Static Routing in Packet Tracer: Connecting 2 Networks

PacketTracer_en

If you have already learned how to create a local network and configure a basic router, you know that computers on the same network talk using a Switch, and that the Router is the gateway out of your local network.

But what happens when we need to connect two physically distant local networks, such as a company’s Headquarters and Branch?

In the real world, routers don’t guess where to send data. They need a “roadmap,” known as a Routing Table. In this tutorial, you will learn how to build this map manually using Static Routing and test the communication between networks using only the ping command.

Table Of Contents
  1. The Lab Scenario
  2. Configuration Step-by-Step
  3. The Verification Moment: Why Does the Ping Fail?
  4. Testing Connectivity
  5. Complete Configuration Script (For Debugging)
  6. Useful Diagnostic Commands (Troubleshooting)

The Lab Scenario

We will interconnect two distinct local area networks (LANs) through a dedicated communication link (WAN):

  • Headquarters Network (LAN 1): IP Range 192.168.1.0/24
  • Interconnection Link (WAN): IP Range 10.0.0.0/30
  • Branch Network (LAN 2): IP Range 192.168.2.0/24

Addressing Table

DeviceInterfaceIP AddressSubnet MaskDefault Gateway
PC-HeadquartersFastEthernet0192.168.1.10255.255.255.0192.168.1.1
Router-Headquarters (R1)Gig0/0 (LAN)192.168.1.1255.255.255.0N/A
Router-Headquarters (R1)Gig0/1 (WAN)10.0.0.1255.255.255.252N/A
Router-Branch (R2)Gig0/1 (WAN)10.0.0.2255.255.255.252N/A
Router-Branch (R2)Gig0/0 (LAN)192.168.2.1255.255.255.0N/A
PC-BranchFastEthernet0192.168.2.10255.255.255.0192.168.2.1

Configuration Step-by-Step

Step 1: Building the Topology in Packet Tracer

  1. Insert 2 Routers (recommended models: 2911 or ISR4321).
  2. Insert 2 PCs (PC-Headquarters and PC-Branch).
  3. Connect the devices according to the table above.
    • Attention: To interconnect the GigabitEthernet0/1 ports of the two routers, use a Crossover (Copper Cross-Over) cable.

Step 2: Configuring the PCs (Headquarters and Branch)

Click on PC-Headquarters, go to Desktop -> IP Configuration and set:

  • IP Address: 192.168.1.10
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1

Click on PC-Branch, go to Desktop -> IP Configuration and set:

  • IP Address: 192.168.2.10
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • Default Gateway: 192.168.2.1

Step 3: Configuring Router Interfaces via CLI

Open the CLI tab of the Router-Headquarters (R1) and type the commands below to name the equipment, activate and address the ports:

enable
configure terminal
! Interface da LAN 
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
 no shutdown
exit

! Interface WAN 
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.252
 no shutdown
exit

Now, open the CLI tab of the Router-Branch (R2) and do the equivalent configuration:

enable
configure terminal
! Interface da LAN 
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0
 no shutdown
exit

! Interface WAN 
interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.252
 no shutdown
exit

The Verification Moment: Why Does the Ping Fail?

If you open the Command Prompt on PC-Headquarters now and try to ping 192.168.2.10 (PC-Branch), the response will be Request timed out.

Understanding the Theory:

The Router-Headquarters only knows the networks directly connected to it (192.168.1.0 and 10.0.0.0). It does not know that the 192.168.2.0 network exists. When a packet for this unknown network arrives at the router, it simply drops it. We need to teach it the way!

Step 4: Configuring Static Routes (ip route)

The syntax to create a static route in Cisco IOS is:

ip route [Destination_Network] [Destination_Mask] [Next_Hop_IP]

On the Router-Headquarters (R1), inform that to reach the Branch network (192.168.2.0), the packet must be sent to the Router-Branch IP (10.0.0.2):

enable
configure terminal
ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2

The Golden Rule of Networking: Communication is a two-way street!

It’s not enough for the packet to reach the Branch; the Router-Branch needs to know how to return the response to the Headquarters (192.168.1.0).

Configure the return route on the Router-Branch (R2):

enable
configure terminal
ip route 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.1

Testing Connectivity

  1. Open the Command Prompt of the PC-Headquarters.
  2. Type the command:Bashping 192.168.2.10

(Note: It is common for the first packet to fail due to the ARP protocol resolution process. Subsequent packets should return success with Reply from 192.168.2.10!)

To view the packet path crossing the two routers in real time, switch Packet Tracer from Realtime mode to Simulation mode, trigger the ping again and click Play.

Complete Configuration Script (For Debugging)

If for some reason your test did not work, use the scripts below to compare with your configurations or paste directly into the routers’ terminal in configure terminal mode.

Router-Headquarters (R1)

enable
configure terminal
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
 no shutdown
exit

interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.252
 no shutdown
exit

! Static route indicating how to get to the branch office
ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2

end
write memory

Router-Branch (R2)

enable
configure terminal
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 ip address 192.168.2.1 255.255.255.0
 no shutdown
exit

interface GigabitEthernet0/1
 ip address 10.0.0.2 255.255.255.252
 no shutdown
exit

! Static return route indicating how to reach the headquarters
ip route 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.1

end
write memory

Useful Diagnostic Commands (Troubleshooting)

If you need to validate your configuration via the terminal, use these two commands in enable mode:

  • show ip interface brief: Verifies if the ports have the status up / up. If administratively down appears, it means the no shutdown command is missing on the interface.

show ip interface brief

  • show ip route: Displays the routing table. Look for the line starting with the letter S (for Static), confirming that the manual route was inserted successfully.

show ip route

Lab 1: Install Packet Tracer on Linux

Lab 2: Packet Tracer for Dummies: Setting Up Your First Network with 2 PCs (Quick Start Guide)

Lab 3: How to Create a Network with a Switch in Packet Tracer – Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Lab 4: Packet Tracer network with one router

Lab 5: Static Routing in Packet Tracer: Connecting 2 Networks

Lab 6: Configure DHCP in Packet Tracer: Server & Router Guide

Lab 7: How to Configure NAT in Packet Tracer (Step-by-Step)

Lab 8: Tutorial: Web Server in Packet Tracer (Client-Server)

Lab 9: Tutorial: Using Port Forwarding in Packet Tracer

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/nexus3000/sw/unicast/503_u1_2/nexus3000_unicast_config_gd_503_u1_2/l3_route.html

Juliana Mascarenhas

Data Scientist and Master in Computer Modeling by LNCC.
Computer Engineer

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