A recent university graduate gets a job as a network administrator for a mid-size company that has a network with ring topology with UTP cable using the token passing access method. UTP is also the cable use to link one ring (segment) to another via hubs. The nodes connected to the network use ISA NICs. The company is using the IPv4 addressing scheme, and BOOTP is being used to assign addresses to network nodes

The new network administrator wants to switch to a star topology using fiber optic cable for backbone and distributed backbone. The network would use Ethernet architecture with the CMSA/CD access method. (You need to state which Ethernet standard he should recommend and why.)The network would use routers for connectivity devices instead of hubs. Also, he wants to switch to the IPv6 addressing scheme, and he wants to use DHCP to assign addresses to network nodes.

If he needs to leave a segment as a token ring, what connectivity device should he use so that would allow connecting two systems with different architectures? What does this type of device do that allow information from one system to be read by another. The OSI model layer at which connectivity device operate has an impact on what would be useful and how they impact the network. Include a discussion of which layer of the OSI model the connectivity devices mentioned in this question operate at and how that affects their function in the network.

What would be the benefits of the changes he wants to make? What would be the challenges? What objections might management have to making the changes and what would be his arguments in response to those objections?

For the purposes of this question you do not need to know about the token access method. You just want to explain the features and benefits of CSMA/CD. Also, your discussion of the backbone network choice should explain why that would be a good choice compared to other backbone networks.