Networking

Higher Nationals Internal verification of assessment decisions – BTEC (RQF) INTERNAL VERIFICATION – ASSESSMENT DECISIONS Programme title

Assessor

Internal Verifier Unit 02:

Unit(s)

Networking

Assignment title

Student’s name List which assessment criteria the Assessor has awarded.

Pass

Merit

INTERNAL VERIFIER CHECKLIST Do the assessment criteria awarded match those shown in the assignment brief?

Y/N Is the Pass/Merit/Distinction grade awarded justified by the assessor’s comments on the student work?

Has the work been assessed accurately?

Y/N

Y/N

Is the feedback to the student: Give details:

• Constructive? • Linked

Y/N to

relevant

assessment

Distinction

criteria?

Y/N

• Identifying

opportunities improved performance?

Y/N

for

• Agreeing actions?

Y/N

Does the assessment decision need amending?

Y/N

Assessor signature

Date

Internal Verifier signature

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Programme required)

Leader

signature

(if Date

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Higher Nationals - Summative Assignment Feedback Form Student Name/ID

Unit Title

Unit 02:

Networking

Assignment Number

Assessor

Submission Date

Date Received 1st submission Date Received 2nd submission

Re-submission Date

Assessor Feedback: LO1 Examine networking principles and their protocols. Pass, Merit & Distinction Descripts

P1

P2

M1

LO2 Explain networking devices and operations. Pass, Merit & Distinction Descripts

P3

P4

M2

D1

P6

M3

D2

M4

D3

LO3 Design efficient networked systems. Pass, Merit & Distinction Descripts

P5

LO4 Implement and diagnose networked systems. Pass, Merit & Distinction

P7

P8

Descripts

Grade:

Assessor Signature:

Date:

Resubmission Feedback:

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Please note that grade decisions are provisional. They are only confirmed once internal and external moderation has taken place and grades decisions have been agreed at the assessment board.

Pearson Higher Nationals in

Computing Unit 02: Networking Assignment 01

General Guidelines

1. A cover page or title page should be attached to your assignment. Use page 1 of this assignment brief as your cover page and make sure all details are accurately filled. 2. The entire assignment brief should be attached as the first section of your assignment. 3. The assignment should be prepared using a word processing software. 4. The assignment should be word processing in an A4 sized paper. 5. Allow 1” margin on top, bottom and right sides of the paper and 1.25” on the left side (for binding).

Word Processing Rules

1. The font size should be 12 point, and should be in the style of Time New Roman. 2. Set line spacing to 1.5. Justify all paragraphs. 3. Ensure that all headings are consistent in terms of size and font style. 4. Use footer function on the word processor to insert your name, unit, assignment no, and page number on each page. This is useful if individual sheets get detached from the submission. 5. Use the spell check and grammar check function of the word processing application to review the use of language on your assignment.

Important Points:

1. Carefully check carefully the hand in date and the instructions given with the assignment. Late submissions will not be accepted. 2. Ensure that sufficient time is spent to complete the assignment by the due date. 3. Do not wait till the last minute to get feedback on the assignment. Such excuses will not be accepted for late submissions. 4. You must be responsible for efficient management of your time. 5. If you are unable to hand in your assignment on time and have valid reasons such as illness, you may apply (in writing) for an extension. 6. Failure to achieve at least a PASS grade will result in a REFERRAL grade. 7. Non-submission of work without valid reasons will lead to an automatic REFERRAL. You will then be asked to complete an alternative assignment. 8. If you use other people’s work or ideas in your assignment, it must be properly referenced, using the HARVARD referencing system, in your text or any bibliography. Otherwise, you’ll be found guilty of committing plagiarism. 9. If you are caught plagiarising, your grade will be reduced to a REFERRAL or at worst, you could be excluded from the course.

Student Declaration

I hereby, declare that I know what plagiarism entails, namely to use another’s work and to present it as my own without attributing the sources in the correct form. I further understand what it means to copy another’s work.

1. I know that plagiarism is a punishable offence because it constitutes theft. 2. I understand the plagiarism and copying policy of Edexcel UK. 3. I know what the consequences will be if I plagiarise or copy another’s work in any of the assignments for this program. 4. I declare therefore that all work presented by me for every aspect of my program, will be my own, and where I have made use of another’s work, I will attribute the source in the correct way. 5. I acknowledge that the attachment of this document signed or not, constitutes a binding agreement between myself and Edexcel UK. 6. I understand that my assignment will not be considered as submitted if this document is not attached to the assignment.

