Network Design

When faced with a network design, sometimes using something like a whiteboard or paper to draft the initial idea in the form of a loose logical topology can be easier than sitting down and drawing complicated design ideas on the computer. The rough diagram can be put into a digital form in your presentation. Visio, Photoshop, Microsoft Word, or other programs will give the drawing a professional and cleaner look. You will also need to write up a document that has an intro explaining your diagram, which is the prelude to your real proposal that will outline the network in more detail later. This is the "hook" that will get their interest and make them want to know more. This, in a sense, is your first impression and where you set the stage for the more boring network details. Balance selling your idea with giving them the information they need to explain what they will see next. Learning Outcomes Learn how to design a network. Learn how to draft a diagram of a logical topology. Learn how to write a professional email to an administrative professional. Instructions Use the Semester Project - Network Design.pdf document for full details on the project and what is required. During the next few weeks, research and draft your network design. Submit a document with three pages containing the following: The first page will contain the email you will send to the Superintendent/Administration of the district. Keep the email short, professional, and contains enough details to keep their interest without overwhelming them with information. Confirming the requests by repeating them back with a solution can be helpful to reaffirm that you are going to address those concerns. Be enthusiastic and friendly as you express your interest in working for them. The second page will have a short intro explaining your network diagram. Briefly explain your network idea and how you will accomplish your goals. Remember that no detail is required here since your proposal will contain the details. The third page will contain the logical topology of the network. This first milestone does not require much design but should show you are actively thinking about how to design the network.
Scenario
A K-12 school district is ready to completely revamp their network (such as it is) and implement new ideas you, as their new network admin, have to offer. They are looking to you to help them create a new network design with other technology ideas.
Their current setup is as follows:
• Campus A (K-8): 8 buildings that are each 20 yards apart in an “L” layout.
• Campus B (Administration): One building that is 20 miles away from Campus A.
• Campus C (9-12): Three buildings that are 50 yards apart and are multiple stories tall. There are also football, baseball, and track fields 60 yards away from the gym.
• Campus A has no network. Teachers have been managing their own computers and saving things to USB drives or CDs. Each classroom has a computer and printer, and all classroom computers have no internet access. The main office has multiple computers and printers attached to each computer. There is internet access, but no set way to share data with the Administration office on Campus B other than email, CD or USB drive, or by printing and mailing documents.
• Campus B has 6 departments in one, one-story building, each with multiple computers and a printer for each computer. There is an Internet connection, there is wiring to each computer, and someone has brought a wireless router for part of the building to use. Data is saved to the computers and sometimes to CDs or USB drives if there is a need to share information.
• Campus C has an old network with each floor and each building being separately wired. There is only internet access to the main office, however. There is no wireless coverage (other than at the main office where someone plugged in a home router) and all computers on campus (each classroom and multiple computers in the main office) are connected to printers. No data is shared and any data from the main office that is needed at Campus B is either emailed or sent on a CD via the mail.
The Superintendent of the school has asked you to do the following:
• Design a secure network that will allow all campuses to be connected so they can share data somehow.
• Design a secure network at each campus so all buildings are connected and so all computers have Internet access.
• Provide wireless coverage for most if not all the areas on each campus.
• The school is starting to offer courses in computer science at the high school. The principal is concerned that the high school students will be tempted to hack the network.
• The Superintendent has a worry about all students accessing pornography or other harmful things on the Internet. He wants to know if there is a way to prevent this.
• Come up with a way to save money on printers.
• The school would like to implement a central reporting and records management system. But they only want it accessible to administration and their assistants. Is there a way to restrict users from accessing that system or will it be available to everyone on the network?
Email
Write a letter to the Superintendent of the school indicating that you have come up with a design, briefly describing how it can serve the Superintendent’s requests, and that you would like to meet with him and the rest of administration to discuss the proposal.
Introduction
Your proposal will have an intro and then a description of your ideas to explain the design.
Design
Submit your design in the form of a drawing to graphically show how things are connected.
Proposal
Write a detailed proposal of your design and how it can be implemented at the school. Consider how you would present this to a board or administration.