IT Networking Design Report: Seraphine Insurance PLC Network Design

This report presents a comprehensive IT networking design for Seraphine Insurance PLC, addressing the company's need to integrate recently acquired companies and reduce operational costs. The design incorporates a hybrid network framework with a site-to-site VPN to securely connect remote branches. The report analyzes network topologies, emphasizing the benefits of a centralized network for improved security, scalability, and reduced costs. It also details bandwidth requirements for various applications, including email, web browsing, and video streaming. The design includes network devices, hardware, and software considerations, along with discussions on the OSI model, VPN technologies (IPSec), and network security measures. Furthermore, the report covers the impact of topology, communication requirements, and configuration considerations to optimize network performance and reliability. The report also contains details on testing, evaluation, and investigation of the designed network's growth capabilities.

Running head: IT NETWORKING DESIGNING
IT Networking Designing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Benefits and constraints for the different types of network and standards................................2
Impact of the topology...............................................................................................................3
Communication and requirement of bandwidth.........................................................................4
Network device and operations..................................................................................................6
Interdependency between the hardware and the relevant software............................................7
Description if the LAN topology and technology used for the development of the network....7
Network Design Scenario........................................................................................................10
Network Design Diagram........................................................................................................11
Configuration consideration of the network............................................................................13
Distribution policy and technical details..................................................................................14
Network Device and hardware.................................................................................................15
Testing and evaluation of the design........................................................................................16
Test and diagnosis of the network system................................................................................18
Investigation for analysing the ability of growth of the network.............................................18
Conclusion................................................................................................................................18
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................20

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Introduction
The report is prepared for Seraphine Insurance PLC for the development of a network
design for securing the communication between the different departments and users
connected in the network. For the development of the network solution different
organizational network framework is analysed and a high level network design is created
with the application of different technologies that are capable of solving real life problems.
The organization have a requirement of expanding the business and reach more number of
customer and reduce the operation cost of the business. The company purchased three small
insurance companies and the companies infrastructure is needed to be combined with
Seraphines’s framework for operating from a single place.
Benefits and constraints for the different types of network and standards
It is important to select an appropriate network topology depending on the needs of
the organization and develop an appropriate network structure for connecting the different
branches with each other. The router is needed to be configured with access control list for
preventing the access of the unauthorised users to connect with the servers containing
sensitive organizational information. The benefits and risk of selection of the topology is
needed to be analysed for its implementation in the current network and development of the
physical and logical network framework. The LAN is used for interconnecting the network
device of the branches and enabling short distance communication in the building. The
WAN is used for connecting the branches with each other and multiple LANs for enabling
communication between the different local area network. Different technologies are used
such as frame relay, ATM for creating a secure network connection between the hosts
connected in different location of the network. There are different other networks that can

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also be used for long distance communication such as metropolitan area network, campus
area network that can be used for connecting the data centre with a high speed link.
Impact of the topology
The efficiency of the network and its operation depends on the selection of the right
topology and proper cabling plan for interconnecting the network devices. The types of
network cable needed to connect the hardware device with each other should be identified for
utilizing the available bandwidth and reducing the risk of congestion in the network. A
centralized network topology is needed such that the communication is done via a central
server and storing the records of communication and the accounts of the user for
improvement of security of the network. The selection of the centralized management of the
network also helps in reducing the errors and increases the reliability of the network. It helps
in enforcing a control on the network and eliminates the extra cost that is needed for
deployment of duplicate device in each of the sites for management of the service. The
network can be upgraded by upgrading the centralized server and the devices and there in no
need to replace all the old system installed in the local sites. The scalability of the network
can be improved and new sites can be added or removed according to the requirement of the
organization for the management of the network framework.
High speed link should be used for connecting the sites with the centralized server
such that the response time is minimum and the performance of the network is higher. The
loads and the request of the user should be handled with the application of virtualization of
the server and installation of load balancer for dividing the traffic with the physical and
virtual server for increasing the capacity of the server. The virtualization of the server helps
in full utilization of the resource and increasing reliability of the network. Th load balancer

