Designing and Configuring UMUC's LAN and WAN Infrastructure

The assignment is to set up a Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) for the University of Maryland University College's (UMUC) two new buildings. The LAN will be configured using Cisco switches, routers, and firewalls, while the WAN will be designed as a packet-switched network. Bring Your Own Device (BOYD) policy will also be implemented to allow students, faculty, and guests to access the network using their own devices. Finally, computer system hardware configurations for desktop PCs and servers will be provided.

I. Physical Network Design
A. Network Topology
Business Need
The actual business need is to setup the Local Area Network (LAN) of both wired and wireless
environment to UMUC. The UMUC business all needs to access the External world (Internet)
through its LAN workstations.
Proposed Network Topology
The star topology is selected for the Local Area Network (LAN). The property of star topology is
that each of the workstation node or computer directly connected with the physical interface
through the hub of multi station switch. All the switches are selected as Cisco switching module
to provide the distributed network data interface for workstation nodes with servers implemented
over the LAN. A multi station switch works intelligently to distribute the data traffic of network
only among the active connected ports with workstation computers or nodes in the LAN.
Now a days, star topology is very common topology for the physical network design and setup of
the LAN. This provides the creation of subnets by configuring the multi station switches and
implemented routers. According to given requirement there are need of various subnets with
each with many computing workstations. Star topology is very common for LAN setup in any
organization where there is need of the various subnets [1]. The model, cost and features of the
devices such as switch, routers, etc are given as follows.
Switch – Cisco 2950T, Cost - $ 218.00 Approx. Features, supports 24 fast Ethernet ports and 2
Gigabit Ethernet ports and virtual LAN interface.
Router – Cisco Router 2901, Cost - $ 360.00 Approx, Feature – Support 2 ports for Gigabit
Ethernet backbone LAN Connection.
Justification
UMUC needs the wired and wireless LAN environment to facilitate the shared computing
environment in its premise. The wired network connection is fixed connection for all the desktop
based personal computers and wireless LAN provides the mobile access to the LAN resources to
all the mobile users under the premise. The Laptop, Tablet PC and smart phone can be used with
the wireless LAN to access the LAN and Internet. Therefore, for wired LAN, star topology
provides the efficient and intelligent network traffic distribution among the workstation nodes
and wireless LAN provides the mobility in accessibility of the LAN in two leased buildings of
UMUC. The servers are directly connected with the switches and each switch connects many
workstation nodes via physical medium. The physical connection of workstation nodes also
assures at least 10 to 100 Mbps data rate for each of the workstation nodes of the LAN. Wireless
Access points provide the flexibility in accessing the LAN resources of UMUC premise.

It is also true that the switch works intelligently so that scanning of only active ports that are
connected with workstation node via the physical medium is taken. This ensures the maximum
utilization available bandwidth of the LAN connection under UMUC premise.
First Building Physical Network Layout
Second Building Network Layout
B. Cable and Connectors

Technical Requirements
Cables and Connectors are required to create the physical connection of network and computing
devices. Desktop workstation computers, routers, switches, servers, printers etc are physically
taken to be connected as per requirements.
Proposed Cable and Connectors
Two types of cables are proposed to connect the different devices and computers of LANs of
both buildings of UMUC.
Cat 5 Cable: Category 5 twisted pair cable is used to connect the computers and printers with
switches. All the desktop computers of classrooms, labs, administrative office and libraries are
connected via cat 5 cable.
Cat 6 Cable: Category 6 twisted pair cable is used to connect the switches with servers, routers
with servers, firewall with router, switch to switch modules.
RJ45 Connector: Registered Jack 45 connectors are used to connect cables ends and then port of
the switches and workstation computers.
Cost of cat 5 cable is approx $108.00 per bundle of 90 meters and cat 6 cable is approx $ 135.00
per bundle of 90 meters. RJ 45 connector is available with $30 per bundle of 100 nos.
Justification
Star topology requires the direct physical wired connection for each of the desktop workstations,
printers and other network equipments such as Wireless Access Points etc with the switches. Cat
5 twisted pair cable is suitable and cost effective cable for this connection. Cat 6 twisted pair
cable support 100 Mbps to 1000 Mbps Data rate so it is used to physically connect the backbone
LAN devices such as routers, switches and servers. The wireless interfaces are provided through
configuring wireless access points under each of the buildings. According to coverage ranges for
strong wireless signal two to three wireless access points are configured and connected
physically through cat 6 twisted pair cable with the switches. Wired LAN is used from desktop
computing workstations from Lab, Classroom, Library, Administrative office, HR office etc.
wireless LAN can be used anywhere under each of the two building by the help of mobile
computing devices such as Laptop PC, Smart phones and tablet PC. IEEE 802.3 Ethernet LAN is
considered for wired LAN and 802.11 configuration is taken for wireless LAN [2].
C. Networking and Internetworking Hardware
Technical Requirements