Student’s Signature: (Provide E-mail ID)

(Provide Submission Date)

Higher National Diploma in Business Assignment Brief Student Name /ID Number Unit Number and Title

Unit 2: Networking

Academic Year Unit Tutor Assignment Title

LAN Design & Implementation for Enclave Films Company

Issue Date Submission Date IV Name & Date

Submission format

The submission is in the form of an individual written report. This should be written in a concise, formal business style using single spacing and font size 12. You are required to make use of headings, paragraphs and subsections as appropriate, and all work must be supported with research and referenced using the Harvard referencing system. Please also provide an end list of references using the Harvard referencing system. The recommended word count is 3,000–3,500 words for the report excluding annexures, although you will not be penalised for exceeding the total word limit. Unit Learning Outcomes:

LO1 Examine networking principles and their protocols.

LO2 Explain networking devices and operations.

LO3 Design efficient networked systems.

LO4 Implement and diagnose networked systems. Assignment Brief and Guidance:

Scenario : Enclave Films is an eminent movie company which composes movies and delivers high quality video to make it download through VividZone company website. The original movie company management has decided to consolidate the contract with VividZone by adding more efficient staff and appliances. Enclave Films is in building B and the web team is positioned in the same building while majority of the administration, sales, accounts and management functions are supported in building A. Both buildings are located in the same premises. Movie company plans to aggregate all their staff and resources in one building. Therefore when adjacent office space becomes available in building A, these groups will be accommodated together. Building A has a reception and a customer area as well. About the Network The branch network of Enclave Films has grown without proper planning. The LAN cabling in both offices is Cat5e Ethernet. The office complex provides an Ethernet link between the two buildings. The current network is a flat network design with minimal redundancy. A small wireless LAN is used occasionally by few project managers with laptops and the guests at Building B. a) Building A - general office and managers, including reception, accounts, and administration. It consists of 12 PCs and 02 printers. b) Building B - production suites and provides networking for the media development and storage. It consists of 09 high-performance workstations, 05 office PCs, and 02 printers.

The Management expects to enhance the network based on following major criteria: a) Separate the network into VLANs. b) Data traffic expected to increase by 80% c) Possibly consider connecting directly to the VividZone network; must be a fast and reliable connection d) High network availability with redundant links and technology e) Wireless network access at Building B f) QoS to support video applications g) High network reliability with network monitoring and security

Activity 01 You are newly recruited as a Network Engineer by the movie company to redesign the network. You need to produce a report for the company that includes the following: 1. An an overview of your report. 2. An explanation of;  networking principles, protocols and devices, including benefits and constraints of networked solutions  the impact of network topology, communication and bandwidth requirements, effectiveness of networking systems  operating principles of networking devices and server types and networking software

Activity 02

1. Prepare a written plan of how you are going to design a Local Area Network including a blueprint of your LAN. 2. Justify the security requirements and quality of services needed for selection of accessories 3. Design a networked system to meet a given specification 4. Provide the IP address allocation table for the redesigned network. 5. Install & configure network services and applications of your choice. 6. Conduct a test and evaluate the design to meet the requirements and analyse user feedback. 7. Suggest a maintenance schedule to support the networked system.

Activity 03 1. Implement a networked system based on your prepared design. 2. Conduct verification with e.g. Ping, extended ping, trace route, telnet, SSH, etc. 3. Record the test results and analyze these against expected results. 4. Investigate what functionalities would allow the system to support device growth and the addition of communication devices.

Contents Acknowledgment......................................................................................................................17 Current Status...........................................................................................................................19 OSI 7 Layer Model...................................................................................................................22 Layer 7 – Application...........................................................................................................24 Layer 6 – Presentation..........................................................................................................25 Layer 5 – Session.................................................................................................................27 Layer 4 – Transport..............................................................................................................28 Layer 3 – Network................................................................................................................29 Layer 2 – Data Link..............................................................................................................30 Layer 1 – Physical................................................................................................................31 Network Devices......................................................................................................................32 Routers..................................................................................................................................33 Network Cables....................................................................................................................34 Twisted Pair Cable...........................................................................................................34 Coaxial Cable...................................................................................................................35 Fiber Optic Cables............................................................................................................36 Switches................................................................................................................................37 Network Topologies.................................................................................................................38 Bus topology.........................................................................................................................38 Ring topology.......................................................................................................................39 Star topology........................................................................................................................40 Softwares..................................................................................................................................41 Wireshark.............................................................................................................................41 XAMPP................................................................................................................................49

