Network Design

The network topology that will be used in the Adelphi building will be the star topology. The benefit of using the star topology is that even if one node goes down, the rest of the network will continue to be up and running. Also, even though it requires more cabling than other topologies, it’s easier to add or remove computers to the network. In order to connect the computers and network devices to each other, we will be using Cat6 UTP cables. Cat6 cables provide faster speeds than Cat5 or Cat5e cables and support distances up to 100 meters. The only exceptions will be the Admissions office and classroom #6 (above Admissions office), which are right outside the range of Cat6 cable maximum lengths. For the classroom #6 and the admissions office we will use multi-mode fiber optic cables with an SC-type connector that will connect to a StarTech 1000 Mbps Gigabit Multi Mode Fiber Ethernet converter.

The network will include a Cisco Small Business 200 Series Gigabit Switches in each of the instructional computer lab servers (six total). The switch contains 24 ports, 2 uplink ports, and supports speeds of 10/100/1000Mbps. It also provides support for VLAN, which can be used to group instructors and/or staff together. For the student computer lab additional ports are required and therefore we will use a Cisco Catalyst 2960-48TT switch. The switch contains 48 ports and supports the same speeds of the switches that will be installed in the instructional computer lab servers. One of the benefits of the Cisco catalyst is the network security through different methods such as ACLs (access control lists) and admission controls based on users, ports, and MAC addresses. Lastly, the server on the first floor will have a Cisco Nexus 3172TQ switch that can operate at speeds of 100Mbps, 1Gbps, and 10Gbps. The Cisco Nexus switch will be connected to the other servers and will support the connectivity for our fiber optic connection to the Admissions office and classroom #6. All of the computers connected to the switches will be using Cat6 Ethernet cables.

The only wireless access point will be located in the student lobby on the second floor. The wireless service will be provided by a Cisco Aironet 3700 Series Access Point that is connected to the server in the Student Computer Lab. The device supports the new IEEE 802.11ac standard which provides speed rates of up to 1.3 Gbps. The device will be setup to use WPA2 (Wifi Protected Access) and AES (Advanced Encryption Standards) for security purposes.

In the main server on the first floor we will install a Cisco 3925E Integrated Services Router. The router provides many security features such as zone based firewall, IPS, VPN encryption, etc. Many of the features will assist in protecting the network from intruders and/or attacks.

The servers installed will be Lenovo ThinkServer TS440 running Windows Server 2012 R2 OS. The hardware includes standard interfaces and devices such as HDD interface SATA and DVD-R. Windows Server 2012 R2 maintains the same features of Windows Server 2008 that will assist the administrator in managing the network in the office. In the new building the administrator will configure and manage 802.1X Authenticated Wireless Access for the wireless access point in the student lobby. Also, they administrators will manage the Active Directory and enable users to sign on from devices associated with the University’s Active Directory. The Group Policy feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 allows the group setting and group policies to be configured. Windows Server provides many other services such as DHCP and DNS servers that will also need to be configured and managed in the network at the new Adelphi location.

The workstations provided for the students, staff, and instructors will be Dell OptiPLex 462-3585 Desktop PC with an Intel Core i5 3.20GHz processor, 8GB DDR3 SDRAM, and a 1TB HDD. It will come installed with Windows 7 Pro and Microsoft Office 365 for students, instructors, and staff. Also, there will be 9 printers installed which will be installed as follows: each computer lab and the student computer lab will have one printer; the library will have one printer; and the admissions office will have one printer. Instructors will be given access to use printers at all locations. The printers will be Brother MFC Series All-In-One Laser printers that will be connected thru Ethernet to the network servers but will have the wireless print feature disabled due to security concerns. The device will be managed and configured to print for authorized users only.

References

1000 Mbps Gigabit Multi Mode Fiber Ethernet Media Converter SC 550m. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.startech.com/Networking-IO/Media-Converters/Fiber/1000-Mbps-Gigabit-Multi-Mode-Fiber-Ethernet-Media-Converter-SC-550m~MCMGBSC055 Beal, V. (n.d.). Star Network. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/star_network.html
Bradley, T. (n.d.). Disable DHCP and Use Static IP Addresses To Protect Your Wireless Network. Retrieved October 4, 2014, from
http://netsecurity.about.com/od/quicktip1/qt/qtwifistaticip.htm Brother MFC Series All-In-One Printer Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113799&cm_re=all_in_one_printer-_-28-113-799-_-Product CCNA: Network Media Types. (2003, March 14). Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p=31276

Cisco 3925E Integrated Services Router. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/routers/3925e-integrated-services-router-isr/index.html Cisco Aironet 3700 Series Access Points Data Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/wireless/3700-series-access-
point/data_sheet_c78-729421.html Cisco Nexus 3172PQ and 3172TQ Switches Data Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2014, from http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/switches/nexus-3000- series-switches/data_sheet_c78-729483.html

Dell OptiPlex. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883156048&cm_re=desktop-_-83-156-048-_-Product What’s New in Windows Server. (2013, June 24). Retrieved October 4, 2014, from http://technet.microsoft.com/library/dn250019

Wilkins, S. (2011, December 19). LAN Network Cable Media and Connectors. Retrieved October 4, 2014, from
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