Analysis of the Proposed ICT Upgrade for Colour Ability Corporation (CAC)

This report analyzes the existing IT resources of Colour Ability Corporation (CAC) and proposes new infrastructure for the organization. It examines the roles of employees and how existing IT infrastructure affects these roles. The report recommends upgrading the operating systems to Windows 10, investing in a cloud-based server, introducing wireless networking, and new laser color printers that support network access.

Analysis of the Proposed ICT Upgrade for Colour Ability Corporation (CAC)
ICT703
Network Technology and Management
Submitted by:
[Your name]

Executive summary
Purpose and method of this report
Colour Ability Corporation (CAC) has purchased a new office building to house each of their four
departments on a separate floor. They have also have leased a small office in Sydney to house 8
employees. CAC wishes to and update their IT resources and to plan their emerging
networking and communications requirements.
The purposes of this report are to:
 Review the existing IT resources in the departments and their appropriateness
 Examine the roles of the employees and how existing IT infrastructure affects these roles
 Propose new infrastructure for the organization
 Analyze the cost of the upgrade
The information needed for the analysis of the existing infrastructure was extracted from the
background information and interview results provided by CAC. Operating systems, application
programs and computer hardware including processors, memory and printers needed to be examined
and recommendations given.
Findings and conclusions
CAC employees currently get from their ISP but CAC wants to provide custom email accounts for
employees to use while in CAC employ.
There is need for an infrastructure for easily sharing large files as well as small documents, as well as the
need for enforcing multi-level secure file access.
High speed, networked color printers are needed, with a restriction to only allow printing while in the
office. The networking is necessary to enable every work station to print without being physically
connected to the printer. This calls for wireless internet access to be made available in all five
departments.
Recommendations for the new infrastructure
Recommendations for new infrastructure for the organization include:
 Upgrading the operating systems to Windows 10.
 Investing in a cloud-based server for ease of sharing large files and for securing files.
 Introducing wireless networking for the offices.
 New laser color printers that support network access.
i

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Executive summary...................................................................................................................................i
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................ii
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................1
Proposal.....................................................................................................................................................1
Methodology and timetabling..................................................................................................................1
Activity 1: Computer System Planning Form.....................................................................................2
Activity 2: high-speed, color copier/printer for the CAC offices................................................................6
Activity 3: network layout for CAC requirements.....................................................................................6
Activity 4: Comparison worksheet for local ISPs.......................................................................................6
Activity 5: Internal services.......................................................................................................................7
Activity 6.................................................................................................................................................7
Activity 7: sub netting and addressing schemes for CAC...........................................................................9
Activity 8: Security plan............................................................................................................................9
Budget Summary....................................................................................................................................10
Future plans.........................................................................................................................................10
Recommendations..............................................................................................................................11
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................12
ii

INTRODUCTION
Colour Ability Corporation (CAC) is a small marketing and advertising firm with currently
80 employees. They are planning a move to a new office building where they can allocate a separate
floor to each of their four departments, in addition to opening a new office in another city to carter to
clients there. The new office is to host 8 local employees. This new move and expansion can be a way to
increase productivity and profit for the organization and as such, an upgrade of IT resources is in order.
It is needful to strategize on how to meet the new company needs of having company emails,
networked printers, a wireless network, and a file sharing infrastructure. This will be achieved by
planning on installing a new operating system. A newer operating system offers improved hardware
support and security. Newer technology of printers enhances printing and thus production speed,
quality and durability if chosen well. To support a wireless network environment, a hardware upgrade is
advisable. This involves purchase of new computers, and wireless network access points.
Proposal
Needs for CAC
CAC wants an ISP that will provide custom email accounts to its employees for use only at work. This
email addresses are different from the ones CAC employees had before.
CAC wants a color printer that will be able to be shared by the members of the various departments at
CAC.
CAC wants a working network design that will suit the four-story building in Brisbane and also help them
in realizing the business profit.
CAC wants each of the five departments to be able to have access to wireless internet
CAC wants computers that will be able to enable them to efficiently and effectively perform their filming
activities that are of tight deadlines.
CAC would want an operating system that will support the software for film production.
Methodology and timetabling
The methodology used to present this proposal was through the use of activities where information was
collected, analyzed carefully before it was presented. The activities are one to seven mostly consisting of
plan forms. Activity one is making a computer planning system form, activity two is selecting a high
speed color copier printer for CAC, activity three is demonstrating a network design for CAC, activity four
is planning the internet connectivity, activity five is to determine which internal services will be offered
by CAC, activity six is to complete a network form, activity seven revolves around planning of the
network installation and activity eight addresses the network security measures
1

