Transport Network Design: A Comprehensive Analysis

Desklib provides solved assignments and past papers to help students succeed.

TRANSPORT NETWORK DESIGN
1

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
LO1............................................................................................................................................5
1. Examine the network design models and features of scalable networks based on a
given set of business needs.....................................................................................................5
2. Discuss LAN redundancy, bandwidth, and load related issues and possible solutions with
reference to Layer 2 and Layer 3 of the OSI Model...............................................................7
3. Analyse the switch and router redundancy protocols and their effectiveness in supporting
scalable networks....................................................................................................................9
LO2..........................................................................................................................................11
1. Select LAN devices based on features and requirements, and apply basic configuration
commands for network connectivity....................................................................................11
2. Implement a LAN design with Layer 2 and Layer 3 redundancy using switch and router
redundancy protocols............................................................................................................12
3. Analyse different switch redundancy protocols and their effectiveness in solving
redundancy issues.................................................................................................................14
4. Analyse Layer 3 redundancy implementations for IPv4 and IPv6...................................15
5. Evaluate different implementations of link aggregation using EtherChannel to solve
bandwidth and load issues....................................................................................................16
LO3..........................................................................................................................................17
1. Examine WAN technologies and select the appropriate one for a set of enterprise
requirements.........................................................................................................................17
2. Configure WAN protocols as part of an enterprise network solution..............................19
3. Analyse the benefits and drawbacks of private and public WAN technologies...............23
4. Evaluate features and benefits of different VPN types based on organisational needs....24
LO4..........................................................................................................................................26
1. Deploy network monitoring tools and troubleshooting methods to establish network
baselines and produce network documentation....................................................................26
2

2. Troubleshoot LAN and WAN connectivity issues at different networking layers..........27
3. Develop effective documentation of troubleshooting methods and steps based on a given
scenario.................................................................................................................................28
4. Evaluate troubleshooting methods and their effectiveness in solving enterprise wide
networking issues.................................................................................................................29
Conclusion................................................................................................................................30
References................................................................................................................................31
3

Introduction
Transport network design basically deals with the configuration of the network to achieve a
goal and also it helps in improving the network of transportation. It helps in the supply of
packets to examine the workflow and it is an analytical approach helping an organization win
generating models that could be digital. The selected organization for this project is
Canonical Ltd. Company. It is based in the UK and is a Software Company which is founded
by an entrepreneur named Mark Shuttleworth. It is situated in London, United Kingdom. The
objective of the project is to develop an understanding of LAN and its design. It also aims to
develop a LAN network. It will also be discussed how issues will be resolved by the
troubleshooting technique.
4

LO1
1. Examine the network design models and features of scalable networks based
on a given set of business needs.
The two types of network design model are:
1. Flat network design:
Its aim is to reduce the overall cost of maintenance and administration. It is designed in
such a way that it uses less number of switches and routers and focus on device
connection through a single switch rather than using different separate switches (Zhang
and Beheshti, 2016).
Disadvantages:
 No redundancy
 Security is poor
 Not much scalable
 Offers slow speed
2. Hierarchical network design:
The hierarchical design is made up of three layers which are mentioned below along
with its description:
 Core layer:
This layer allows for fast transportation and is the most reliable layer. Almost all
layers rely on it and therefore called as the backbone. Its main aim is the reduction
of latency time during the flow of packets for delivery (Cimorelli, et. al., 2016).
 Distribution layer:
It acts as the intermediate layer between the core and the access layer to support
these two layers. It is the place where the manipulation of a packet can be done. It
helps in providing the definition of the boundary (Duan, et. al., 2015).
 Access layer:
This layer is used to ensure that the delivery of packets has done right to the users. It
helps in the connection of network with the nodes of clients.
5

Hierarchical design again classified into two models:
 Three-tier
Figure 1: Model of three-tier
(Source: networkcomputing.com)
 Two-tier
Figure 2: Model of two-tier
(Source: networkcomputing.com)
Features of the scalable network:
 Reliable
 Accessible
 Secure
 Available
 Adaptable
6