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helps in equal distribution of the workload and utilization of the processor and the memory
for maximizing the throughput and minimizing the response time of the server.
Communication and requirement of bandwidth
The network capacity is needed to be estimated for the allocation of sufficient
bandwidth and distribution of the channel for increasing the rate of transfer of data. The rate
of data transfer is dependent on the available bandwidth and reducing the latency for
eliminating the lags in the network. The lags in the network is needed to be identified for
increasing the network efficiency and management of the communication service needed by
the organization for running their business efficiently.
Application Bandwidth Required Note
Email 10 – 100 Kbps The emails are sent in
asynchronous manner and it
can tolerate a little bit of
latency in the network.
Sufficient bandwidth is
needed for the large
attachment and file sharing.
Messaging < 10 Kbps It is infrequent and thus can
tolerate latency of the
network.
Web Browsing 128 – 256 + Kbps It is dependent on the type of
the web site or web
application used by the user

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and the fair lag can be
tolerated and there is an
increase in the requirement
of bandwidth if the request
of the user increases.
Audio Streaming 96 -160 Kbps It is needed for streaming
voice message and the lag in
the network can cause
buffering and thus the
latency should be eliminated
for reducing the risk of
outrage of the session.
VOIP 24 – 100+ Kbps It is needed for the VOIP
service and no lags can be
tolerated because it causes
drop in the call and not clear
voice. The lag can cause mis
communication and thus
separate channel should be
used for transmission of the
voice packets in the network.
Video Streaming 96 – 200+ Kbps The latency is needed to be
avoided for getting the
maximum throughput and

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the buffer size should be
increased for proper
streaming of the video.
File Sharing 0 – infinity Mbps Sufficient bandwidth should
be available for transferring
large files over the network
and p2p protocol should be
used for increasing the
transmission speed.
The total bandwidth requirement is calculate by analysing the application and service
used by the user multiplying them by the number of user using the application or service.
Network device and operations
For interconnecting the different offices and their branches with the Seraphine
headquarter different types of network device and technology is needed that should be
connected with the means of different cabling option for successfully transmit the data from
the source to the destination address in the network. The different layers of the OSI model is
utilized for establishment of secure communication between the source and the destination
address. The end device is connected with the switch for enabling communication between
the sender and receiver in the network. The selection of the VPN for communicating with the
remote site helps in reducing the cost of communication and maintenance. The data can be
send securely via the encrypted channels and reduces the risk of man in the middle attack and
improves the security of the network. Traffic filtering is also applied on the router for
dropping the unknown packets and restrict them to reach the internal network of the
organization. The head office is installed with different types of servers for the management

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of the different service needed for running the business and increase the performance of the
network. The access to the servers is needed to be controlled for the users such that sensitive
information residing in the file servers cannot be accessed for illegal use.
Interdependency between the hardware and the relevant software
The workstation installed in the different location of the organizational network
should meet the minimum hardware specification such that different application can be
installed for the management of service provided to the users. The networking software are
used for monitoring the flow of data traffic in the network and maintaining a control on the
transmission data packets from different location in the network. The network interface of the
workstation is needed to be configured with IP address and the default gateway for enabling
communication with the other users connected in the network. The servers installed in the
network should be installed with proper network operating system such that entire network
can be managed. The workstation should support the virtualization such that if there is an
increase in the load on the network the servers can be virtualized for handling more number
of request and reduce the waiting time of the user. The design phase should be analysed for
implementation of the security measures and analysing the vulnerabilities on the network.
The users should be given proper training such that the hackers does not have access to the
organizational data and the unforeseen vulnerabilities are eliminated.
Description if the LAN topology and technology used for the development
of the network
For the development of the network framework a hybrid network framework is
created and a VPN server is used for connecting the remote branches using the site to site
VPN approach. It uses a public network for the establishment of the connection and the
network is intranet based as the company have the requirement of connecting all the remote