Timetabling
Activity Time allocated
Activity one 19/09/18 – 21/09/18
Activity two 22/09/18
Activity three 23/09/18 – 25/09/18
Activity four 26/09/18
Activity five 27/09/18
Activity six 28/09/18 – 01/10/18
Activity seven 02/10/18
Activity eight 03/10/18
Activity 1: Computer System Planning Form
Department/Team: HR & Accounting
Location: Brisbane, 4th floor
Component Recommendation
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-5157U, 2.50GHz(intel, 2018)
Memory: DDR3, 4GB
Hard Drive: SATA, 500GB
CD-ROM/DVD: Read, 16x
USB Ports: 2(front), 4 (back)
Video Card: Intel® HD Graphics 3000, 2GB
Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio
Modem: None
Network Card(s): 100MBPs, 802.11ah
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (requires 1GB RAM, 1GHz
processor, 16GB HDD)
Monitor: 17”, 1440 x 1080, 120Hz
Printer: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4740, 24ppm
Speakers: Inbuilt
Internet Connection: Ethernet, Wireless
2

Department/Team: Design and Photography
Location: Brisbane, 3rd floor
Component Recommendation
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-8700T, 2.50GHz(intel, 2018)
Memory: DDR3, 16GB
Hard Drive: SATA, 500GB
CD-ROM/DVD: Read, 16x
USB Ports: 2(front), 4 (back)
Video Card: Intel® UHD Graphics 630, 4GB
Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio
Modem: None
Network Card(s): 100MBPs, 802.11ah
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (requires 1GB RAM, 1GHz
processor, 16GB HDD)
Monitor: 17”, 1920 x 1080, 240Hz
Printer: Lexmark CS410dtn Color Laser Printer, 30ppm
Speakers: Inbuilt
Internet Connection: Ethernet, Wireless
Department/Team: Advertising
Location: Brisbane, 2nd floor
Component Recommendation
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-8700T, 2.50GHz
Memory: DDR3, 16GB
Hard Drive: SATA, 500GB
CD-ROM/DVD: Read, 16x
USB Ports: 2(front), 4 (back)
Video Card: Intel® UHD Graphics 630, 4GB
3

Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio
Modem: None
Network Card(s): 100MBPs, 802.11ah
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (requires 1GB RAM,
1GHz processor, 16GB HDD)
Monitor: 17”, 1920 x 1080, 240Hz
Printer: Lexmark CS410dtn Color Laser Printer, 30ppm
Speakers: Inbuilt
Internet Connection: Ethernet, Wireless
Department/Team: Marketing
Location: Brisbane, 1st floor
Component Recommendation
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-5157U, 2.50GHz(intel, 2018)
Memory: DDR3, 4GB
Hard Drive: SATA, 500GB
CD-ROM/DVD: Read, 16x
USB Ports: 2(front), 4 (back)
Video Card: Intel® HD Graphics 3000, 2GB
Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio
Modem: None
Network Card(s): 100MBPs, 802.11ah
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (requires 1GB RAM, 1GHz
processor, 16GB HDD)
Monitor: 17”, 1440 x 1080, 120Hz
Printer: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4740, 24ppm
Speakers: Inbuilt
Internet Connection: Ethernet, Wireless
Department/Team: Film production editor
Location: Sydney
Component Recommendation
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-8700T, 2.50GHz(intel, 2018)
Memory: DDR3, 16GB
4

Hard Drive: SATA, 500GB
CD-ROM/DVD: Read, 16x
USB Ports: 2(front), 4 (back)
Video Card: Intel® UHD Graphics 630, 4GB
Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio
Modem: None
Network Card(s): 100MBPs, 802.11ah
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (requires 1GB RAM,
1GHz processor, 16GB HDD)
Monitor: 17”, 1920 x 1080, 240Hz
Printer: Lexmark CS410dtn Color Laser Printer, 30ppm
Speakers: Inbuilt
Internet Connection: Ethernet, Wireless
Department/Team: Film Crew
Location: Sydney
Component Recommendation
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-5157U, 2.50GHz (intel, 2018)
Memory: DDR3, 4GB
Hard Drive: SATA, 500GB
CD-ROM/DVD: Read, 16x
USB Ports: 4
Video Card: Intel® HD Graphics 3000, 2GB (intel, 2018)
Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio (intel, 2018)
Modem: None
Network Card(s): 100MBPs, 802.11ah
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (requires 1GB RAM, 1GHz
processor, 16GB HDD)
Monitor: 13”, 1440 x 720, 120Hz
Printer:
Speakers: Inbuilt
Internet Connection: Ethernet, Wireless
Shared components
-printers
-switches
5