 Efficient (Kaur, et. al., 2015)
2. Discuss LAN redundancy, bandwidth, and load related issues and possible
solutions with reference to Layer 2 and Layer 3 of the OSI Model.
 Bandwidth:
It refers to the amount of data that can send over a network in a given period of time. It is
expressed in the form of bps. It can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical
bandwidth means that the capacity of the data is in both directions i.e. downloading or
uploading of data, whereas asymmetrical bandwidth says that downloading and uploading
of data is not equal (Kaur, et. al., 2015).
Figure 3: Bandwidth and throughput
(Source: systemzone.net)
 LAN redundancy:
It allows the connection of the network between the SCADA and the iClient which is
physical in nature (Kuan, et. al., 2018). It provides an alternative for the path of network
and also helps in providing iFix networking. It is beneficial at those times when the
connection gets lost and then automatically backup path is provided by the iFix
networking (Angeles, et. al., 2015).
7

Figure 4: LAN redundancy
(Source: help.geautomation.com)
 Load:
Load is the amount of workload on the network. This is responsible for having a large
overhead on the network due to which the performance of the network degrades (Jain and
Potharaju, 2015). This can be managed and handled by the load balancer that has the
capability of distributing works among the various networks. Load balancers help in
increasing capacity and reliability (Duan, et. al., 2015).
Figure 5: Load balancing
(Source: globaldots.com)
8

3. Analyse the switch and router redundancy protocols and their effectiveness in
supporting scalable networks.
 Protocol of switch redundancy:
It provides redundancy in network and also a failover which is sub-second in layer 2 and 3
topologies of mesh (Kuan, et. al., 2018). It provides with the device backup so that the
flow continues when one of the devices gets fail or become unavailable (Balakrishnan, et.
al., 2019). Layer 2 and 3 of the OSI model needs to be configured in order to provide
redundancy.
Figure 6: VSRP
(Source: ruckuswireless.com)
 Protocol of router redundancy:
It provides redundancy in the network by increasing the number of similar routers so that
the flow of the traffic continues in the absence of on router (Hengeveld, 2016). It helps in
increasing the reliability and availability through a gateway that is by default and
automatic as well.
9

Figure 7: VRRP
(Source: excitingip.com)
 Hot standby protocol:
It is the protocol that allows multiple routers to be used by host computers. It behaves as a
single router that is virtual. When the failure of the first hop router takes place, it helps in
maintaining the connectivity (Yoon, et. al., 2015).
Figure 8: HSRP
(Source: cisco.com)
10

LO2
1. Select LAN devices based on features and requirements, and apply basic
configuration commands for network connectivity.
There are many LAN devices that can be used but the selected organization wanted to have
layer 2 and 3 redundant devices.
 Layer 2 switch:
It works on the 2nd layer of the OSI model which uses MAC address for sending packets to
the destination. It is used so that reduction can be done on the traffic flow. It is fast
because they don't focus on layer 3 packets (Border, et. al., 2017). They can communicate
only within the network and has one broadcast domain.
 Layer 3 switch:
It works on the 3rd layer of the OSI model which uses IP address for routing of packets. It
is capable enough to perform layer 2 and 3 functionalities (Alim, et. al., 2017). Used for
VLAN implementation and has several broadcast domains. It can communicate outside the
network as well. It examines the packet so well by taking time before sending it to the
destination (Huang and Kemp, 2016).
Figure 9: Design of layer 2 and 3 switch
(Source: networkstraining.com)
11

2. Implement a LAN design with Layer 2 and Layer 3 redundancy using switch
and router redundancy protocols.
In LAN designing, topologies of star and mesh are used. In the topology of a star, the
connection is directly made to all nodes from the node which is in the centre (Traina, et. al.,
2015). This type of topology is seen in the areas like office network and home network which
should be wired. Mesh topology allows multiple connections to a single network. Each node
has a connection to all other nodes. Mesh topology is beneficial as it increases the number of
paths but increases the cost as well (Cimorelli, et. al., 2016).
Figure 10: Mesh topology
(Source: researchgate.com)
Figure 11: Star topology
(Source: fcit.usf.edu)
12