Step 0: Get your materials ready

You need to log in to the class Linux server with the Terminal application over SSH. Use the Fox textbook, resources listed below (if any) and your reading notes for support.

Write your answers in a Word (or similar) document.

Step 1: Create a better ping command

1. Use ping -hto look up the options that you can use with the ping Create an alias so that when you execute ping it stops after 5 tries and shows hostnames if they are available.
2. Create an alias so that when you execute slowpingit does the same thing as your new ping command and it also waits for 3 seconds between each attempt.

If you are unhappy with an alias and want to re-create it, use unalias to remove the existing alias first.

Answer the following questions

1. What is the exact command you used to create the pingalias?
2. What is the exact command you used to create the slowpingalias?
3. What do you think the advantages are of making these aliases? Why not just stick to the regular pingcommand?

Step 2: Which servers are down?

Using your slowping command, check the servers listed below. Take a screenshot of ONE of the successful attempts. Name the screenshot slowping.xxx where xxx is the appropriate file extension.

Servers to check:

• iti201s[X].comminfo.rutgers.edu (replace [X] with numbers 1-10)
• iti201app.comminfo.rutgers.edu
• iti201db.comminfo.rutgers.edu

Answer the following questions

1. Which servers (if any) appear to be down?
2. You should have seen some different hostnames than what you were expecting. Take a shot at explaining why this is not an issue. I mean, two names for the same server? Should that cause some kind of conflict?

Step 3: Check the remote servers

• Run traceoute against one of the servers in step 2 that are responsive and take a screenshot.
• Run traceoute against www.example.org take a screenshot and name it traceroute.xxx where xxx is the appropriate file extension.

Step 4: Network tools or hacking tools?

The Fox textbook says that these tools are “often considered insecure programs” and that “hackers might use either or both to investigate the computers on a LAN.” Let’s stipulate for now that this is true.

1. In an earlier module we learned about a tool that could be used to give access to these commands to only certain people. What is that tool, and how would it reduce the risk that Fox is referring to? (hint: think about “system permissions” and recall how you could and could not use aptin an earlier lab.)
2. Based on what these tools do, do you think “regular users” should have access to them? Defend your answer.

How to submit your lab results

Upload the Word document and the following screenshots:

• slowping.xxx
• traceroute.xxx