Proposed Network Structure....................................................................................................57 IP Table....................................................................................................................................59 Cisco Packet Tracer Implementation.......................................................................................60 Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)......................................................................................63 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)......................................................................65 Subnetting.................................................................................................................................66 Testing......................................................................................................................................67 Maintaining Schedule...............................................................................................................70 Future Improvements...............................................................................................................70 Security.....................................................................................................................................71 References................................................................................................................................72 Assignment Gantt Chart...........................................................................................................74

Table of Figures Figure 1 Current Network Structure.........................................................................................23 Figure 2 The Current Network Structure.................................................................................24 Figure 3 OSI 7 Layer Model....................................................................................................27 Figure 1 A Router.....................................................................................................................36 Figure 2 Twisted Pair Cable.....................................................................................................38 Figure 3 Coaxial Cable.............................................................................................................39 Figure 4 Fiber Optic Cable.......................................................................................................40 Figure 5 Network Switch.........................................................................................................41 Figure 6 Bus topology..............................................................................................................42 Figure 7 Ring topology.............................................................................................................43 Figure 8 Star topology..............................................................................................................43 Figure 9 Wireshark logo...........................................................................................................44 Figure 10 Wireshark step 1......................................................................................................45 Figure 11 Wireshark step 2......................................................................................................46 Figure 12 Wireshark Step 3......................................................................................................47 Figure 13 Wireshark step 4......................................................................................................48 Figure 14 Wireshark step 5......................................................................................................49 Figure 15 Wireshark step 6......................................................................................................50 Figure 16 Wireshark step 7......................................................................................................51 Figure 17 Wireshark step 8......................................................................................................52 Figure 18 XAMPP logo............................................................................................................52 Figure 19 XAMPP step 1.........................................................................................................53 Figure 20 XAMPP step 2.........................................................................................................54

Figure 21 XAMPP step 3.........................................................................................................55 Figure 22 XAMPP step 4.........................................................................................................56 Figure 23 XAMPP step 5.........................................................................................................57 Figure 24 XAMPP step 6.........................................................................................................58 Figure 25 XAMPP step 7.........................................................................................................59 Figure 26 Proposed Network Structure....................................................................................60 Figure 27 Cisco Implementation..............................................................................................64 Figure 28 VLANs in cisco........................................................................................................67 Figure 29 IP DHCP pool..........................................................................................................68 Figure 30 Subnet Mask.............................................................................................................69 Figure 31 Subnet Masks...........................................................................................................70 Figure 32 Test Table.................................................................................................................72 Figure 33 Maintaining Schedule..............................................................................................73

Table of Tables Table 1 Current Department Positioning..................................................................................25 Table 2 IP Table......................................................................................................................63 Table 3 Assignment Gantt Chart..............................................................................................78

Current Status The following report describes the current network infrastructure of the Enclave Films Company. According to the given scenario the current network of the company spreads across 2 buildings. For a better understanding of the scenario the buildings are named as, 1) Building A 2) Building B Both building A and building B are situated in the same premise. The following image shows a simple sketch of the network device placement of the 2 buildings.

Ethernet Cable

Storage 1

Ethernet Cable

Storage 2

Storage 3

Server 1

Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Printer 1

General Office 3

Ethernet Cable Router

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Production Suite 2

Printer 1

Manager 1

Manager 2

Manager 3

Production Suite 3

Figure 1 Current Network Structure

Please zoom in if the above image is not clear.

Media Development 5 Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable Media Development 3

Ethernet Cable Production Suite 4

Reception PC2 Printer 2

Media Development 2

Ethernet Cable

Production Suite 1 Switch

Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable

Server 2

Switch

General Office 2

Media Development 4

Switch

Ethernet Cable Connecting The 2 Routers of The 2 Buildings

General Office 1

Media Development 1

Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable

Switch

Accounts PC3 Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Reception PC1

Accounts PC2

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Room: 2" X 2"

Switch

Router

Ethernet Cable

Accounts PC1

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable Admin PC2 Switch Admin PC1 Ethernet Cable

Production Suite 5

Printer 2

Media Development 6

Figure 2 The Current Network Structure As shown in the above image the networks of the 2 buildings are connected using a Cat5e ethernet cable which makes it a single network. The following table show the positioning of different departments across the 2 buildings.