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branches and work as a single private network. An intranet VPN is created for connecting the
local area network of each of the branch to form a single wide area network. The site to site
VPN is selected since it does not needs each of the client connected in the network to use the
vpn software to connect with the remote host. In the site to site VPN a tunnel is used for
encapsulating the data packets and forwarding it over IP based networks. Encryption is
applied for ensuring authentication and privacy such that integrity of the data packets are
maintained. IPSec security policy is used for defining the characteristics of the site to site vpn
for the management of the security of the data traffic flowing in the network. Different types
of policies are required for configuration of the network framework and it is dependent on the
type of the IPSec technology. The types of IPSec consists of GRE Dynamic IP, Regular
IPSec, GET VPN, large scale DMVPN, etc. There are some mandatory and optional IPSec
technologies and policies available for site to site VPN that are needed to be applied for the
development of the network.
Technology Optional Policies Mandatory Policies
Regular IPSec
IPSec/GRE
VPN Global settings
VPN Global settings
 IPSec proposal
 IKE Proposal
 If IKEv1 allowed,
one IKEv1 preshared
key / IKEv1 Public
key framework
 If IKEv2 allowed,
authentication of
IKEv2
 Proposal of IKE

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Dynamic Multipoint VPN
Large Scale DMVPN
Easy VPN
VPN Global settings
VPN Global settings
VPN Global settings
IKEv1 Public key
framework
 Proposal of IPSec
 one IKEv1 preshared
key / IKEv1 Public
key framework
 Generic Routing
Encapsulation
Modes
 Proposal of IKE
 Proposal of IPSec
 one IKEv1 preshared
key / IKEv1 Public
key framework
 Generic Routing
Encapsulation
Modes
 Proposal of IKE
 Proposal of IPSec
 one IKEv1 preshared
key / IKEv1 Public
key framework
 Generic Routing
Encapsulation
Modes
 Load balance for

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GET VPN
Global Settings for GET
VPN
servers
 Proposal of IKE
 IPSec proposal for
easy VPN
 Characteristics of
client connection
 User group for IOS
server
 Connection profiles
for ASA servers
 IKE Proposal for
GET VPN
 Group Encryption
 one IKEv1 preshared
key / IKEv1 Public
key framework
Network Design Scenario
The network is designed for Seraphine insurance Plc for interconnecting its 35
branches with each other following the different requirement of each of the branches. For the
development of the network solution the network is divided into subnets allocating 200 IP
address for each of the branch such that it can accommodate the future growth of the
organization. An wireless access point is also installed for each of the branches such that the
employees can connect their wireless device for transferring of files and information. A

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firewall is installed in the headquarter for securing the internal network from the unauthorised
access. The current network is developed using bridges and hubs and they are replaced with
manageable switches such that VLAN can be configured in the switch for increasing the
security. The head quarter of Seraphine Insurance PLC located in Trafford park is needed to
be connected with its 35 branch offices, Mariana Insurance office, Peter Lee main office and
its two branches, Madra coach two offices. The current outdated network of the organization
is needed to be replaced with the new network design that would connect all the offices with
each other and reduce the communication gap between the offices. An internetwork design is
created for the organization for connecting the different branches and offices with each other
and attached with the report that would help in identification of the network framework and
the device needed for the configuration of the network.
Network Design Diagram

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Headquarter LAN Design
Wide area network Design

