Lab 1 - Exercise and Lab Preamble

Objectives

This lab aims to:

• Help you understand the use of a virtual environment
• Configure Network Interfaces
• Use basic Linux commands for system administration and network configuration

Logging in to the "eee473" host:

• Sit down at one of the host machines in the Computer Network Security Lab 4112.

• Before you even touch the keyboard, observe the welcome message.  It likely says "lab4112x".  Read this as lab room number 4112 and machine number x.
• Record your machine number x here: _____.

• Memorize this number.
• Log onto the machine using the user-name: eee473. Use this mnemonic to help you remember the password: 473 Communications Course in the Computer Network Security laboratory. Note that this machine will be referred to as the host. 
• This machine is running VMware to support the virtual machines (VM) that will be used in this course; we will use Windows and Linux virtual machines.

• You will never have to touch anything in VMware itself. Therefore do NOT use the VMware interface.

Part 1 - Starting the Windows virtual machine (Windows VM):

• To start the Windows virtual machine right click anywhere on the host desktop and select: Windows VM

• The Windows VM (Microsoft Windows XP Virtual Machine) will boot in a VMware window. Be patient, it may take some time to load.
  

• Re-size the window or select Full Screen from the View menu of VMware.
• Be patient! - The VMware tools driver takes a long time to load after boot - Wait and allow for VMware to re-size.
  

• Familiarize yourself with the applications installed within the Windows VM.  You will discover that this is a fairly simple Windows installation. Find the location of some of the more frequently required, but perhaps less known, applications such as:
• Command Prompt
• -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt
• You can create a short-cut by clicking and dragging the icon to your desktop
  
• Network Connections
• -> Control Panel -> Network Connections
• Printers
• -> Printers and Faxes
• Matthews CD
• -> Computer -> CompNetworking (G:)
• USB Drives, which you can use to capture information from the Windows VM
• Ensure that the Windows VM is active and plug-in the USB drive in the host; it will automatically mount to the Windows VM.
• Ensure that you properly eject the drive by right-clicking the safely remove hardware button ->Remove drive

• If you are working in Full Screen mode, minimize the Windows VM for now by selecting the "iconify the window" button (traditional minimize) in the VMware control panel.   
  

Part 2 - Starting the Linux virtual machine (Linux VM):

• To start the Linux virtual machine right click anywhere on the host desktop and select: Linux VM
• Be patient, the first time may be slow!

• The Linux VM (OpenSUSE Linux Virtual Machine) will boot in a VMware window. 

• Resize the window or select Full Screen from the View menu of VMware. You may use both screens if you wish.
• Be patient - allow for VMware to re-size.

• Getting to know openSUSE:
• The installed Linux operating system on the Linux VM is openSUSE version 13.1.
• Throughout the course you will use many different applications.  Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with openSUSE.  Note that most applications are available by clicking on the openSUSE Applications Menu   on the left of the panel. Find the location of some of the more frequently required applications.

• Applications available from the Application Menu include:
  
• -> System -> xfce Terminal
• Again you can create a short-cut by long clicking and dragging onto the desktop. Note that you will have to select "Mark Executable" when prompted the first time it is run.
  
• -> System -> Thunar File Manager
• -> Internet -> Firefox
  
• -> Accessories -> Leafpad {a good general purpose text editor}
• -> Office -> LibreOffice Writer {an Open Office word processor}
• USB Drives, which you can use to capture information from the Linux VM
• Ensure that the Linux VM is active and plug-in the USB drive in the host; it will automatically mount to the Linux VM.
• Ensure that you properly eject the drive by right-clicking the drive in Thunar and clicking eject.

• General comment on printing:
• At various times throughout the course you will be asked to provide a printout with your lab submission; often times it may be a sample packet capture. Please refrain from printing more than 1 or 2 pages of any sample.
  

•   Gaining root Privilege (Important!):

• Many of the tools used in this course require root privileges.  In general when you do need root privilege you have two options, either execute a program as root or switch to user root.  Unless you are performing system administration functions, this second option is dangerous and unnecessary as it gives you the ability (and liability) to do damage. By default in this course you will be logged on as user eee473, and the Linux VM has been configured such that you never need to be user root. You will receive specific instructions (using sudo command X) whenever you need to execute a command that requires root privileges.
  

•  Note:
  
• Consider why it is not a good idea to just switch to user root.
  
• Firstly, you have complete access to the file system and can therefore easily (by accident) damage the configuration of the operating system as well as its applications.
• Secondly, any program executed while you are root is run with root privilege.  It should become obvious to you in this course that this is not a good idea from a security perspective. 

Part 3 - Understanding the Lab Network Infrastructure:

Figure 1 - CNSL Network Set-up

• Referring to Figure 1 above, let's review the terminology that will be used during the exercises and labs in this course.
• Team Network.
  
