AP Networking Lab 1: Device Triage Bench (Browser, No Equipment)

Device Triage Bench

Timed root-cause runs on a device that will not behave. 4 class periods, 8 checkpoints.

What you need: a browser. Nothing to install, no admin rights, no networking hardware. It runs on a Chromebook. The network below is simulated, so you can break it, fix it, and break it again without touching anything real.

The situation

You are the person other people hand a laptop to. Four benches are waiting, each with a different fault already in place. For each one you run the same structured process: gather evidence, name the layer, name the root cause, pick the fix, verify. The clock matters less than the order.

Run the lab

Work the terminal on the left. ipconfig, ping, tracert, arp -a, nslookup, speedtest all answer from the simulated network, so the evidence you gather is consistent and repeatable. Answer the checkpoints as you go and submit when you are done: your score saves to your gradebook, and the reasoning for each checkpoint appears after you submit.

How the 4 periods are used

Session Focus What you should be able to do after it
1 The process, and bench A Run the five-step triage process end to end once, on the simplest fault.
2 Benches B and C: name resolution and the physical layer Separate a name-resolution failure from a connectivity failure using evidence, not guessing.
3 Bench D and the timed run Diagnose a gateway failure, then repeat bench A against the clock.
4 Write the walkthrough Produce the device-recovery walkthrough the Unit 1 performance task asks for.
This is a model, not a capture. The devices, addresses and command output are authored for this lab. Real equipment behaves in messier ways: timeouts vary, cables are intermittent, and output differs between operating systems. What transfers is the reasoning, which is the part that is graded here and on the exam.

Questions students ask

Do I need to install anything?

No. Everything runs in this page. If you can read this, you can run the lab.

Can I redo it?

You can work the lab as many times as you like. Whether a retake replaces your recorded score depends on the retry setting your teacher chose for your class.

Will these exact commands work on a real machine?

The commands are real and the output format follows the real tools closely. tracert is the Windows spelling; macOS and Linux use traceroute. Run them on a real network when you have one, and expect more noise than you see here.

Back to Unit 1: Managing My Connections AP Networking course guide

Objectives practised: 1.1.A, 1.1.B, 1.1.C, 1.2.A, 1.2.B. Skills: 3.A, 3.B.

AP is a trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this resource.

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