-routers
6

Activity 2: high-speed, color copier/printer for the CAC offices
Lexmark CS410dtn Color Laser Printer
It has a fast print speed of 30 pages per minute.
It is compatible with the selected Windows 10 operating system.
It is a workgroup printer which supports network printing.
It retails at approximately $649 which is relatively affordable for a small organization.
It is light in weight.
It is power efficient and with low noise levels.
Activity 3: network layout for CAC requirements
Activity 4: Comparison worksheet for local ISPs
Low Cost Providers:
Exetel
Mid-Range providers:
Club telco
Carrier-Grade providers:
Internode
Technical support Average Average Good
Uptime 99% 99% 99%
Cost Relatively low ($49.99-
$59.99 pm)
Medium ($30-$70 pm) High($59-$79pm)
DNS Has DNS Has DNS Has DNS
Webmail Does not provide Yes Yes
Speeds Fast Average Fast
7

8

Activity 5: Internal services
Bridge: this device needs to be purchased by CAC. It functions to connect each subnetwork to be part of
the same major network, such that the subnet on each floor or office is connected to the main network
by the bridge.
Repeater: this network device amplifies the signal it receives. It regenerates and then transmits the
boosted signals at a power similar in strength to the original one so that the signal is not lost as it is
transmitted from the server to client work station.
Router: this device is responsible for directing traffic from the local area network to the internet. Its
function is to route the data packets sent to the correct internet addresses (Jang and Pan 2010).
Modem: This device performs the dual function of converting outgoing digital signals into analog signals,
and then converting incoming analog signals into digital signals. This enables electromagnetic signals to
be understood by a computer, and the digital signal generated by a computer to be transportable over
the analog telephone network.
Switch: it has the function to filter and forward data packets between network hosts.
Wireless Access Point: provides network access by generating a Wi-Fi signal to which other devices can
connect (Mittal, Belding and Suri 2008). The AP allows for the total bandwidth to be equally available to
all network users.
Firewall: this security device performs network monitoring and filtering to control both outgoing and
incoming connections. It is implemented as either hardware or software.
Activity 6: Network Planning
Number of wired connections required 5. Each floor will need a wired connection that
connects to an Access Point.
Number of wired connections required 5
Wireless standard selected IEEE 802.11a
Firewall required? Yes
ISP connectivity required? Yes
Type of ISP connectivity Choice of DSL
Modem requirement Yes, wireless modem
Are cables required? Yes
Battery backup required? Yes
9

Planning of the installation
10

Activity 7: sub netting and addressing schemes for CAC
Subnet Network
Address
Slash
Notatio
n
First Usable
IP Address
Last Usable
IP Address Broadcast Address
255.255.255.0 194.32.9.0 /28 194.32.9.0 194.32.9.0 194.0.0.0
255.255.255.0 194.32.9.1 /28 194.32.9.1/28 194.32.9.1/28 194.0.0.0
255.255.255.0 194.32.9.2 /27 194.32.9.2/27 194.32.9.2/27 194.168.0.0
255.255.255.0 194.32.9.3 /26 194.32.9.3/26 194.32.9.3/26 194.168.0.0
255.255.255.0 194.32.9.4 /25 194.32.9.1/25 194.32.9.1/25 194.168.0.0
Device Interface IP Address Subnet Mask Default Gateway
Router WAN 194.32.9.0 255.255.255.0 194.32.9.0
Switch LAN 194.32.9.1/28 255.255.255.0 194.32.9.0
Switch LAN 194.32.9.2/27 255.255.255.0 194.32.9.0
Switch LAN 194.32.9.3/26 255.255.255.0 194.32.9.0
Access Point Wireless 127.168.7.104/25 255.255.255.0 127.168.7.0
Activity 8: Security plan
Use firewalls
Deploy two firewalls which will separate the intranet from the internet. These firewalls will filter
incoming and outgoing communication to validate that they are allowed (Rezvani and Aryan 2009)
Filter Egress Traffic to protect intranet
This involves restricting addresses that local workstations in the intranet can access. It prevents
malicious programs from getting onto the host then ex-filtrating data to an attacker. This also prevents
erroneous exfiltration and exfiltration due to configuration errors in NetBIOS or DNS to external parties.
Detecting exfiltration is achievable through logging of network traffic activity.
Firmware update
Regularly check for, and install firmware updates for the routers, as well as software and driver updates
for the workstations.
Restrict traffic to allowed devices only
Switch on logging of devices and network activity. This allows for monitoring such that only devices with
appropriate IP range of company addresses can access the internal network resources.
11

