Network Design Proposal Part 1

Network Design Proposal: Part 1

Physical Network Design

UMUC

CMIT 265

By Claude Smith

UMUC recently leased a two story building in Adelphi, MD which will house Computer labs, administrative offices and a library. The 45,600sqft building will contain 6 computer labs all on their own subnet, 7 offices on their own subnet, a student library with its own subnet, and an open WIFI network on its own subnet. The network will need to be secure in order to protect student and faculty personal information as well as UMUC’s proprietary information. UMUC requires a minimum of a 40 MB internet connection with at least a 20 MB backup connection.

  1. Network Topology

Proposed Topology

I propose the use of a logical star network topology because it provides redundancy and scalability. Each device will have a dedicated connection to the switch that runs that particular subnet which means if one device goes down or one connection is severed the other devices on that subnet will still function as long as the switch is up and running [1]. The star topology also allows for scalability because it is easy to add or remove devices as needed.

The Computer Labs, Offices and Library subnets will connect to their switches and the gateway router via Cat-6A twisted pair cable. Cat-6A will support 10Gbps Ethernet and will also provide extra electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection [2]. This will ensure that the network will be fast enough to support the end users’ needs while also ensuring that the network will ensure minimal interference due to crosstalk or EMI from sources such as fluorescent lights [2].

  1. Network Media

The WiFi Network will utilize the IEEE 802.11n standard this will provide a range of up to 300ft at up to 600mbps speeds and offer 11 channels at 2.4 GHz and 23 channels at 5GHz [3]. This will provide users with a fast WiFi connection so that they can connect to the universities network while using their own personal laptop.

Router

  1. Network Devices
  2. This Network is going to require a few make work devices. First it will require a router in order to connect the end user devices in the building on the different subnets to other networks on the UMUC network as well as the internet [4]. A router will perform this function. It will allow the 9 different subnets located within the building to communicate with other networks and with each other. The next device we need for the network is a switch a switch will allows the end user devices to connect to each other on the individual subnet as well as allowing to connect to other networks via the router [4]. The switches will allow the computers on the network to connect together by using Ethernet. The last devices that we will need for the network will be a wireless controller and wireless access points. The Wireless LAN(W-LAN) Controller will allow devices that connect to the wireless network to communicate with each other as well as communicate with other networks and connect to the internet. The W- LAN Controller serves as the central authentication point for the wireless network [4]. The W-LAN controller also handles load balancing on the network and allows users to switch from one access point to another without having to authenticate again. Finally, the W-LAN controller helps prevent interference between channels on the wireless network [4]. The wireless access points allow devices to connect to the wireless network. They extend the range of the network and are managed by the W-LAN controller.

I decided to use the Cisco 4321 ISR, it is suitable for up to 100 Mbps and allow connections for the 9 subnets that the building will have. Cost $1800.00

Switches

I decided to use the Cisco 2950T-48 for the computer labs and the library this switch will provide 48 10/100 Mbps ports. This will support the number of workstations required in these areas and allow for expandability in the future. Cost 7 at $300 total $2100.00

I decided to use a Cisco 2950T for the office subnet it will provide 24 10/100 Mbps ports this will support the offices and provide expandability for future use. Cost $300

Wireless

For the WiFi subnet I decided to use the Cisco 2504 Wireless LAN controller to manage the wireless network access points. Cost $650.

I decided to use the Cisco AIR-CAP1602I-A-K9 it supports a/b/g/n wireless standards. This will provide a range of up to 300ft and 600Mbps. I will use 2 one at the center of each floor. Cost 2 at $300 total $600.

To meet UMUC’s security requirements and protect the students and faculty’s private information as well as the University’s proprietary information the network will require a hardware firewall. The firewall will use a process called packet filtering to examine packets coming from outside the network and decide if they are from a trusted source [5]. It basically adds an extra layer of security to the network.

  1. Network Security Devices

I decided to use a Cisco ASA 5506X Firewall for a physical network security device it will protect the network from intrusions from outside the network. It will be located in the first floor network closet Cost $400.

The network will need servers to manage the different services that are available on each subnet such as email, DCHP, active directory, etc. The network will also require computers to be used by the end users to access the network.

  1. Computer Systems

I decided to use the HP ProLiant ML10 Tower server system to manage the subnets. It is cost effective at $270 per unit. The network will require 9 units to manage each of the subnets total cost $2430.00.

I decided to use a Leveno Idea center 300-20ish for the end user devices. This is a basic Desktop PC that is cost effective at $400 per unit the network requirements call for 181 workstations for a total of $72,400.00 and they come preloaded with Windows 10 Professional which is the newest most secure version of windows.

References:

[1] Claus, R, Sanker, A (1989) Fiber-Optic Star Tree Network. [Online] Avaliable: https://www.google.com/patents/US4809362

[2] Jan Van Ooteghem, Koen Casier, Bart Lannoo, Sofie Verbrugge, Didier Colle, Mario Pickavet (2011) Can a synergetic cooperation between telecom and utility network providers lead to a faster rollout of fiber to the home networks, FITCE Congress (FITCE) 2011 50th, pp. 1-5 [Online] Avaliable: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6133447/

[3] B. P. Crow, I. Widjaja, L. G. Kim and P. T. Sakai (1997) IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks, in IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 35, no. 9, pp. 116-126. [Online] Avalibale: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=620533&isnumber=13503

[4] Yacoby, A (1993) System Method for Interconnecting Local Area Networks. [Online] Available: https://www.google.com/patents/US5214646

[5] Beal, V (2010) The Differences and Features of Hardware and Software Firewalls. [Online] Available: http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/firewall_types.asp

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