Network Designing

Running head: NETWORK DESIGNING
Network Designing
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1NETWORK DESIGNING
Question 1: Redundancy in Distribution and Core layers and the solutions
With the expansion of networks, the primary concern turn out to be availability.
Availability can significantly be increased by means of easy and redundant implementation
with the help of hierarchical networks. Access layer switches that are connected with multiple
distribution layer switches thus leading to path based redundancy (Tsioliaridou et al. 2017).
When any of the switches in the distribution layer fails, the corresponding access layer
switches opt for other distribution layer switches. Moreover, these switches of the distribution
layer remain connected to multiple core layer switches so as to make sure a path is available
if and when a core layer switch fails (Yousaf et al., 2015). The access layer ends up being the
only layer that is getting limited when it comes to redundancy. In general, the endpoint
devices of the network like PC, IP phone, or printers are not capable of being connected to
more than one access layer switches thus eliminating any scope of redundancy in this layer.
In the event of a switch of the access layer failing, only those devices that are connected to
that particular switch is to get affected from the network failure. The remainder of the
network is supposed to work as intended.
Question 2: Benefits and limitations of layer 3 switch compared to routers
The benefits of using layer 3 switches are many. These can be the following – support
for routing among virtual LANs, improving isolation of faults, simplifying management of
security reduction of broadcast traffic volumes, easy configuration process for VLANs by
removing the need of separate routers among each VLAN and also separate routing table thus
leading to better traffic segregation (Ab Rahman et al., 2015). Limitations of layer 3 switches
as against routers can include inability to support WAN connectivity. It mostly works as a
switch but for the additional IP routing feature of routers.