Network Design Proposal

Question

The university has recently leased a building in Adelphi, Maryland. The building will house some offices, classrooms, a library, and computer labs. Security is very important for UMUC, as the university must protect students? and employees? data, as well as any intellectual property that UMUC has on its servers and computers. As a result, IT management would like to take the time to review some….

answer

Network Design Proposal

1. Physical Network Design
2. Network Topology

Business Needs

The institution in the case study believes in the advancing technological needs. Hence it cannot be left behind in ensuring that its students also have access to technology and get high standards academic levels from the institution. The student should be able to access a modern library whereby learning materials are easily accessible. The institution also takes care of the communication among the offices, there should be faster, effective and efficient communication for a smooth running of the institution activities.

Proposed Topology

One of the way the institution can achieve this through setting up of modern computer laboratories that will be accessible to all the students and their instructors. The computer laboratories must be up to date with the state of the art facilities. We propose that each office also to have a computer in it. The admissions office should have five computers. There should be a server room in each floor that is first floor and second floor of the building. There should six computer labs that each will contain 26 computers; 1 for the instructor, 1 server and 24 for use by the students. There should also be a student’s computer lab that will contain 25 computers and 1 server. The library also should have 15 computers; 10 for use by the general public and 5 by the library staff. The Preferred network protocol for this case is the star topology.

Other requirements will include network software and network media and network devices. Total approximate cost is around $120,000. 

Justification

Having decided that it will network its operations in the library, offices and the computer labs it will be better to use the star topology. This is to enable expansion in future, in case of expansion or addition of computers in the offices star topology make it easy to do so. In case of a breakdown the network will never fail only the affected computer will fail hence justifying as to why star network topology should be used in this case.

Network Media

Business Needs

The institution needs to computerize the building in both of the floors that is first floor and second floor.

Proposed Network Media (include network wiring diagrams)

The network media to be used is the category 5 Ethernet cables, where the cables to each computer runs from the server room to the specific computer. The network wiring diagram below signifies this.

Assumption made

Computers in the labs are assumed to be in a work group.

Key:

Server

Workgroup

Ethernet Cables

Personal computer

Justification

Using the Ethernet cables or twisted pair cable as the network media enables easier scalability of the network; the network can be easily expanded as compared to when using optical fiber media. The cost is also put into consideration; Optical fiber could be so costly for the organization.

1. Network Devices

Business Needs

The institution has two server rooms and each server room should have several network devices to enable communication across the institution.

Proposed Network Devices

The following network devices will be used to ensure that communication is efficient and the network to be implemented effective.

6 32 pin switch 3 for first floor server room and 3 for second floor server room.

2 16 pin switch one for each server room.

2 Wireless routers each in each floor to enable wireless communication.

208 network interface cards for each computer.

Justification

The network devices listed will enable faster communication and secure communication across the institution. The wires routers will set up wireless access points where by users can access wireless network.

1. Network Security Devices

Business Needs

Like any other institution, the institution in the case study must have a very secure network that will be free from intruders and other malicious persons. The computers in the offices being part of the network must maintain some confidential information. The instructor’s computers also must have some information that students should not be able to access.

Proposed Network Security Devices

The following devices are proposed to be used as the network security devices; Internet router and firewall.

Justification

The internet router will enforce network security by providing access only to the allowed protocol that has the correct IP address range. This will enable in protecting the network since no intruders will be allowed to access the network.

Firewalls on the other side will be used to prevent intruders from accessing the office computers, since each office will have a firewall. The firewalls will enable the network security.

1. Computer Systems

Business Needs

There being a server in each lab, the institution requires a total of seven servers that will serve the computers in each lab. The client computers being the computers being used by the students a server is very paramount in these labs.

Proposed Computer Systems

We propose that each of the seven servers should have the following servers in it.

1. File server
2. Communications server
3. Application server
4. Database server
5. Domain server

Justification

By having the file server in each lab it will enable the network users to store their data files. The Communications server will enable the student to send emails maybe to their instructor or to their colleague students. The application server on the other side will enable easier sharing of an application(s) installed in one of the computer across the network. The database server will enable in managing and handling of all data storage activities in the network. For students and other users to be authenticated while using the computers there must be a domain server to serve the purpose.

1. Network Addresses Design
2. Subnetting

Business Needs

There being 208 computers and other network devices there is need to have subnets to divide the network and ensure maximum usage of the IP addresses.

Proposed Subnetting (include the calculations)

Assume the first. IP address of 192.168.0.1

Let the subnet mask be 255.255.255.224 since we propose each subnet to have 28 hosts to be used in each of the computer labs.

Justification

By having eight subnets means that every computer should fall into the network, since the subnets are assigned into floors it would be difficult to have less subnets it could mean some computers could be out of the subnet. Again this ensures maximum use of the IP addresses. 

III. Network Services Design

1. Network Services

Business Needs

There should be six computer labs to serve the student, a library for access by the general public.

Proposed Network Services

The network should be able to offer the following services.

1. Authentication of various users
2. Sharing of files
3. Sharing of information through mails
4. Accessing of necessary information from the central servers.

Justification

Through offering of this services the network should be able to meet its targets and serve its purpose.

1. Network Security Measures

Business Needs

The institution need a secure network that all users are able to access and use easily without interfering with their privacy.

Proposed Network Security Measures

The following network security measures can be employed in this case;

1. Training of the users on the network usage
2. Ensuring that users sue the login and other authentication credentials well.

Justification

Through use of the following measures the network security can’t be something to question.

Bibliography

2010. Singh, W. B. E. N., 2010. IPv6 Subnet Model. The Relationship between Links and Subnet Prefixes, pp. 45-67.

Telecom, A., 2016. [Online]  Available at: www.atis.org

Tesch, D., 2006. Security Threat Mitigation and Response:. s.l.:Cisco Press.