Data Communications and Networks

This document provides an analysis of user requirements, current setup, and security measures in data communications and networks. It discusses the network design, topology, cable selection, and wireless coverage. It also addresses the current setup, including the use of a star network topology and switches for each floor. Additionally, it covers security concerns such as data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as well as the use of active directory, wireless configuration, and firewall. References are provided for further reading.

Running head: DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
[Name of the Student]
[Name of the University]
[Author note]

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DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
Part A:
Analysis of the User requirements:
After investigatuion of the requirements and challenges put forwarded by the new
requiremetns and branch office purchased by AML the following network designhas been
identified. The main goal of designing is to provide the maximum performance along with
maximum avilability, speed and over all, maximun security to serve your groing orgaization’s
needs.
The selected network topology for AML is a star Topology. In the star topology the
Devices are seen to have a connection back to the cetral device in an independent manner.
Break in the cable is only associated with effecting those devices only which are connected
by making use of the broken cable and not by the entire topology. Besides this the third floor
would be associated with hosting 30% of the AML personnel and would be associated with
including the seveteen different work stations consisting of printers along with two network
copiers which would be associted with allowing the scanning as well as the priantable
capabilities and the conference rooms consiting of video conference. Additionally there
would exist an local file server along with an databse server, proxy server, a firewall and a
network management station. The workstation which are left out would be associated with
even dispersal based upon the space in the 2nd floor. The remaining florrs would be associated
with the hosting of the remining personnel and would be associated with including the thirty
work stations along with Voice over IP phones, small rrom for meeting and two printers. For
the purpose of providing wireless coverage to the employees all the floors would be having a
wireless access points which would be helping in getting connected to the switches which are
located in the corresponding floors.

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DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
Because of the infrastructure of the buliding it is essentail to make sure that all the
cables are running over the cable and the cable that is to be used is the unsheilded twisted pair
plenum catgory 5e that is CAT5e. the reson behind selection of this cable is that it doesnot
emit any kind of poisonous gas by menas of the buildings heating or ventilation of due to the
air conditioning which is een to happen in the UTP cables. The cables would be running from
each of the workstations through the celling and would be connected to the switches. Besides
this the cables from the 3rd floor would be running throught the 2nd floor by means of the
elevator gap and would be connected to the router or the firewall which would then be
coonected to the service provider. The switch would be used in the 1st floor so as to connect
all the workstations as well as the phones, network printers and conference room to the
network. The switch in turn would get connected to the router or the firewall and for creation
of the demilitarize zone for the local servers a 2nd switch would be used for handling of the
traffic for the local server and this in turn would be connected to the firewall or to the router.
The router in turn would be providing a connection to the wireless access points which is to
be installed in each floor.
B. Description & Analysis of Current Setup
Analysis:
The utilization of a star network topology and the use of switches for each floor
facilitate troubleshooting and repairing broken wires. Additionally, it distributes traffic
among three different switches and in the event of a switch failure; it would only affect the
subnet connected to the device and not the entire network. The same scenario is not true
when it comes to the router/firewall device, since it’s the back bone of our network and a
single point of failure, the team as a secondary router on site and already configured to take
over in case the active router fails.

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DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
As in every organization, AML primary security concerns have to do with data
confidentiality, integrity, and availability. To address the issue of data confidentiality,
network will include a domain (AML) and all stations, and user will be part of the domain.
Through the use of active directory (AD), users will be granted access to the organization
resources, based on their function and roles in the organization. Each use will be given a
network account that will allow them access to the necessary means to perform their job. For
instance, only human and resource employees and identified supervisors will have access to
the HR files and employee’s performance information.
The wireless configuration will allow employees to connect to AML-Employee Wi-Fi
using two levels of security; MAC filtering and user authentication. Only devices, which
physical address has been authorized will have access to the secured employee wireless
network. In order to prevent employees from the 4th floor to see the wireless network and
attempt to connect to it, AML SSID will not be broadcast at all. The wireless configuration is
part of AML base image, for laptops, and can be setup on AML provide mobile devices with
a script. There is also a secured Almagest Wi-Fi for employees’ personal devices and guests.
The wireless configuration is WPA2 and uses advance encryption standard (AES). The
access key to the guest wireless will be reset on a weekly basis and user is able to retrieve the
updated password from AML intranet site. As far as teleworking and remote access, AML
virtual private network will allow users to connected remotely and still have protected
connection. The IPsec tunnel configured for the organization offers encryption, data
checksum, and user authentication.
In order to address the data integrity concerns, the team has configured a stateful
firewall. The decision to use a stateful firewall versus a packet-filtering firewall is because
according to HP, “Stateful access control devices inspect deep within the packet stream for
potential attacks. They identify and keep track of network conversations (connections) and

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DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
can associate packets with conversations they have previously allowed based on rules”. In
addition to secure network, all systems will be patch properly and on a regular basis. There
monitoring of software installation and version will also allow further protections and keep
infections and attacks risks down. There are also data checksum controls that identify data
interception and modification. To mitigate the availability concern, AML has been
configured with cloud backup solution. Cloud backup allows complete and incremental
backups, where a full backup is followed by the incremental backup that only capture data
that has been changed. Every subsequent backup is just a “delta” of the previous backup,
which enables faster backup and restore operations and reduces the storage amount required.
Additionally, cloud backup allows data backup encryption, where all the data is encrypted
with Advanced Encryption Standard, 256-bit key.

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DATA COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
References:
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learning of deep networks from decentralized data. arXiv preprint arXiv:1602.05629.
White, C., 2015. Data communications and computer networks: A business user's approach.
Cengage Learning.
Aijaz, A., Dohler, M., Aghvami, A.H., Friderikos, V. and Frodigh, M., 2017. Realizing the
tactile Internet: Haptic communications over next generation 5G cellular networks. IEEE
Wireless Communications, 24(2), pp.82-89.
Rebecchi, F., De Amorim, M.D., Conan, V., Passarella, A., Bruno, R. and Conti, M., 2015.
Data offloading techniques in cellular networks: A survey. IEEE Communications Surveys &
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Zhang, Y., He, S. and Chen, J., 2016. Data gathering optimization by dynamic sensing and
routing in rechargeable sensor networks. IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, 24(3),
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Gupta, L., Jain, R. and Vaszkun, G., 2016. Survey of important issues in UAV
communication networks. IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials, 18(2), pp.1123-1152.
Bi, S., Zeng, Y. and Zhang, R., 2016. Wireless powered communication networks: An
overview. IEEE Wireless Communications, 23(2), pp.10-18.
Xiao, M., Mumtaz, S., Huang, Y., Dai, L., Li, Y., Matthaiou, M., Karagiannidis, G.K.,
Björnson, E., Yang, K., Chih-Lin, I. and Ghosh, A., 2017. Millimeter wave communications
for future mobile networks. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, 35(9),
pp.1909-1935.

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Stallings, W., 2017. Data and computer communications.
Qiu, T., Chen, N., Li, K., Qiao, D. and Fu, Z., 2017. Heterogeneous ad hoc networks:
Architectures, advances and challenges. Ad Hoc Networks, 55, pp.143-152.