Project Title: Designing a Multimedia-Enabled Computer Network for the EEE Department at

Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology

Project Objective: The primary objective of this project is to architect a robust and efficient
computer network for the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) Department at Ahsanullah
University of Science and Technology. The network's aim is to facilitate seamless
communication, resource sharing, and internet connectivity for both students and faculty
members. The design should be based on careful considerations of the department's
requirements and objectives, ensuring that it can handle multimedia data and applications
effectively.
Project Phases:

1. Network Planning and Requirements Gathering:

Estimate the Network Requirements:
To design an effective network, we need to understand the requirements of the EEE
Department. This involves estimating the following:

• Number of Users: Determine the current and anticipated number of students, faculty,
and staff who will use the network.
• Number of Devices: Calculate the number of devices each user might have, including
laptops and desktop computers.
• Network Traffic: Identify the different kinds and amounts of network traffic, such as
multimedia data, online collaboration, research, and other prospective data-intensive
jobs.

Goals and Objectives:

• Seamless Communication: Facilitate easy and timely communication between students,

instructors, and staff for the benefit of education and teamwork.
• Resource Sharing: Ensure that users inside the department may easily share files,
papers, and other resources.
• Multimedia Capabilities: Design the network to handle multimedia applications, such as
video conferencing, online lectures, and multimedia project collaborations.
• Reliability: Ensure high network availability and minimal downtime to avoid disruptions
to academic activities.
• Scalability: Design the network infrastructure to accommodate future growth in terms
of users and devices.
• Security: Implement robust security measures to protect sensitive data and maintain
the integrity of the network.
 Table 1: Network Planning and Requirements Gathering
Zone Total Software Required Network Comment
PC Service
Required

DSP 30 Matlab,Octave,Codeblocks Submission 1 PC needs

internet
VLSI 1 Lab 20 Quartus 2,Quartus Linux All the PC need
Prime,Cadence,Modelsim roaming internet
server and
submission

MCU and Digital Lab 27 Quartus 2,Arduino Submission All PCs are
interconnected

High Performance 27 Autocad,Pspice,Matlab,Codeblocks Submission Internet needed

Computer Lab in only 1 PC

Simulation Lab 31 Matlab,Pspice,codeblocks,Autocad None 1 PC needs

internet
Telecommunication 03 None None 2 PCs need
Lab internet
Switch,Gear 02 Power World Simulator None 2 PCs need
Protection Lab internet
Power Electronics Lab 03 None None 2 PCs need
internet
Electronics-02 Lab 01 None None None
 2. Network Design and Topology:
Network Design For EEE Department:

Topology:
For this assignment, we consider nine lab such as DSP Lab, MCU Lab, Control Lab, Power
Electronics Lab, PSP Lab, Telecommunication Lab, Simulation Lab, VLSI Lab and High-
performance Computer Lab. For our network, we selected two topologies: Bus topology and
Star Topology. They are briefly introduced and discussed below:
Bus Topology:
The term "bus topology" refers to a network design where every device is linked to a single,
central wire, or "bus." Signals are sent down this shared communication line to transmit data.
Although this design is straightforward and economical, it has drawbacks include the possibility
of data collisions and difficulties in troubleshooting when the main connection breaks. Bus
topology was frequently employed in early Ethernet networks, where nodes tapped into the
main connection to access and share data, despite its disadvantages.
Without VLSI and High-Performance Lab, the rest of labs network we consider Bus topology
because it is cost-effective, Cable required is least compared to other network topology and
used in small networks.
 Fig: Bus Topology Network

Star Topology:
Star topology involves connecting all devices to a single hub or switch. Each device has a unique
dedicated link to the hub, allowing for effective and autonomous communication. Given that
only a portion of the network is affected when a device or cable fails, this architecture improves
dependability. The system is susceptible, though, because it depends on the main hub; if the
hub breaks down, the entire network may be damaged. Despite this disadvantage, star
topology is frequently employed in contemporary networks because of it's simplicity in setup,
scalability, and troubleshooting.
Even though there are topologies that are more efficient and faster than Bus topology,we
avoided them and used Bus topology because we have to keep cost in our minds as well. As our
network is not meant for professional usage, a little slower speed is acceptable if it saves a
significant amount of money and resources.

