Designing a Local Area Network - Assignment Example

Network Design Part 1: Problem Statement Atlantic University currently has a network installed but is very much outdated and really needs to be upgraded. The computers in the university would also need to be upgraded since their specifications might not meet the new technologies available. Though connected, their networks are not capable of communicating with each other and are very slow. Part 2: Technical Diagram Part 3: Process Upgrade details: Computing power Still doubling every 18 months PC-based data centers Connectivity Low cost, broad reach Internet Wireless, broadband Device proliferation Smart devices - PDAs, cell phones, gas pumps Emerging standards Internet-native integration methodology Applications not just single user or client/server, but n-tier, Internet-enabled, wireless, browser-based, distributed, component-based. Objectives of the Network Simplify Program Deployment No registration, zero impact install XCOPY deployment, incremental download Side-by-side versions of shared components Even within the same process! Evidence-based security policy Based on code as well as user Metadata Extensible application information Increase capabilities Common Language Runtime Powerful code execution environment Common type system Garbage-collection Security .NET Framework Library > 6,000 classes and Interfaces Accessible from any .NET language Proposed Equipment File Server Hardware: (1)Gateway 920 Software: (1) Windows Server 2003 Mail Server Hardware: (1)Gateway 920 Software: (1) Windows Server 2003 Web Server Hardware: (2)Gateway 920 Software: (2) Windows Server 2003 Networking Equipment Cisco Routers (3) 2611XM (2) NM16ESW ( 15 )1200 Access Point (1) 4000 WLAN Switch (1) Air Control System software (5) Systems Wireless Print Server (1) Systems Wireless Print Server (48) Systems Wireless PCMCIA LAN Adapter (54) Systems Wireless PC LAN Adapter Card (2) 16 port 10/100 Base-T Ethernet Module for 2611XM Router (3) Serial WAN Interface Card WIC-1T (1) VPN Encryption Module AIM-VPN/EP (6) Air Powerline Injector Other hardware (4) Intel 4 Processor (4) PC2100 DDR ECC SDRAM (2 - 256MB modules) (4) 80 GB Hard Drive (4) Tape Backup Unit (1) Systems Wireless Print Server (4) Floppy Drive (4) LCD Monitor Input Devices (4) Mice (4) Keyboard (4) Modem (4) Network Card (4) APC Battery Supply (4) Database Server Software (1) FrontPage 2003 HTML Editor Proposal The past decades have massively transformed the way people work and live with the advent use of the internet and the widespread introduction of personal mobile communications. During the next decade, these two digital industries are expected to converge, requiring wireless networks to facilitate user mobility by providing the desired information anywhere at any time. Example applications in this context comprise access to email, intranet and internet, the distribution of multimedia content in home and hot spot environments, replacement of Ethernet networks in offices, and wireless peripheral interfaces for digital equipment. Naturally, users of wireless networks expect the same high quality of service and ease of use as known from wire based solutions. This translates into a multitude of challenges: high capacity reserves, in order to support the extreme peak data rates, reconfigurability and multi-band operation in order to provide service in a heterogeneous environment, and plug-and-play network configuration in order to enable fast and flexible set-ups. Currently deployed cellular and ad-hoc wireless networks (2G, 3G, and WLAN) are not able to cope with these requirements, simply because they do not support the required data rates and/or lack interoperability with other standards. With this new design and equipments, the university would have a very robust and up to date network wherein the university would experience high speed network resources and internet connections availability. The university would also benefit with this network design due to the fact that the University would become very much marketable having a state of the art network design which is very robust and scalable. Intranet and Internet does a lot of wonders to a business. Having this capability launches a lot of projects and availability for both students and employees. Access to network resources like network printers and information regarding a certain process would now be available on the website regardless if it’s on the intranet or the internet. It’s just a matter of defining the process on how this information would be accessed and identifying who has access to this information. The only risk that the university should be very careful is the security. But with this new technology and design the University would be protected from attacks from the hardware level and software levels. The Cisco router’s and hubs has the capability to screen out risks or has an embedded security design doubled with the Symantec Anti Virus capability the university would be well protected. Cisco is one if not the best network device provider in the world. They have been in this industry for a long time and adapting to some of their design and use their equipment would provide the university the high tech capability it needs or requires. The only thing that the university should make sure is that they have a well