ITEC201-IT Computer Science Assignment

Network Scenario:

Suppose you are a network administrator of the ABC company. The company has two local departments: HR and Finance. Currently, the departments are running on two separate networks and the network/system performance is very poor. As a network administrator, you are asked to redesign the network so that they are interconnected, and all systems can access the Internet using a single ISP connection. The following details the individual requirements of each department.

1. HR department: This network will have 20 PCs, one IP phone and one wireless printer. All computers must be connected to the Internet. More devices can be added to this network in future.
2. Finance department: This network will have 22 PCs, 2 IP phones, 1 wireless printer and 1 scanner. All computers must be connected to the Internet. The systems must be secure and reliable. More devices can be added to this network in future.

Introduction:

In the Introduction, you are attempting to inform the reader about the rationale behind the work. The introduction does not have a strict word limit, unlike the abstract, but it should be as concise as possible. It can be a tricky part of the paper to write, so many scientists and researchers prefer to write it last, ensuring that they miss no major points. An introduction should emphasize on background, importance, limitations, and assumptions. You should provide a short overview of the network scenario, goals, and methods in this section.

Physical Topology:

In this part, you have to design a physical topology for the given network scenario. A physical network topology diagram will include icons of elements like workstations, servers, routers, and switches, while the lines between these elements represent cable connections. Note that the physical topology need not to be 100% correct as your network design may need to be changed later. Here is an example of the physical topology.

Hardware and Software Components:

In this section, you need to identify hardware and software components for the network. You need to consider cost, speed, and other features (CPU, RAM, HDD etc.) when selecting the components. You may categories the components as follows.

1. Hardware Requirements- End devices, Network devices, Others
2. Software Requirements- Operating System, Application software (features & services)

Reliability & Expand ability:

Reliability and expandability are two key features of any networks. The network must be fault tolerant and expandable. There should be a backup plan/system to handle any unexpected events. You need to consider the cost and performance when designing a reliable and expandable network solution.

IP Addressing:

IP addressing will have significant impacts on the future extension of the network. You need to decide whether you will be using IPv4 or IPv6. Whatever you are choosing, you need to justify your selection. You need to subnet the networks in an efficient way to ensure optimal use of available IP addresses. In this section, you need to provide a table of IP address and subnet masks for each device of the network.

Logical Topology:

Logical Topology is the arrangement of network devices and nodes to form a logical or physical structure. You need to provide a diagram of the logical topology and write a short description of each subnetwork. See below an example of the logical topology.

Ethical, Security and Sustainability Issues:

There are a number of issues related to ethics, security and sustainability when designing a network. In this section, you need to consider issues like professional ethics and standards, impacts of security breaches, and sustainability of the network. You also need to highlight the measures implemented to overcome the challenges related to ethical, security and sustainability issues.