We consider VLSI and High-Performance Lab under star topology because fast performance with
few nodes and low network traffic, only that node is affected which has failed, rest of the nodes
can work smoothly and easy to troubleshoot.
 Fig: Star Topology Network

3. Selection of Networking Equipment and estimated cost:

Device Zone Specification Unit Quanti Comment

wise y
Price
Requir
d

1.Router University 1.Mu-MIMO & 6,000tk 18pcs For providing

Beamforming internet connection
Area
Wi-fi through Router
in entire University
2.Coverage Area

3.Throughput &
Performance
 2.Switches #Dsp 8/16/24/32/48 port 1,200tk 45pcs Switches keep
and Adapter Lab 1 etc. running of the
(32 port) lab.Also provide
#Simula better work
tion experience. Without
Lab 1( switch no lab can
32 port) running

3.Network Every 1.Bandwidth A Network

Monitoring individual monitoring Monitoring Tool is a
- -
Tool Lab must-have for
maintaining network
2.Real time monitoring health, improving
performance, and
assuring security.
3.Historical data
analysis

4.Network protocol
support

4.Access point Every 1.Wireless Protocols It enables internet

individual transmissions to be
And Range
Lab extended into rooms
Extender 19500t
2.Dual Band or Try 15pcs that would otherwise
k
Band receive weak or no
signals due to walls,
general spacing, or
3.Wireless data furniture
transfer rate. impediments.

4.Security Options

5.Network Entire 1.Cable type Copper Modern connectivity

Cable University (cat5e,cat6,optic cat- relies on network
cables) 6Utp35 wires. They transfer
0MSoil data and power
2.Cable length
d crucial connections
networ across businesses,
 3.Twisted pair k cable. homes, and data
centers using
4.Sheilding
technologies ranging
from Ethernet to
fiber optics.

6. Patch Panel Every Meet & Exceeds all Dintek 12,24,48- Centralized
individual Cat6 Standards. 1406- Port Connectivity, Easy
Lab 00011P Patch Troubleshooting,
Metal With Aluminum
C6 Panel Reduced Downtime,
Cat6 Long-Term
24-Port Reliability
Modul
& Cable
ar
Management.
Patch
Panel
Accept
22~26A
WG

9,000
Tk

7.Patch Cord Every Cable Length: 1 Meter 350 tk Ethernet Physical

individual patch Connectivity,
Max Load: Short
Lab cables
Term Data Transmission,
(Cat5e,
Core: 9 ± 2.5μm Cat6, Maintenance and
Cat6a, Troubleshooting
Single-mode, LSZH Cat7)
120N
 4. IP Addressing and Subnetting:
Lab Name Number of Number of Number of
Students faculty Computer Staff
Computer Computer
DSP lab 28 1 1
VLSI lab 19 1 1
MCU lab 26 1 0
Control lab 5 1 0
Power electronics 0 3 0
lab
PSP lab 0 2 0
TCL lab 0 3 0
Simulation lab 30 1 0
High-Performance 26 1 1
Computer Lab.

For the IP addressing scheme, we will use the base IPv4 address 192.168.0.0 with a subnet mask
of 255.255.240.0 (/20). This allows for a total of 4096 IP addresses per subnet.

We consider future expansion

Subnet For Address Mask Assignable Range
Students 192.168.100.1 -
192.168.100.30
DSP Lab Faculty 192.168.100.0 /24 192.168.100.31

Staff 192.168.100.32
Students 192.168.101.1 -
192.168.101.30
VLSI Lab Faculty 192.168.101.0 /24 192.168.101.31

Staff 192.168.101.32
Students 192.168.102.1 -
192.168.102.30
MCU Lab Faculty 192.168.102.0 /24 192.168.102.31
Staff 192.168.102.32
Students 192.168.103.1 -
192.168.103.15
Control Lab Faculty 192.168.103.0 /27 192.168.103.16
Staff 192.168.103.17
Power Electronics Students 192.168.103.32 /29
Lab
Faculty 192.168.103.33 -
192.168.103.38
PSP Lab Students 192.168.103.40 /29
Faculty 192.168.103.41 -
192.168.103.43
Students 192.168.103.48 /29
Telecommunication Faculty 192.168.103.49 -
Lab 192.168.103.54
Students 192.168.104.0 /24 192.168.104.1 -
192.168.104.30
Simulation Lab Faculty 192.168.104.32
Students 192.168.105.1 -
192.168.105.30
High-Performance Faculty 192.168.105.0 /24 192.168.105.31
Computer Lab
Staff 192.168.105.32
 5. Network Device Configuration:
Client PC
1. Assign an IP address to the PC.

2. Configure the default gateway and DNS server addresses.

3. Install the necessary network drivers.

4. Enable the network adapter.

Router
1. Assign an IP address to the router.

2. Configure the subnet mask and default gateway.

3. Configure the DHCP server (if applicable).

4. Configure the routing table.

5. Configure the firewall.

Switch
1. Assign an IP address to the switch.

2. Configure the VLANs (if applicable).

3. Configure the port security.

Wireless Access Point

1. Assign an IP address to the wireless access point.

2. Configure the SSID and security settings.

3. Configure the channel and power level.

4. Configure the DHCP server (if applicable).

Examples of configuration steps for each device:

Client PC
1. Assign an IP address to the PC. The IP address can be manually assigned or
obtained through DHCP.