trained or competent I.T. department that can utilize to its full extent this new network design. The New Network design also gives the university a chance to provide multi-media capability and class work can be submitted and reviewed using the intranet. The business process can also be robust with their processes with regards to documentation and submission of request for access or transfers. In short with this new design the university would be more on eBiz or eCommerce in handling and / or accepting new and existing students. This proposal would address the main objective and would exceed the universities expectations 3 times fold as reviewed below: Overall Requirements Users have access to network laser printer located on their same campus Employee’s, teachers and students would be given email accounts Internet from all computers Develop a website which provides the universities profile Network Security against attacks Students can access the network from any classroom Students and employees would have allotted storage space on a file server All major servers and domain controllers should be housed in Building W to have easy access for Technicians that are assigned in this building. Microwave or parabolic antennas would be placed on all sites to minimize cost and maintenance. All buildings cabling would be replaced by CAT5 cablings. Each building would house a router, switch, server and hubs which would be connected to clients PC’s Internet gateway would be housed in building W for easy maintenance and IT accessibility purposes. Each floor would be assigned its own hub. I.T. would provide internet and intranet connections I.T. would provide the website for both intranet and internet All computers’ NIC would be replaced with 10/100Base-T NIC. I.T. would install security measures and accounts to manage access to the network. All employee’s and students would be provided an account upon filling up request for access, to determine which shared servers they would have access. Design Justification The current network design is not compatible with the new technology or design requirements. In lieu of this a new cabling system and equipments are needed to bring the university up to date and would meet the requirements set forth. Looking at the design diagram, the proposal is specifying or requiring the use of either parabolic antenna’s or microwave antenna’s to minimize cost and maintenance. Having this technology can also give students and employee’s access to the network wherever they are in the campus. This way the only cabling that we would be doing are for the laboratories and administration offices. The rest like the school housing and classrooms would be connecting to the network using wireless connections. The wireless network that would be setup would be high speed wireless network connection and can handle both data and multimedia. Access to the wireless network is secured and only those that have applied for access or filled up an online application form would be given access to the wireless network. Business process and policies would be in place to safeguard unauthorized connections and attacks. Security keys would change randomly in a specified timeline and registered students and employee’s would be given instructions in how to change the password or they can proceed to the I.T. department for technical assistance. The hardware component that would be in place has security capabilities and the design would also include equipments that can monitor the health and unauthorized access. The security measures would also block websites that were identified as obscene or violent in nature. Rest assured that all the measures were given extensive considerations with security as the main focus of this proposal. Bibliography F.1102-1, Working Party 9B, document 9B/27-E, 30 January 2004. (http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmtgst.nsf/vwapj/sp47ghz.PDF/$FILE/sp47ghz.PDF) Sestini, F., Fernandez, J., and Schwarz da Silva, J., Expanding the Wireless Universe: EU Research on the Move, IEEE Communications Magazine, October 2002 Characteristics of Precipitation for Propagation Modelling, Recommendation ITU-R PN.837-1. Provisional Recommended Use of the Frequency Range 54.25 . 66 GHz by Terrestrial Fixed and Mobile Systems, Recommendation T/R 22-03, European Conference Of Postal And Telecommunications Administrations,Athens, (http://www.ero.dk/documentation/docs/doc98/official/pdf/TR2203E.PDF) L. Lang, L. J. Cimini, and J. C. Chuang, “Turbo codes for OFDM with antenna diversity,” in Proc. IEEE VTC, vol. 2, 1999, pp. 1664–1668. A.Paulraj, R.Nabar, and D.Gore. Introduction to Space-Time Wireless. New York, 2003. R.G. Gallagher. Information Theory and Reliable Communication. Wiley, New York, 1968. P. Gupta and P.R. Kumar. The capacity of wireless network. IEEE Trans. on Inf. Theory, 46(2):388–404, March 2002. S. Verdu’ and T.S. Han. A general formula for channel capacity. IEEE Trans. On Inform. Theory, 40(6):1147–1157, July 1994. Tutorial IEEE 802 Plenary, Vancouver, November 2005 Gerhard Fettweis,Vodafone Chair Mobile Communications Systems CISRO,ICT center, Ed Sutherland gwc, July 2005 Radiofrequency Planning Group Document Spectrum Planning and Engineering Team, Gayan de Alwis / Murray Delahoy, March 04 Australian Communications Authority, December 2004 Read More