Higher Nationals

Internal verification of assessment decisions – BTEC (RQF)

INTERNAL VERIFICATION – ASSESSMENT DECISIONS

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Unit 02: Networking

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Assignment title

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Higher Nationals - Summative Assignment Feedback Form
Student Name/ID

Unit Title
Unit 02: Networking

Assignment Number Assessor

Date
Received 1st
Submission Date submission
Date Received 2nd
submission
Re-submission Date

Assessor Feedback:
LO1 Examine networking principles and their protocols.

Pass, Merit & Distinction P1 P2 M1

Descripts

LO2 Explain networking devices and operations.

Pass, Merit & Distinction P3 P4 M2 D1

Descripts

LO3 Design efficient networked systems.

Pass, Merit & Distinction P5 P6 M3 D2

Descripts

LO4 Implement and diagnose networked systems.

Pass, Merit & Distinction P7 P8 M4 D3

 Descripts

Grade: Assessor Signature: Date:

Resubmission Feedback:

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Signature & Date:

* 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
Admin PC2

Ethernet Cable
Admin PC1 Ethernet Cable Switch Accounts PC1 Switch Accounts PC2 Accounts PC3 Storage 1 Storage 2 Storage 3 Media Development Media Development
1 4
Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable
Switch
Room:
2" X 2" Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable Connecting Server 1

Router
The 2 Routers of
The 2 Buildings
Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable Media Development Media Development
General Office 1 Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable 2 5
Server 2

Ethernet Cable

Switch
Ethernet Cable
Printer 1 Router Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable

Reception PC1 Ethernet Cable

General Office 2 General Office 3 Production Suite 1
Printer 1
Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable

Switch
Ethernet Cable Media Development

Switch
Media Development
3
6

Ethernet Cable
Production Suite 2 Ethernet Cable
Production Suite 4

Reception PC2
Manager 1 Manager 2 Manager 3 Production Suite 3 Production Suite 5
Printer 2 Printer 2

Figure 1 Current Network Structure

Please zoom in if the above image is not clear.

 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 Building B
 Administration  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.

Building A Building B
 General Office  Production Suits
Users of the network
 Managers  Media
 Reception Development
 Accounts  Media Storage
  Administration
 9 High
Performance
 12 Personal
Workstations
Computers
The end user devices  5 Personal
 2 Printers
Computers for office use
 2 Printers

The total number of end  14  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.

Administration 3 Ethernet Cable

Administration 2

Ethernet Cable
Administration 1
Switch Accounts 1 Switch
Accounts 2 Accounts 4Ethernet Cable
Accounts 5 Accounts 3 Storage 1 Storage 2 Storage 3 Production Suite 1 Production Suite 4
19'-4"
Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable
Switch
Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable Ethernet Cable Connecting
The 2 Routers of Server 1 Production Suite 2

Router
Production Suite 5
The 2 Buildings
Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable

General Office 4 Ethernet Cable

General Office 1
Server 2

Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable Production Suite 7 Production Suite 9

Switch
Reception 1 Printer 1 Switch
Ethernet Cable

Ethernet Cable
General Office 2 General Office 5 General Office 3 Media Development
1 Printer 1 Production Suite 8 Production Suite 10
Reception 3
Ethernet Cable
Switch
Ethernet Cable

Switch
Ethernet Cable Media Development Ethernet Cable
Ethernet Cable
6 Media Development
Ethernet Cable

4 Production Suite 3 Production Suite 6

Media Development
EthernetMedia
CableDevelopment
2
7

Reception 2
Manager 1 Manager 5 Manager 4 Manager 2 Manager 3 Media Development Media Development
Printer 2 3 5 Printer 2

Figure 29 Proposed Network Structure

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

Development

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

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 Actual Output Comments
Case Description Output
no.

1 Testing the The PCs should Connectivity

connectivity ping because check
between the network successful
PCs of general gateways are
office and defined.
accounts

2 Testing the The IP address Automatic IP

DHCP IP should be retrieval
retrieval from assigned successful
the router. automatically.
 3 Testing the The PCs should The
connectivity ping because connectivity
between the network checks
managers PCs gateways are successful
and defined.
administration
PCs

Figure 35 Test Table

 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
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[Accessed 11 May 2019].

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[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]
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[Accessed 7 June 2019].

Computer Hope, 2019. What is Star Topology?. [Online]

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[Accessed 7 June 2019].

Computer Hope, 2019. What is the difference between a network hub, switch and router?.
[Online]
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[Accessed 7 June 2019].

Computer Hope, 2019. What is Twisted-pair Cable?. [Online]

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[Accessed 7 June 2019].

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[Accessed 11 June 2019].
Raza, M., 2018. What is the OSI Model? Explore the 7 Layers of the Open Systems
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[Accessed 11 May 2019].

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[Accessed 11 May 2019].

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[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.