2. Configure the default gateway and DNS servers. The default gateway is the IP
address of the router that the PC will use to connect to the rest of the network.
The DNS servers are responsible for translating domain names into IP
addresses.

3. Install the appropriate network drivers. The network drivers are software that
allow the PC to communicate with the network.

4. Install any security software that is required. This may include antivirus software,
firewall software, or intrusion detection software.

Router
1. Assign an IP address to the router.

2. Configure the subnet mask. The subnet mask is used to identify the network
segment that the router is connected to.

3. Configure the default gateway. The default gateway is the IP address of the
router that the other devices on the network will use to connect to the rest of the
internet.

4. Configure the DNS servers.

5. Configure the DHCP server (if applicable). The DHCP server is responsible for
automatically assigning IP addresses to devices on the network.

6. Configure the routing table. The routing table is used to determine the best path
for packets to travel from one network segment to another.

7. Configure the firewall. The firewall is used to control the traffic that is allowed to
pass through the router.

Switch
1. Assign an IP address to the switch.

2. Configure the VLANs (if applicable). VLANs are used to divide the network into
smaller segments.
 3. Configure the port security. Port security is used to prevent unauthorized devices
from connecting to the switch.

4. Configure the spanning tree protocol. The spanning tree protocol is used to
prevent loops in the network.

Wireless Access Point

1. Assign an IP address to the wireless access point.

2. Configure the SSID and security settings. The SSID is the name of the wireless
network. The security settings are used to protect the wireless network from
unauthorized access.

3. Configure the channel and bandwidth. The channel is the frequency that the
wireless access point will use to communicate with devices. The bandwidth is the
amount of data that can be transferred over the wireless network.

4. Configure the power output. The power output is used to control the range of the
wireless network.

Wireless Access Point

1. To assign an IP address to the wireless access point, we can access the wireless
access point's configuration page using a web browser. The IP address of the
wireless access point is usually printed on the bottom or back of the wireless
access point.

2. To configure the SSID and security settings, we can specify the SSID and the
security type (such as WPA2-Personal) for the wireless network.

3. To configure the channel and power level, we can specify the channel and the
power level for the wireless network.

4. To configure the DHCP server, we can enable the DHCP server and specify the
range of IP addresses that the DHCP server will assign to devices on the
network.
6.Documentation :
In this assignment, we followed very specific steps to design a computer network. At first, at
first we collected all the data of computers regarding user number and usage type of every lab
like DSP ,VLSI-01 ,MCU and Digital Electronics,High Performance Computer, Simulation,
Telecommunication ,and many other listed laboratories. We used star topology in VLSI and High
Performance Computer Lab because in these laboratories speed matters most and VLSI lab
specifically requires server available for each computer individually .

We use bus topology in other laboratories because it is cheaper and easy to use and setup. In
this case if we use other topology then it might be costly and became complex. We try to find a
way which is cost effective and efficient. Then we calculate the amount of routers, switches and
other equipment used and their buying cost.
Mapping out the network topology in a Diagram: First of all we created a topology diagram for
easy understanding. This simple diagram shows the connections between the main network
infrastructure components, including modems, routers, firewalls, switches, servers, and
wireless access points. This diagram should enable an IT professional to easily understand the
network and discover the key details, such as the component name, IP address, and MAC
address. For a more complex network and professional use, incorporating static clients like
cable PCs and printers/copiers would be a good idea. The most popular diagramming program
is Microsoft Visio.
Evaluating network security: In order to better access, troubleshoot, upgrade, and secure the
network, analyzed and compiled a security status summary for every part of the network like
:Firewall, LAN, WLAN, and VPN server. By evaluation access of the network is
established.Normally documentation is also used for backup and internet pathway detection. A
gateway for guest users is also kept for future extension purposes.

Document client machines and devices: Every individual worker and client is treated as
locks cameras and DVRs along with PCs and laptops.Information like Name,User ID,physical
location and other information were collected for this task.

Label wiring outlets, runs, and ports: An identification scheme for Ethernet, fiber and other
wiring was created for future troubleshooting and upgrade purposes.Every Ethernet wall-port
and every other cable run to network components were physically labelled.

Creating a floor plan map:Even though a diagram is great for understanding but for
visualization a floor plan would be very beneficial. A shortcoming of our network is that we
were not able to create a floor plan for better visualization, but in future iteration of this
assignment a floor plan may be developed.

Creating or updating policies and procedures: From our process of building the network
and further documentation our policies and rules for the usage of the network is pretty clear.
This network is semi liberal considering many laboratories allow internet connection and file
sharing whereas many other do not allow either, which is expected considering it is a network
for an university department. And different laboratories require different kinds of teaching
and evaluation process.