Network proposal

You have been hired as part of the networking team at UMUC. After completing orientation and training, your manager calls you into a meeting to discuss your first project.

The university has recently leased a building in Adelphi, Maryland. The building will house offices, classrooms, a library, and computer labs. Security is important for UMUC, as the university must protect students’ and employees’ data, as well as any intellectual property that UMUC has on its servers and computers. As a result, IT management would like to take the time to review proposals on how best to move forward on security issues. As a network engineer, you have been asked to prepare a network proposal on how to set up a secure network infrastructure in this building to support university operations.

After speaking to your manager, you are excited about the project, but you realize you will have a busy schedule. As you are writing your proposal, you will also have to prepare for the CompTIA Network+ Certification exam. One of the conditions of your employment at this university is that you obtain this certification within 60 days of being hired.

The network proposal represents a great opportunity to document your expertise. Additionally, it is also a great opportunity for you to form an integrated view of the different aspects of networking which are tested in the certification exam.

In this learning demonstration, you will use the TestOut Network Pro (LabSim) to learn about the different types of networks and how to configure them. These activities will prepare you for the CompTIA Network+ Certification exam. In order to identify your strengths and weaknesses, you will first complete the CompTIA Network+ Certification Practice exam. Then, during the  next eight weeks, as you step through each set of activities in LabSim, you will also be drafting sections of your network design proposal.

Use the results of the Network+ certification practice exam you took at the beginning of the class to help guide you on which areas within LabSim you should pay closer attention. You must complete all online labs in LabSim; these are the activities with the computer mouse icon. The Network Design Proposal will be submitted in three parts: physical network design, network addressing, and network services design.

In this section, address each of the following.

1.    Define the topology that will be used.

2.    Select the appropriate network media.

3.    Select the appropriate network connecting devices, including network security devices.

4.    Select the appropriate computer systems to use to support the network design.

5.    Determine a physical layout of the computers on the floor plan, along with the network wires (network wiring diagram).

6.    Provide justifications for each element of your network design (numbers 1–4 above).

Network Design Proposal Template

Network Design Proposal

Prepared for:

University of Maryland University College

Prepared by:

Student Name

I. Physical Network Design

Introduction

Consider introducing the overall objective of the network design.  Look into UMUC’s Strategic Plan, how would the network design help the stakeholders, the leadership of the university, the students, and the instructors achieve their goals?  How would a great network design contribute to students (your) experiences in learning?  To do this we look at five aspects of a network design herein to support the leadership to help meet the goals of the strategic plan.

A.    Network Topology

Business Needs

In this section, you will assess the business needs of the company. Use the information provided in the scenario to analyze the need for infrastructure or equipment. If you need more information, feel free to ask your instructor or make some assumptions. If you make some assumptions, be sure to list them. This section is not about the actual infrastructure or equipment, but it should discuss the business needs of the company.

Example

ABS Enterprises believes that employees’ health, well­being, and morale have a significant impact on the productivity of the employees and thus the overall results or output of the company. The company wants to invest in a facility that will provide the most return on investment while still providing a facility that employees will use. The company has 20 employees and wants needs one or more servers and two printers. All computers should be able to communicate, but the HR staff of 5 needs to be on a separate network due to the sensitive information on their PC’s.

Proposed Topology

Select one or more topologies to use for this design (star, bus, mesh, ring- Please note that the star topology is the most commonly used). This section should be used to provide details of the selected infrastructure or equipment. Include the model, manufacturer, features, and cost. Below is an example topology. Topologies can be created using Microsoft Visio, or you can create a free account at gliffy.com and create diagrams.

Justification

(Each section should contain the reasoning you present to justify the selection you made for your proposal.  Look at it as your platform to tell finance and operations personnel why this should be selected for the network design)

B.    Network Media

Note: (Choose wired or wireless) Be aware that your solution needs to include support for the selected media.  For example, if you choose wireless, ensure you have wireless adapters for your desktops.

Business Needs

Assess the business needs.

Proposed Network Media (include network wiring diagrams)

Select one or more network media to use for this design.

Justification

Justify your determination that the selected media will meet the business needs.

C.     Network Devices

Business Needs

Assess the business needs.

Proposed Network Devices

Select network devices to use to implement and support your design. Include setup and location information for the devices. Provide a comprehensive list of devices, including the quantity of each device needed.

Justification

Justify your determination that the selected network devices will meet the business needs.

Example: I selected a Cisco 2621 Router in order to connect the HR users to the rest of the company’s employees

D.    Network Security Devices

Business Needs

Assess the business needs.

Proposed Network Security Devices

Select network security devices to use to secure the network. Include setup and location information for the devices. Provide a comprehensive list of devices, including the quantity of each device needed.

Justification

Justify your determination that the selected network security devices will meet the business needs.

Example: I selected a Cisco ASA 5510 Firewall in order to protect the company’s network.

E.     Computer Systems

Business Needs

Assess the business needs.

Proposed Computer Systems

Select computer systems (servers) to use to implement the network design. Include setup and location information for the devices. Provide a comprehensive list of devices, including the quantity of each system needed.

Justification

Justify your determination that the selected systems will meet the business needs.

Example: I selected Windows 10 Professional for the operating system, because it is the newest, most secure, and stable version of Windows for end users.