Building A Administration



Building B Enclave Films



General Office



The Web Team



Accounts



Management



Reception Table 1 Current Department Positioning

As shown in the above table the departments are divided between the 2 buildings. So, the idea is to move everything from building B to building A thereby emptying the building B. The current infrastructure of the network is also divided into 2. The following table shows the users of the 2 networks, the end user devices that are connected to the 2 networks and the total number of end user devices.

Users of the network



Building A General Office



Building B Production Suits



Managers





Reception

Development



Accounts



Media

Media Storage



Administration 

 The end user devices

Computers 

The total number of end

12 Personal



2 Printers

14

9 High

Performance Workstations 

5 Personal

Computers for office use 

2 Printers



16

user devices

Occasionally a wireless LAN is also connected to the network which is used by the project managers and guests. When redesigning the new network to enhance the network an understanding of the terms used in networking, the standards of networking and the principals and theories of networking is a must. The following section describes those which are need to design the network mentioned in the scenario.

OSI 7 Layer Model The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model is conceptual framework that describes the functions of a networking or telecommunication system. It divides data communication into 7 layers and it standardize the protocols that are used and group them according to their functionalities. This ensures that the networking system is interoperable regardless of the technology type or the manufacturer. So, simply it gives us a visual description of the processes that happen inside a networking system. The purpose of this model is to resolve the incompatibility between different manufacturers and to set clear standards for network

communication. This also helps the network operators to narrow down the problems within the network[CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. In the OSI model the control is passed from one layer to the next. The 7 Layers of the OSI model 

Layer 7 - Application



Layer 6 - Presentation



Layer 5 - Session



Layer 4 - Transport



Layer 3 - Network



Layer 2 - Data Link



Layer 1 – Physical

The below image represents a simple description about the 7 layers of the OSI model.

Figure 3 OSI 7 Layer Model Layer 7 – Application Application layer is the top layer of the OSI model. It is the closest layer to the end user. It directly interacts with the user to provide various services such as[CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ], 

Email



Network data sharing



File transfer etc.

The application layer of the model recognizes the networking entities for the following purposes[CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ].



To facilitate the networking requests sent by the end user.



To determine the availability of resources



To synchronize communication



To manage application specific networking requirements

Some examples for the layer 7 applications are[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ], 

A web browser such as, o Google Chrome o Mozilla Firefox o Safari



Skype

Any application that interact with the user through or with a network connection can be identified as a layer 7 application. Some of the most common protocols that’s used by this layer are[ CITATION Bea19 \l 1033 ], 

FTP – File Transfer Protocol



SMTP – Simple Mail Transfer Protocol



DNS – Domain Name System



HTTP – Hypertext Transfer Protocol



SSH – Secure Shell

Layer 6 – Presentation The presentation layer of the OSI model represents the translation or conversion of the data formats between the application and the network. Functions of the presentations layer include[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ],



Data conversion from network format to application format and from application format to network format



Character code translation



Compression of data



Encryption or decryption of data for secure transmission

The presentation layer which is also known as the syntax layer maps the syntax of the data so that the received or sent information is consumable by every network entity[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. E.g.: -

The data transferred from a communication application is formatted and

encrypted at this layer before transmission. After it reaches the target destination the data is formatted

and decrypted in to the intended format (text, image, video etc.).

The presentation layer also serializes and deserialize complex information so that it be transported across the network[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. Some of the common protocols used by this layer are, 

SSL – Secure Socket Layer



FTP – File Transfer Protocol



SSH – Secure Shell



IMAP – Internet Message Access Protocol

Layer 5 – Session When 2 devices in the network such as computer or servers need to communicate with each other a session needs to be created[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. This is done at the session layer of the OSI model. This layer can coordinate the connection between the 2 devices because it belongs to the top 3 layers of the OSI model that deals at a software level[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. The functions of this layer involve, 

Setting up / Opening of the sessions



Coordinating the ongoing session



Terminating / Closing each session



Reestablishing the session activities



Authenticating and authorizing the communication between 2 entities



Identifying half duplex and full duplex operations



Synchronizing data streams

A session can be referred to as a data exchange done between 2 entities of a network[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. E.g.: -

