefit of using GNS3 over Packet Tracer is that GNS3 isn't a simulator. It is actually emulating the IOS image and using the real thing. Very nifty it just isn't as good for using switches as it has none in GNS3.

i'll add look into that this evening...thank you, sir !

alxx

If you use gsn3 make sure to set the pc idle setting

cbt nuggests gsn3 video
http://www.cbtnuggets.com/standalone?video=/freevideo/csco_642_902_02.mp4