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Configuration consideration of the network
For the development of the network solution the network is divided into core, access
and distribution layer. The core router connected with the internet is configured with MPLS
protocol such that the router can determine the next hop of the packet by analysing the
destination address of the data packet. It helps in securing the network unwanted data traffic
by labelling the data packet and forwarding it to the destination address (Giachetti 2016). The
MPLS is used for the implementation of QoS with defining the labelled switching path for
meeting the service level agreements in case of traffic latency, packet loss, downtime or jitter.
The configuration of the router with MPLS protocol also helps to separate the data traffic and
creation of VPNs for communicating with the remote branches of the organization.
The border gateway protocol is used for configuring the router and enabling exchange
of data packet or routes between the edge routers. The data packet coming from the
autonomous systems are directed and it offers stability for the network such that it can be
guaranteed that the data packet can reach the destination address if one of the network path
goes down (Aguilar-Gonzalez et al. 2017). The routing decision for forwarding the data
packets are made by the BGP protocol depending on the rules, paths or network policy
defined by the network administrator. The updated routing table is sent to the neighbour
router such that the best path is selected on the basis of reachability, path characteristics and
the number of hop counts.
For the configuration of the firewall the following access control list is needed to be
developed and applied to the router interface for restricting the user to access the core
network devices installed in the network.
ip access-list extended telnetting
remark Do not allow host1 subnet to telnet out

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deny tcp host 172.168.2.88 any eq telnet
Distribution policy and technical details
For interconnecting the main branch with the remote sites a leased line should be used
that have point to point connection. Frame relay connection should be used and for
connecting the mobile users with the organizational network VPN connection is used. A VPN
server is configured for the management of the user credentials and enables them to
connected with the network with the proper user name and password. For designing the
network a proper cabling structure is needed to be followed and it should be created
following different types of standardized elements. The subsystem are defined for the
entrance facility and it ends with the ISP network all the network devices are installed in the
equipment room and connected with the other network devices (Peng et al. 2016). Backbone
cabling is used for connecting the main hardware device and the backbone cables are the
fibre optics cable used for high speed transmission of data. The work area comprises of the
Rj45 connector that are used for connecting the workstations and the wireless station used for
the distribution of the network. For setting up the local area network the horizontal cables are
used. The servers installed for the management of the service and operation and connected
with the layer 3 switches for providing service to the users.
Telecommunication enclosure sub systems are used for designing the network and it
consists of the chassis of switch and the patch panels. The patch wires labelled with unique
identification number are used for connecting the switch and the front end of the patch panel.
The use of the patch panel helps in identification of the ports and the cables coming from
different location. Thus it comes easy for the network administrator to trouble shoot any
problems in the network (Simmons 2014). If there is any need of small changes in the
network it can be done easily by following the unique identification number of the patch

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wires. The gigabyte ethernet port should be used for interconnecting the switches such that
the switches in the stack can operate together as a single unit and reduce the complexity of
management. A demilitarized zone is also created for securing the access of the Web server
from the external agents and management of the internal and outside of the server. For each
of the branches a separate router is used with same local area network architecture and two
routers installed in the head office are used for the providing access to the head office
network to the branches (Wu et al. 2015). The installation of the two core router would help
to avoid the risk of single point of failure and the data can reach the destination using the
other router if one of the router is down. It also helps in balancing the load in the network and
increase the network uptime and availability.
Network Device and hardware
The network device needed for the configuration of the network are listed below:
 Cisco 2811 series router
 Cisco 2960 series switch
 Cisco ASA 5505 firewall
 Cisco Unity Server
 File Server
 Database Server
 DNS Server
 WEB server
 DHCP Server
 Email Server
 Unix power S824 system