HTTP sessions which allow the users to visit and browse website within a specific

time period. Some of the common protocols that’s used by this layer are[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ], 

RPC – Remote Procedure Call



PPTP – Point to Point Tunneling Protocol



SCP – Session Control Protocol



SDP – Session Description Protocol

Layer 4 – Transport The transport layer of the OSI model deals with the coordination of data transfers that happen between end systems and the hosts[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. It ensures complete and reliable delivery of data packets[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. It provides mechanisms such as[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ], 

Error control



Flow control



Congestion control

These mechanisms help to keep track of the data packets, check for errors and duplication and resend packets that fails delivery. It uses service point addressing function to ensure that the packets are sent to a specific destination via a port address. Packet segmentation and reassembly ensures that the data is divide and sent in a sequence. The integrity and the accuracy of the packets will be rechecked at the destination based on the receiving sequence[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. The following decisions are taken in this layer[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. 

How much data to send



At what rate the data should be sent



Where does it goes

The best-known example for a protocol of this layer is the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) which is built on top of the Internet Protocol (IP). It is commonly known as TCP/IP. Both the TCP and UDP (User Datagram Protocol) works at the transport layer while IPs are working at the Network Layer of the OSI model[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. TCP – For connection-oriented data transmission UDP – For connectionless data transmission

Layer 3 – Network This layer organizes and transmits data across multiple networks. In the network layer of the OSI model the router functionalities are found[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. This layer is responsible for the functions such as, 

Packet forwarding



Routing through different routers



Encapsulation



Fragmentation

Routers at this layer help to find the best physical path for a packet to travel across a network based on the following facts[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. 

Characteristics of the network



Traffic controls



Congestion of data packets



Priority of service

The network layer uses logical addressing for packets to separately identify the source and the destination. The outgoing data is divided into packets and incoming packets are reassembled into information which will be consumed at a higher application level[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. Some of the hardware that belong to the network layer are[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ], 

Routers



Bridge routers



3-layer switches

Some of the common protocols that belong to this layer are,



IPv4 – Internet Protocol Version 4



IPv6 – Internet Protocol Version 6



ICMP – Internet Control Message Protocol



IGMP – Internet Group Management Protocol

Layer 2 – Data Link The data link layer provides the function of node to node data transfer between 2 directly connected nodes and also manages the connections between physically connected devices such as switches[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. Within this layer 2 sub layers also exist[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. Those are, 1) Media Access Control (MAC) Layer a. Responsible for managing access and permissions to transmit data between the nodes 2) Logical Link Control (LLC) Layer a. Responsible for the flow controls and error controls to ensure accurate and error free data transmission This is the layer in which most types of switches operate[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ]. The raw data received from the physical layer which is the 1st layer is packaged into data frames with the necessary protocols to route between the nodes. The layer expects acknowledgement for the encapsulated raw data which is transmitted sequentially[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. Some of the devices and protocols that operate within the data link layer are, 

Ethernet technology



PPP – Point to Point Protocol



Switch



Network bridges

Layer 1 – Physical This layer exists at the bottom of the OSI model. It represents the electrical, optic, electromagnetic elements that transmits information between the network devices and the infrastructure[ CITATION Raz18 \l 1033 ]. That means every physical aspect such as, 

Cable types



Radio frequency links (802.11 used in wireless systems)



The layout of the pins



Voltages



Network topologies o Bus o Star o Ring o Tree



Communication modes o Simplex o Half duplex o Full duplex



Data transmission performance o E.g.: -

Bit Rate Bit Synchronization



Modulation



Switching

In real world networking the attention first goes to the physical layer when a problem has occurred in the network. The physical layer is responsible for the communication of raw data over a physical medium[ CITATION Sha18 \l 1033 ].

Some of the common protocols included in the physical layer are, 

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)



Ethernet technology

Some of the common hardware that belongs to this layer are, 

Antennas



Cables



Modems



Repeaters



Hubs

Network Devices Following are some details about the network devices that will be used in the designing of the proposed network.

