17. 1. Begin with the information regarding the Internet Service Provider connecting the premises to the
Internet. What type of communication technology and media is used to connect the premises to the
Internet? What are the specified upload and download speeds for the service being provided? Are
there any monthly data caps limiting use? As other things come to mind, also include notes on this
information.
2. Next, explore the gateway router that provides the first hop between the WAN and the LAN you are
documenting. To the extent possible, document the MAC and IP addresses of the router’s WAN
Network Interface Controller, and also that of the router’s LAN NIC (remember, many devices have
multiple network interface controllers, and therefore multiple node identifiers). Are there additional
devices between the outdoor media and the router, such as a modem or optical network terminal?
Does the router provide one or more LAN ports? Does it serve as a wireless access point? What
are the settings for these? Does it provide a DHCP server giving IP addresses to other LAN nodes,
and if so, what are the settings for this service? Are any IP addresses reserved for specific devices?
Does it forward port requests that come to its WAN IP address to specific LAN node IP addresses?
Are there any security access controls, block sites, and block services being used?
3. Finally, do all you can to document every node connected on this LAN, noting the type of device,
the media being used, the assigned MAC and IP address, and any notes you think would be helpful
to keep on record. Remember to that your laptop, printer, Raspberry Pi, and other devices might be
connected through multiple means such as via WiFi and also wired Ethernet. You might also
document devices that are connected to multiple different networks, for instance a smartphone that
is connected to the LAN using WiFi and also to a cell network. And there may be devices like that
smartphone that also serve as hotspot routers, connecting some devices to the Internet via the cell
network instead of the LAN’s ISP.
