Assignment: Networking Fundamentals

Purpose

This assignment assesses the basic concepts of networking; students should be able to demonstrate their achievements in the following unit learning outcomes:

a. Explain the principles of networking protocols and standards;
b. Identify reference models and layered architectures in networking.

Assignment Description

There is a company which is primarily e-commerce business. It is going through a major transformation because of its expansion. The expansion is due to merger of two smaller businesses to the organisation. Now, the company is moving to a new building having about 100 employees. The new building is of three floors. The ground floor is for reception, foyer and warehouse so there is a need of five data points at reception, four in warehouse and two in foyer. The 1st floor consists of five offices and forty open plan office cubicles. The 2nd floor consists of three rooms, each room have four office cubicles, two offices and thirty open plan cubicles. There is also a meeting room at 2nd floor that requires four data points. Each and every person needs two data points at their desk whether it's an office, room cubicle or open plan cubicle. Each floor also needs wireless connectivity.

Tasks

This Company needs a new LAN plan, design and implementation before they move to new facility.

Imagine that you have been hired by this company to design and install a computer network. Write a report that answers the following questions.

• Your report should include a brief introduction.

• All work by others should be properly cited using the IEEE style of referencing.

1. The owner of the company has some concerns with regards to the interoperability of the manufacturing equipment on the network considering that different manufacturers made them.

• Discuss how network standards such as the OSI help to ensure interoperability between products made by different manufacturers.

• Compare the three common network model standards (OSI, the DoD, and the TCP/IP).

• Use diagrams to compare the three network models.

2. Compare the appropriateness of each of the following media types for this scenario: twisted pair cable, Coaxial, fibre optic, and wireless.

• Which media type should you use to wire the network and why? (use the media selection criteria discussed in lecture)

3. The company is further expected to run an application that will transmit data records to a backup site in a nearby suburb. The data records are 1000 bytes in length, and the application will send one record every 0.25 seconds.

• Will it be more efficient to use a synchronous connection or an asynchronous connection?

• What transmission line speed is necessary to support either type of connection? Show all your work.