Networking Fundamentals: Proposed Network Design for Arr Company

This report proposes a comprehensive network design for the Arr Company, a business with six geographically dispersed branches. The design focuses on connecting the head office and branches, enabling file sharing, resource sharing, and email communication. The proposed solution includes a Wide Area Network (WAN) using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) for secure data transfer and a Local Area Network (LAN) utilizing Virtual LANs (VLANs) within the head office. The report details the cabling solution, employing CAT 5 cables, and suggests a star topology for the LAN. The design aims to be cost-effective, scalable, and secure, addressing the company's requirements for efficient network communication and resource management. The report also provides a diagrammatic illustration of the head office LAN network design.

Networking Fundamentals: Proposed
Networking Design for Arr
Name
Date
Introduction
This report is a recommended network
design for the Arr company, a business entity
with six geographical dispersed branches within
the larger Melbourne area, with the farthest
branches being seventy kilometers apart. The
head office occupies three floors and has three
main departments that include general support
where there are 32 workstations, a marketing
department with 32 work stations, and a sales
department with 38 workstations. Arr is seeking
a networking solution to connect the staff at their
main offices and also link all the other branches
together. The objectives of the networking
solution are to enable the exchange of files
between branches and within departments as
well as sharing of certain resources and e-mail
communication. Most of the resources required
by different work groups and departments are
found within their physical (geographical
locations). The networking solution should both
be cost effective as to minimize costs, even
though Arr is ready to finance the project fully.
Further, the solution should be simple and
futuristic and fulfill the firm’s requirements. In
this report, the author, as the network
administrator, proposes a network design for
both the head office that will also link all the
other branches. In this report, a WAN design is
proposed, followed by a LAN design, a suitable
cabling solution for the LAN, along with a
suitable network topology. Finally, the report
will develop a diagrammatic illustration of the
head office LAN network design
Question 1: The Wide Area Network (WAN)
Design
A WAN is a network solution that
connects premises that are geographically
dispersed; for Arr, the concerns for the WAN
system include security, costs, scalability of the
system, latency, network uptime, packet loss,
and jitter; these concerns are also true for the
Internet connection. The different branches will
require a simple to implement WAN system in
which they can share files, some resources, and
communicate through e-mail. To meet the
objectives of the firm and tackle the concerns
associated with such a system, the proposed
WAN is a virtual private network (VPN) to
enhance security and integrity of resources,
especially during transfers [1]. The VPN will be
a multi protocol label switching (MPLS) type;
this is a system that can allow for the transfer
and routing of multiple types of network traffic
as well as data, where data include multimedia,
text, and any other file types. There are various
types of MPLS systems, but for this case, the
simple point to point one will be utilized because
it is compatible with protocols such as Ethernet,
ATM, and TDM [2]. The WAN will be designed
to enable mobility, where users on the move can
access their mails and system resources; this will
be achieved through dial up connection via

IPSec. The proposed design is illustrated below
in Fig 1
Fig 1
Question Two: Local Area Network (LAN)
Design for the Head Office
The Arr organization occupies three
floors at its headquarters, with the lower offices
occupied by other companies. The concerns for
the company for such a system are similar to
those of the WAN and include security, costs,
scalability of the system, latency, network
uptime, packet loss, and jitter, for the network,
intranet, and Internet [3]. The head office LAN
will serve all three floors and departments and
work groups, with a total of 90 workstations for
the marketing, general support, and sales
departments. The LAN to be used for the head

office will incorporate virtualization to create a
virtual LAN that will be based on a physical
LAN. However, the VLAN (virtual local area
network) has the advantage of enabling
scalability of the network system while reducing
the costs associated with adding physical
components and their associated costs, such as
covering more space, and consuming electricity
[4]. The VLAN will be implemented within the
Layer 2 of the OSI network model. The LAN
will have a data link layer to enable the network
topology to be designed, as well as for
addressing, and the control of the network lines
[5].
To maximize the VLAN, every floor will
have a network switch, though hubs will not be
used because they will not enhance the
performance of the network, especially when
virtualization is done. As depicted in Fig 2
below; each floor will have workstations
connected to the switches through a virtual LAN,
with virtual switches as well. Each switch
(switches A, B, andd C) will then be connected
via 100 base-T cable to the controller switch D
that will connect to the main server and the mail
server. For purposes of security, the head office
LAN/ VLAN will have a physical firewall for
active network monitoring as well as a software
firewall installed in the main servers. The
network will then have a router for traffic
routing installed after the firewall and connected
to the WAN VPN from where Internet services
will be shared and accessed. VLAN is a protocol
that overcomes the broadcast problem, and so
the mail server can be used to serve staff in other
branches. This is because VLAN can enable
different users and user groups to be grouped
together, and will in this case also be used to
isolate networks and user groups [6]. This is
possible, the geographic or physical distance
between the two notwithstanding.
Question Three: Wiring for the LAN
The Arr organization wants a cost
effective system that lowers costs and maximizes
functionality; given that the proposed LAN will
have a physical backbone upon which the
VLAN will be implemented, the cabling must
support this virtualization. Within each floor, the
10 Base-T CAT 5 cables will be used for the
physical backbone; these will enable data
transfers of up to 10 Mbps, which suit the
requirements of the company. The 10 base-T
cables will also be used to connect the various
workstations to the respective physical switches
on each floor [7]. The switches in each floor will
be connected to a controller switch using the 100
base-T CAT 5 cables to provide connection
speeds of up to 100 Mbps; this will be ensure the
switches communicate fast and effectively and
meet the requirements of the organization. The
VLAN will have several systems that will
enhance the performance of the network with
every VLAN being able to support different
spanning trees. Because the switches have a
maximum of 24 ports, instead of adding extra
physical switches, this report proposes that the
physical switches be virtualized to meet the
objective of reduced costs.
Question Four: Network Topology

The proposed network topology is the
start topology; the star topology is one in which
all the nodes within the network, meaning all the
workstations are connected to a central point of
connection and takes more cable than other
typical topologies, such as bus topology [8].
However, the use of virtualization more than
offsets the need for more cable in a physical
LAN topology. This topology has the advantage
of ensuring uptime is maintained, even if one
connection fails; it does not interfere with the
rest of the nodes in the network. This topology
meets one of the Arr objectives, wich is to lower
costs as much as possible and achieve a simple,
but functionally effective network.
Question Five: Floor Diagram of the Arr
Headquarters
Fig 2 below gives a schematic illustration
of the LAN design for the company’s head
office; The VLAN used in the head office will
help meet the company’s objectives of high
performance and low costs
Conclusion
The Arr firm was seeking a networking
solution that would enable its six branches and
head office departments located in three floors in
Melbourne be able to exchange files, share some
resources, and send and receive e-mail. Arr
requires a cost effective but modern solution that
will help keep costs don and enhance
performance. To connect the six branches, a
WAN with VPN and based on the MPLS
protocol is proposed with IPSec for mobile
connection. For the head office, where a total of
90 computers must be placed in a safe and secure
LAN, a physical LAN backbone with CAT 5
cabling is proposed, with VLAN built upon the
physical LAN with virtual switches in a star
topology to serve the company’s needs and meet
the objectives of high performance at low costs

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