Search on keywords

 

Net Assessment

Net Assessment allows you to test and evaluate your problem solving and troubleshooting network skills. RouterSim has created a powerful and flexible tool for all to use, including teachers, students, individuals, etc. From any fully configured, virtual network ( Master network), you can create another network Test network) that contains altered or removed values . The main task is to examine the Test network and "fix" it by entering missing and/or correct configurations. When finished, the Test network can be evaluated against the Master network and a report generated displaying the results of expected and user-entered values.

Several options are available to assist you in determining what configurations will be placed in the Test network. It depends on the audience for which the Test network is being created. The following are some examples.

Instructor

Scenario 1 - Provide an empty network to students with instructions only. You can insert instructions into a network by importing a file like a Microsoft Word file. Click on the Insert icon on the toolbar. When the dialog box appears select a file that includes instructions. You can imbed any file that you wish, however, the student must have the same program on their computer.

 

 

When students open the Test network they will see a document object on the Network Visualizer screen. They double-click the object and the instructions open up. When they create, configure, and save the Test network, they return it to the instructor for evaluation. The program can automatically evaluate the Test Network. An instructor would then load the Master network and evaluate Test networks one at a time or all at once. An instructor can also view and/or print results one at a time or all at once.

Scenario 2 - Provide a partially configured network to students, along with instructions. In this situation, an instructor has manually removed part of the configurations and expects students to problem solve and finish creating a fully configured network.

Scenario 3 - Provide a fully configured network to students where the program has randomly changed some of the configurations. This is an ideal situation for trouble shooting. An instructor can provide a randomized Test network to students in two different ways.

    They can choose specific configurations they want the program to randomly change values.

    They can choose specific configurations they want the program to randomly remove when the Test network is generated.

    From the total pool of configurations, have the program randomly change and/or remove a specific number of values. For example, an instructor can indicate they want any five configurations (out of a total of 25 configurations) changed by the program.

Individual

Individuals can also use Net Assessment to evaluate their skills. You have several options available to you. For example, you can load a Master network and have the program randomly change a specific number of configurations. You would then generate a Test network and try to restore the network with the same values found in the Master network. You can also have the program randomly remove values. You can make it more complex by designating a specific number of values to be randomly changed and a specific number of values to be randomly removed.

You will not know what configurations have been altered until you open the Test network. At that point it will not be apparent as to what values have been changed or removed until you go through your Test network. Almost anything in the network that had been originally configured is fair game for being changed by our program. When you have gone through the Test network and corrected any problems, you can compare it with the Master network and evaluate your work. Our Report section will display expected answers and your answers.