Encryption
Enable Access Point Encryption such as WPA or WPA2 to protect data sent over that network
(Elminaam, Abdual-Kader and Hadhoud 2010)
Secure the 802.1X client settings
To prevent a man-in-the-middle attack, utilize server verification on the client side. This prevents the
client from passing the Wi-Fi login credentials to the RADIUS server until it verifies it’s communicating
with a legit server.
Budget Summary
Components and department Cost
Computers for floor one $2900
Computers for floor two $2900
Computers for floor three $2900
Computer for floor four $2900
Computers in Sydney office $580
5 Lexmark CS410dtn Color Laser Printer $3245
Network design $200
ISP $79
Installation of windows 10 operating system $100
Experts to implement the network $2000
Total $17804
Future plans
Colour Ability corporation plans to employ more employees in the Sydney office. The employees will
include the department manager responsible for allocating jobs, contracting part time workers and
managing payrolls, a film production editor whose responsibility is to produce and edit films under tight
deadlines and six other employees which will consist of two production assistants, two camera people, a
production manager, and a film director who will only be in the office two days in a week. Most of their
time will be spent in the field producing films.
12

Recommendations
In view of the requirements analyzed, this report recommends the following:
 The entire organization should upgrade the operating systems to Windows 10. This is because at
least some of the employees need this version of operating system to support their functions
and it is recommended that all employees use the same operating system for ease of training
and support.
 It has been analyzed that a Lexmark CS410dtn Color Laser Printer would be suitable for the
organization as it offers speed and quality at an affordable price.
 The recommended processor is the Intel brand because it offers a wide range of graphics and
audio cards which would be suitable for the various departments at a reasonable cost.
 The company should lay down their own network infrastructure and only engage a carrier grade
ISP to provide internet connectivity and webmail. Carrier grade ISP is recommended because of
greater geographical coverage and better technical support.
Conclusion
This network and IT infrastructure upgrade is necessary for the company as it will lead to better
productivity. Faster hardware, better file sharing and communication infrastructure will bring efficiency
that will lead to profit. The new network will come with security measures in place that will secure the
organization’s files, and will allow the mobile film crew to communicate and share work better with the
office employees. The initial set up will be costly but the durability of the proposed devices will lead to
low maintenance costs. It has also been established that the upgrade can be done within the three
months after which the company is due to change premises to their new office.
13

REFERENCES
Elminaam, D.S.A., Abdual-Kader, H.M. and Hadhoud, M.M., 2010. Evaluating the performance of
symmetric encryption algorithms. [online]. IJ Network Security, 10(3), pp.216-222. Ramadan. Minufiya
University. Available from:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e2bc/791344a938ead55f77a2b2fd43949dbedc6f.pdf. [Accessed 28
September 2018]
Intel, 2018. 5th Generation Intel® Core™ i3 Processors. [ONLINE] Available at:
https://ark.intel.com/products/series/84981/5th-Generation-Intel-Core-i3-Processors. [Accessed 28
September 2018].
Intel, 2018. 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 Processors. [ONLINE] Available at:
https://ark.intel.com/products/series/122593/8th-Generation-Intel-Core-i7-Processors. [Accessed 28
September 2018].
Intel, 2018. Integrated Audio for Today and Tomorrow. [ONLINE] Available at:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/chipsets/high-definition-audio.html. [Accessed 28
September 2018].
Jang, W. and Pan, D.Z., 2010. An SDRAM-aware router for networks-on-chip. IEEE Transactions on
Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, 29(10), pp.1572-1585. Canada. IEEE.
Available from: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5580227 [Accessed 28 September 2018]
Mittal, K., Belding, E.M. and Suri, S., 2008. A game-theoretic analysis of wireless access point selection
by mobile users. [online]. Computer Communications, 31(10), pp.2049-2062. Santa Barbara. University of
California. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014036640800025X.
[Accessed 28 September 2018]
Rezvani, M. and Aryan, R., 2009, December. Analyzing and resolving anomalies in firewall security
policies based on propositional logic. [online]. In Multitopic Conference, 2009. INMIC 2009. IEEE 13th
International (pp. 1-7). Islamabad.IEEE. Available from:
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5383125 [Accessed 28 September 2018]
14