Routers

Figure 4 A Router

A router can be identified as a hardware device that receive, analyze and move data packets between networks. It can also be used to convert or redirect the packets to another interface, drop them. A router has more capabilities than a switch or a hub. A switch or a hub can only

perform basic network functions such as transferring data between 2 computers. But the router is far more intelligent. It can analyze the data that are being sent over in the network. In todays world routers are often used in homes to share an internet connection between multiple devices[ CITATION Com192 \l 1033 ]. The following image show the exterior look of an Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 Router. Network Cables A cable can be identified as a physical media that is used to transfer data in a network. Following are some types of cables used to connect the network devices. Twisted Pair Cable A twisted pair cable is type of cable made by intertwining 2 separate wires. There are 2 types of twisted pair cable[ CITATION Com193 \l 1033 ]. 1) Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) An UTP cable consists of 2 copper wires twisted around each other 2) Shielded Twisted Pair (STP) It consists of 2 copper wires wrapped in foil which acts as a shield and give a more reliable data transmission

Figure 5 Twisted Pair Cable

Coaxial Cable It is a type of cable designed for purposes such as video transmission, communication and audio. It has a high bandwidth and a greater transmission capacity. These cables are mostly used to connect TVs and to connect to and internet connection using a modem. This cable is thick and has a metal male connector which connects to a female connector[ CITATION Com194 \l 1033 ].

Figure 6 Coaxial Cable

Fiber Optic Cables Fiber optic cables are made with made with optical fibers such as glass and is coated in a plastic cover. They are used to send data through pulses of light. The coating helps the fiber to protect from heat, cold and any electromagnetic interference. This type of cable allows much faster data transmission than common copper wire cables. It has very high bandwidth capabilities. Fiber optics are commonly used among the huge cooperate networks such as internet backbones because of the capabilities of this cable[ CITATION Com195 \l 1033 ].

Figure 7 Fiber Optic Cable

Switches A switch can be identified as a hardware device that filters and forwards data packets. But it is not capable of doing much. A switch is more advanced than a hub but not more advanced than a router. It stands between the hub and the router. Switches do not broadcast packets like hubs. Therefore, they are more preferred than hubs[ CITATION Com196 \l 1033 ]. The below image shows an exterior look of the TP-Link TL-SG108 8-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch.

Figure 8 Network Switch

Network Topologies A network topology is a physical layout of the network devices in the network. It determines how the workstations or hosts will connect with each other. Following are some of the popular network topologies used. Bus topology This network topology is also known as the line topology. In this topology every computer is directly connected to a cable or a backbone. As the backbone of the topology a coaxial or RJ45 cable is used[ CITATION Com197 \l 1033 ].

Figure 9 Bus topology

Ring topology In a ring topology the computers are connected in a circular path. Each computer is connected to 2 other computers. In a ring topology the data flow is from one device to the next until it reaches the destination. This data flow can be unidirectional or bidirectional. If any of the computers in a ring topology is broken it will affect the whole topology[ CITATION Com198 \l 1033 ].

Figure 10 Ring topology

Star topology This is considered as one of the common network topologies. In this topology every computer connects to a central device such as a hub or a switch. The central device acts as a server while the others act as clients. Coaxial cables or RJ45 cables are used to connect the clients to the server device[ CITATION Com199 \l 1033 ].

Figure 11 Star topology

Softwares When working with a network there are some softwares that helps to manage, maintain, protect and monitor the network and all its activities. This softwares are usually used by the network administrators. Following are some of those softwares and their usage[ CITATION Wir19 \l 1033 ].

Wireshark

Figure 12 Wireshark logo

Wireshark is considered as the world’s most used network protocol analyzer. It can observe the network activities at a microscopic level. It is used by many organizations, government institutes and educational institutes. Following are some of the functions of Wireshark. 

Deep inspection of network protocols



Live data capture and offline analysis



Multi-platform compatibility



Rich VoIP analysis



Capable of browsing the captured data via a GUI.

Following images show the installation process of the Wireshark.

Figure 13 Wireshark step 1

Figure 14 Wireshark step 2

Figure 15 Wireshark Step 3

Figure 16 Wireshark step 4

Figure 17 Wireshark step 5

Figure 18 Wireshark step 6

Figure 19 Wireshark step 7

Figure 20 Wireshark step 8

XAMPP

Figure 21 XAMPP logo

XAMPP is a cross platform web server solution stack package developed by Apache Friends. It consists of features such as Apache HTTP Server, MariaDB database, and interpreters for scripts written in the PHP and Perl programming languages. Following set of images show the installation process of XAMPP.