•  We will refer to the network configuration established (by you) within the VMware virtual environment as the "Team Network".
• Common Network.
• We will refer to the network configuration established within the common lab infrastructure ("in the cage") as the "Common Network".

• Virtual Switches.
• There are two virtual switches within the Team Network:
• Internal Virtual Switch.
  
• The "Internal Virtual Switch" will be used to connect instances of VMs to each other within the Team Network.
• External Virtual Switch.
• The "External Virtual Switch" will be used to connect instances of the VMs to the common network (through the Patch Panel).

• Mapping Network Adapters to Virtual Switches
• Each VM is pre-configured with two network adapters / interfaces.
  
• On each VM we will use one network adapter/interface to connect to the internal virtual switch and another to connect to the external virtual switch.

•  Prior to each exercise or lab, the network adapters / interfaces within the Team Network must normally be configured.  Follow the steps below for each type of VM.

• Windows VM Network Adapter Configuration
• Return to the Windows VM
• View and set the Internal adapter settings:
  
• Select start -> Control Panel -> Network Connections
  
• Right-click on the adapter named Internal and select Enable to enable this adapter
• Right-click again on the adapter and select  Status. 
• Then in the General tab, select Properties -> Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) -> Properties and select "Use the following IP address:"
• Set your IP address. Recall that the variable x is your host machine number that was recorded at the beginning of this exercise.
  
• 10.30.x.20
  
• Set your sub-net mask. 
• 255.255.255.0
  
• You do not have to worry about the Gateway or DNS settings for this exercise.
• Select OK to apply these settings; be patient, this could take time.
  

• View but do not set the External adapter settings:
  
• Right-click on Local Area Connection and Rename the adapter to External
• Right-click again on the adapter and select Status. View the Support tab.
• The connection status is likely listed as Limited or no connectivity. 
• Do not change the settings at this time.

• Double-check your results from the command prompt:
  
• Open a Command Prompt (if you have forgotten how, go back to an earlier step in the preamble).
• The program ipconfig can be used for displaying and modifying network adapter settings.
• type ipconfig /?
• Review the uses of this program
• type ipconfig /all
  
• Confirm that the settings displayed for the network adapters are as set in the previous steps.
  

• Linux VM Virtual Switch Configuration
• Return to the Linux VM

• View and set the Internal interface settings:
• Open a Terminal.
• The program ifconfig can be used for displaying and modifying network interface settings. Note the slight difference in spelling from the similar application used by Windows.
  
• Run ifconfig with the help switch -h
• ifconfig -h
•  Review the uses of this program
• Using ifconfig, list all interfaces:
  
• ifconfig -a

• One of the listed interfaces should be named internal. This interface should not have an IP assigned. The interface may also be down, which you can tell because of the lacking "UP" before "BROADCAST" on the second line of the listing.
  

• Set the Internal interface and bring it up:
• sudo ifconfig internal 10.30.x.10 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
  

• View but do not set the External interface:
  
• Rerun ifconfig -a . Observe the total number of interfaces listed. 
  
• One is used for connecting to the Internal Virtual Switch, "internal" (outlined above) and should now be set as per the instructions above.
• One is the loopback interface, "lo"
• Record any other interface listed: ________.  During the course, this one will be referred to as the External interface 
• Is it assigned an IP? ______

• Do not change the settings at this time.

• Perform a self-test of the Internal Virtual Switch
• From a Terminal in the Linux VM, ping the Windows VM:
• ping Windows_VM_IP  (recall the appropriate Windows VM internal IP from above).
• Is there a connection?   ____
  
• Cancel ping by typing Ctrl-c
  
• From the Command Prompt in the Windows VM, ping the Linux VM across the Internal Virtual Switch:
• ping Linux_VM_IP  (recall the appropriate Linux VM IP from above).
• Is there a connection?   ____
• There is no need to cancel, as Windows ping is configured to only send 4 pings.

• When you have completed this step:
• Go to the Windows VM and disable the Internal Adapter.
• Right-click on the adapter named Internal and select Disable to disable this adapter
• Go the the Linux VM and bring down the Internal interface
• sudo ifconfig internal down
  

Part 4 - How to end your session:

• Power Down the Windows VM.
  
• Select start  , then select Turn Off Computer and finally select Turn Off.

• Power Down the Linux VM.
• Select the green gecko -> Log Out -> Shut Down. Alternately you can use the Log Out dialogue in the lower right of the panel.
  

• Log out of the host.
• Right-click / logout.

• You should now be back where you started, at the main welcome screen.

• Note that by correctly following the procedure above you are shutting down the virtual machines and not the underlying host. This leaves the host running for the next student to log in to their environment.

No report is necessary for this laboratory.