To setup LAN and WAN for both of the new buildings of UMUC there are need of different
categories of networking and Internetworking devices. These networking and Internetworking
devices provide LAN and WAN setup and configuration.
Proposed Networking and Internetworking Devices
Cisco Switch 2950T : This switch is used to setup the switching module to connect the
computers, wireless access points, printers with servers of LAN and routers of Internetworking
or WAN communication. All switches are taken of this model.
Cisco 2901 Router : One router of this model is taken under first building to connect the LAN
system with the Internet world.
Cisco Stateful Firewall: Cisco firewall is selected to install as gatekeeper between internal LAN
and Internet. This protects the external users from unauthorized access of the LAN network.
Cisco Aironet 702i Dual Band Wireless Router: The model of Cisco wireless router is Aironet
702i dual band. The price of this wireless router is about $ 190. all the wireless access points are
configured with this wireless routers. Two or three access points are taken for each of the
building.
Justification
Cisco is one of common brand for networking and internetworking devices and equipments.
Cisco 2950 T model switch supports 26 ports in which 2 ports are gigabit Ethernet high speed
LAN ports and 24 fast Ethernet ports. S0, total of 26 connections are taken with this switch.
Cisco 2901 router is commonly used to connect the LAN with WAN or Internet. Here, there is
only one router 2901 of Cisco is taken to provide the Internet communication for both two
buildings. Stateful firewall of Cisco model is good firewall and its configuration and definition
of rules are very easy to be taken. Hence, this firewall is considered suitable for the security for
LANs of each of the building. Wireless LAN environment is provided through the Cisco wireless
Access points. This access points has good signal strength for a diameter of 15 meters so that this
wireless access point is selected for setup under each of the buildings.
D. Wide Area Network (WAN) Design
Technical Requirement
Wide area network is configured to create the data network for WAN data communication with
external network.
Proposed Wide Area Network Design

Packet switched network is proposed for UMUC. The packet switched network is designed by
implementing the switches and configuring the bandwidth over the public switched telephone
network. The packet switched network is most suitable for the data traffic.
Justification
The Wide Area Network is basically required to long haul communication such as
Internetworking. The design of computer or data network is most suitable with packet switched
networking. The packet switched network is configured by configuring the switching modules
and intermediate node from source to destination machine. For UMUC, building 1 has a router
interface to connect LAN with WAN. The WAN is designed with router configuration and
external network is accordingly accessed as per the given configuration of packet switched
network.
E. BOYD for Students, Faculties and Guests
Business Needs
Bring Your Own Device is modern trend computing requirement for any organization for
reduction of costs related with computing hardware maintenance and purchase. UMUC also
requires to facilitate BOYD in its both buildings for students, faculties and guests.
Proposed System for BOYD
The wireless access points are configured to provide the ad hoc connection to the students,
faculties and guest mobile computing devices such as Laptop, Smart Phones and Tablet
computers. The faculty, student and other staff wireless computing device MAC addresses must
be entered into the server computing database to register the their devices with LAN. Once these
devices of staff, student and faculty registered then their devices can connect with wireless
access points and access the network resources of LAN and access the Internet
Justification
The BOYD provides the flexible computing and communication interface for all the stakeholders
such as students, staffs, faculties and guests under the UMUC buildings premises. This also
reduces and management and maintenance burden to the computing devices as the
responsibilities of users computing system goes on them [3]. The security and anonymity is
prevented through the one time device MAC address registration to access the premise wireless
LAN to access the shared server resources.
The cost is dependent on the administration and handling of such type of configuration to
facilitate registered BOYD services in the building of university for students, staffs and faculties.

F. Computer System Hardware
Technical Requirements
The computing system hardware is core requirement for the LAN and WAN of UMUC.
Computing system hardware facilitates the workstation interface for the students, faculties and
other staffs working under both the buildings.
Proposed Computing System Hardware
HP Desktop PC with following configurations.
Processor – Intel 2.5 GHZ, Core I5
Hard Disk Drive – Weston Digital 1 T.B
Mother Board – Intel Chipset
Graphics – Nvidea
LAN Card – Inbuilt 100 Mbps
HP Pro Server with following configuration
Processor – Intel Xenon X Series
Mother Board – Intel Xenon Series
HDD – Weston Digital 10 TB
LAN Card – 100/1000 Mbps
Justification
The complete cost of the above computer system is about $ 500 approx. All the offices,
Classrooms, Lab and Library computers are taken with above mentioned configuration. The
server computers are selected HP Pro Configuration. The cost of above mentioned server is
approx $1800. These all configurations of the computing workstations and servers for the LAN
system are latest and optimal with respect to the current requirement and also serves the future
requirement of next five years. Therefore, these computer configuration including server are
selected for UMUC.
References
[1] A. Mikalsen and P. Borgesen, Local area network management, design and security. New
York: Wiley, 2002.
[2] K. Phaltankar, Practical guide for implementing secure intranets and extranets. Boston:
Artech House, 2000.

[3] S. Mansfield-Devine, "Interview: BYOD and the enterprise network", Computer Fraud &
Security, vol. 2012, no. 4, pp. 14-17, 2012.