Figure 22 XAMPP step 1

Figure 23 XAMPP step 2

Figure 24 XAMPP step 3

Figure 25 XAMPP step 4

Figure 26 XAMPP step 5

Figure 27 XAMPP step 6

Figure 28 XAMPP step 7

Proposed Network Structure The following image shows the proposed network structure of the Enclave Films company.

Switch

Accounts 1

19'-4" Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Storage 1

Storage 2

Storage 3

Production Suite 1

Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable Switch

Production Suite 4

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable Connecting The 2 Routers of The 2 Buildings

Ethernet Cable

Server 1

Production Suite 2

Production Suite 5

Production Suite 7

Production Suite 9

Production Suite 8

Production Suite 10

Ethernet Cable

Printer 1

General Office 2

General Office 5 General Office 3 Switch

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Server 2

Switch

Ethernet Cable Media Development 1

Printer 1

Media Development Ethernet Cable 6 Media Development 4 Media Development 2

EthernetMedia CableDevelopment 7

Reception 2 Manager 1 Printer 2

Figure 29 Proposed Network Structure

Manager 5

Manager 4

Manager 2

Manager 3

Switch

Ethernet Cable

General Office 4

General Office 1

Switch

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Reception 3

Accounts 3

Router

Reception 1

Switch Accounts 2 Accounts 4Ethernet Cable Accounts 5

Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable

Administration 3 Administration 2

Ethernet Cable

Administration 1

Media Development 3

Media Development Printer 2 5

Ethernet Cable Production Suite 3

Production Suite 6

Please zoom in if the image is not clear.

As shown in the above image the number of devices in the network has changed.

IP Table The following table shows the VLAN IDs, IP addresses and subnet masks of each department in the proposed network.

Department

No. of users

VLAN ID

IP / Subnet

Subnet Mask

Production Suits

10

60

192.168.1.0 / 28

255.255.255.240

Media

7

70

192.168.1.16 / 28

255.255.255.240

General Office

5

10

192.168.1.32 / 29

255.255.255.248

Managers

5

20

192.168.1.40 / 29

255.255.255.248

Accounts

5

40

192.168.1.48 / 29

255.255.255.248

Reception

3

30

192.168.1.56 / 29

255.255.255.248

Administration

3

50

192.168.1.64 / 29

255.255.255.248

Storage

3

80

192.168.1.72 / 29

255.255.255.248

Development

Table 2 IP Table

Cisco Packet Tracer Implementation The following image shows the cisco packet tracer implementation of the proposed network.

Figure 30 Cisco Implementation

As shown in the above image the upper part of the layout consists with the departments of the building A of the original structure. And the lower part contains the departments that was in the building B. The above setup will be used to test the proposed system.

Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) A VLAN allows a network administrator to setup separate networks inside the same network by configuring a network device such as a router. There will be no extra cable cost when setting up the VLANs since it is done using the already available router. A VLAN allows a network to be divided and organized to filter data accordingly[ CITATION Com1910 \l 1033 ]. The following image displays the VLANs that was created when implementing the network on cisco packet tracer.

Figure 31 VLANs in cisco

As shown in the above image a VLAN is created for each department in the Enclave Films company to make it easier to organize and filter the network. Only several ports are shown because the ports of the other VLANs are in different switches. The switch in the above image is to connect the PCs in the Production Suits.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) DHCP is a protocol used to assign automatic IP addresses to the computers and other devices in a network. Usually this is set up on a separate DHCP server or on a router. In today’s world almost all of the home internet routers are released with an already implemented DHCP server[ CITATION Com1911 \l 1033 ]. The following image shows the IP DHCP polls created for the proposed network in the implementation in the cisco packet tracer.

Figure 32 IP DHCP pool

Subnetting

Figure 33 Subnet Mask

The purpose of a subnet mask is to bitwise operations of the IP addresses on a network. It divides the IP address into 2 or more groups. This process can be identified as subnetting. Subnetting can be used to improve security and to help balance the network traffic. The following table shows the subnet masks that were used in each of the VLANs in the implementation of the proposed system on cisco packet tracer.