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The servers used for the management of different service and operation should have the
support of virtualization such that it can be used for balancing the loads and serve more
number of users connected in the network. The virtualization of the server helps in
improvement of the scalability of the network and can help in supporting the future growth of
the organization. Thus it can be said the solution proposed for Seraphine Insurance Plc can
server the future needs and help the organization to gain competitive advantage in the market.
Testing and evaluation of the design
There are different equipment needed for the management of the communication and
the list of equipment is created for the development of the network. The cables that are
needed for interconnecting the network device should be identified for enabling
communication between the nodes connected in the network. The network core components
should be identified and their connectivity with the sites should be tested for improvement of
performance of the network. The availability of the system and its application in the current
network framework should be identified for the identification of problems and
troubleshooting the errors in the configuration of the network. Different types of test should
be performed on the network such as pinging from different location with the central server
for identification of the response time and identify any issues with the network. The
availability of the system and the device should be identified for the management of the
access of the user to access the service and improve their workplace efficiency for
improvement of their production.
The headquarter should have a power backup such for handling power outrages and is
available to the users all the time. The floor plan of the headquarter building is needed to be
evaluated for the installation of the network device and the cabinet rack. The Trafford par
campus building plan is evaluated for the identification of the are that is needed to be covered

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by the local area network and installation of the data center and the servers. A DMZ zone is
needed to be created for the installation of the server and restricting the unauthorised users to
intrude into the internal network of the organization. The servers and the other network
device should be configured with static IP address and a test plan should be prepared for
identification of the network performance in terms of the goals and objectives of the
organization. The test plan should consists of the following sections;
Defining the objectives of the network – The network should be scalable and the
transmission speed should not be less than the minimum speed requirement of the application
and services that are used by the users. The security needs of the organization should be
fulfilled by the network and the recovery time of the network should be minimum.
Acceptance Criteria – The test should reflect a positive result and the test should be
made for the identification of the vulnerability and errors in the configuration of the network.
A risk response plan should be created that would help in taking immediate action in case of
failure of any network device and recover the network.
Development of schedule – A high level activity should be defined and included in
the network documentation for estimating the time needed for the configuration of the
network device. The expected time for the deployment of the network should also be
estimated and documented for following it for implementation of the network in real life.
Defining roles and responsibility – The network development team should be
assigned with different roles and responsibility for minimizing the errors in configuration of
the network. A tester should be recruited for testing the errors and identification of the
present vulnerability in the network for eliminating the problem and increasing the efficiency
of the network solution.

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Identification of resources – The stages of the network development should be
managed for the identification of the resources needed for the deployment of the network.
The network deployment plan should be created containing the resources and the equipment.
Procedures – Test cases should be developed along with the test script for performing
test on then network and verification of the connectivity between the different devices
installed in the network.
Test and diagnosis of the network system
A prototype of the network should be developed and configured for the diagnosis of
the error in the system. The access of the user to reach the core network components should
be restricted the branches should be interconnected by configuring static routing on the
routers. The router is also needed to be configured with DHCP service and it should be tested
that the pcs connected in the network properly gets the IP address automatically assigned for
verification of the configuration of the DHCP service. The different features and functionality
is needed to be identified and tested for management of configuration of the network.
Investigation for analysing the ability of growth of the network
The Ip address plan of the network should be created with allocation extra bits of IP
address for each of the subnet such that the network is able to meet the future requirement of
the organization. The servers should have available hardware that can be used for
virtualization and meet more number of request and reduce the waiting time of the user. The
physical links should also be checked for identification of the limitation in bandwidth and
accommodate more number of hosts per VLAN. Since a centralized network framework is
used the network can be expanded or reduces according to the requirement of the
organization easily and the a full control on the network can be maintained.

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Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that the proposed network solution would
be able to meet the current and future needs of Seraphine Insurance as it is highly scalable.
The network is designed for connecting the different new branches and with the headquarter
n Trafford Park Campus. Main focus for the development of the network solution is given on
the flexibility and allowing remote access to the user. For each of the branch a local area
network is designed and the network is subnetted for minimizing the wastage of the IP
address. An IP addressing plan is created for configuring the network device and creating
vlan for management of traffic in the network. An analysis is made on the current business
policy of the organization for restricting the department for accessing the sensitive
information in the central server and increase the security of the network. For connecting the
remote branch with the headquarter leased lines are used with the implementation of VPN
service such that the communication is done by means of an encrypted channel.

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