VLAN ID

IP / Subnet

Subnet Mask

10

192.168.1.32 / 29

255.255.255.248

20

192.168.1.40 / 29

255.255.255.248

30

192.168.1.56 / 29

255.255.255.248

40

192.168.1.48 / 29

255.255.255.248

50

192.168.1.64 / 29

255.255.255.248

60

192.168.1.0 / 28

255.255.255.240

70

192.168.1.16 / 28

255.255.255.240

80

192.168.1.72 / 29

255.255.255.248

Figure 34 Subnet Masks

Testing

The following table represents some of the tests done to check the proposed network using the implementation on the cisco packet tracer.

Test

Test

Expected

Case

Description

Output

Actual Output

Comments

no. 1

Testing

the The PCs should

connectivity between

ping

because

the network

PCs of general gateways office

Connectivity check successful

are

and defined.

accounts

2

Testing DHCP

the The IP address IP should

be

retrieval from assigned the router.

automatically.

Automatic retrieval successful

IP

3

Testing

the The PCs should

connectivity between

ping

because

the network

managers PCs gateways and administration PCs

Figure 35 Test Table

defined.

The connectivity checks

are

successful

Maintaining Schedule The following table shows the frequency of the maintenance that should be done on the proposed network.

Task

Frequency

Restarting the devices

Weekly

Running a virus scan

Daily

Checking for hardware malfunctions

Weekly

Checking for network malfunctions

Weekly

Figure 36 Maintaining Schedule

Future Improvements Following are some future improvements that could be done to the network. 

More PCs could be included in the network



More servers could be set up to increase the storage capacity



Fiber optic cables can be used to further improve transmission speed.



A better ISP can be chosen to speed up the internet connection within the network

Security

Following are some security programs or antivirus softwares that can be implemented on the proposed network to increase security.

1) Kaspersky 2) Malwarebytes 3) McAfee 4) Webroot 5) Symantec 6) Comodo Internet Security A custom fire wall can also be installed to the network to improve security. Daily backups of the network should be taken in case the network fails or got attacked.

References Beal, V., 2019. The 7 Layers of the OSI Model - Webopedia Study Guide. [Online] Available at: https://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/OSI_Layers.asp [Accessed 11 May 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is a Coaxial Cable?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/c/coaxialc.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is a Fiber Optic Cable?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/f/fiberopt.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is a Ring Topology?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/ringtopo.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is a Router?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/r/router.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is Bus Topology?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/b/bustopol.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/d/dhcp.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is Star Topology?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/startopo.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is the difference between a network hub, switch and router?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001559.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is Twisted-pair Cable?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/t/twispair.htm [Accessed 7 June 2019]. Computer Hope, 2019. What is VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)?. [Online] Available at: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/v/vlan.htm [Accessed 11 June 2019].

Raza, M., 2018. What is the OSI Model? Explore the 7 Layers of the Open Systems Interconnection Model - BMC Blogs. [Online] Available at: https://www.bmc.com/blogs/osi-model-7-layers/ [Accessed 11 May 2019]. Shaw, K., 2018. The OSI model explained: How to understand (and remember) the 7 layer network model | Network World. [Online] Available at: https://www.networkworld.com/article/3239677/the-osi-model-explainedhow-to-understand-and-remember-the-7-layer-network-model.html [Accessed 11 May 2019]. Wireshark, 2019. Wireshark · Go Deep.. [Online] Available at: https://www.wireshark.org/ [Accessed 7 June 2019].

Grading Rubric

Grading Criteria

Achieved

Feedback

LO1 : Examine networking principles and their protocols.

P1 Discuss the benefits and constraints of different network types and standards. P2 Explain the impact of network topology, communication and bandwidth requirements. M1 Compare common networking principles and how protocols

enable the effectiveness of networked systems. LO2: Explain networking devices and operations

P3 Discuss the operating principles of networking devices and server types. P4 Discuss the inter-dependence of workstation hardware with relevant networking software.

M2 Explore a range of server types and justify the selection of a server, considering a given scenario regarding cost and performance optimization. LO 1 & LO2

D1 Considering a given scenario, identify the topology protocol selected for the efficient utilisation of a networking system.

LO3 : Design efficient networked systems

P5 Design a networked system to meet a given specification. P6 Test and evaluate the design to meet the requirements and analyze user feedback. M3 Install and configure network services and applications on your choice. D2

Design a maintenance schedule to support the networked system. LO4 : Implement and diagnose networked systems

P7 Implement a networked system based on a prepared design. P8 Document and analyze test results against expected results. M4 Recommend potential enhancements for the networked systems. D3 Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid

conclusions.