In this project, you will learn to recognize, diagnose, and suggest corrective actions for problems commonly seen in networks. This 2-week project requires students to work together to solve a problem or review a case and reach a conclusion, using a virtual collaboration tool such as Spark or Google Hangouts. This event will require active engagement by each student.

The class will meet with your instructor for a project review session. After the review session, the class will be divided into small groups within the WebEx tool and asked to discuss, reflect, and then return to the main session to share your conclusions.

Each group will then formalize its project and submit a narrative video of the project

In this project, you will learn to recognize, diagnose, and suggest corrective actions for problems commonly seen in networks. This 2-week project requires students to work together to solve a problem or review a case and reach a conclusion, using a virtual collaboration tool such as Spark or Google Hangouts. This event will require active engagement by each student.
The class will meet with your instructor for a project review session. After the review session, the class will be divided into small groups within the WebEx tool and asked to discuss, reflect, and then return to the main session to share your conclusions.

Running head:

LAB GROUP PROJECT 1

LAB GROUP PROJECT 1

Lab Group Project

Group A3

Trigun Bhattarai

Jonathan Elsayed

Lois Goodman

DeVry University

College of Engineering and Information Sciences

NETW310

Professor Lynn Risley

February 20, 2021

Table of Contents:

1. XYZ company Network profile…………………………………… 3

2. Step One: Introduction …………………………………………… 4

3. Step Two: Problems and Solutions ……………………………….. 4

4. Step Three: Pros and Cons ………………………………………. 6

5. Step Four: Conclusion…………………………………………….. 9

6.

References

………………………………………………………… 10

7. Appendixes ……………………………………………………… 11

Lab Group Project

NETW310 Project: Troubleshooting Network Problems

You are hired by XYZ corporation to improve the efficiency and reliability of their current network. Based on the information given below , your team should make 3 recommendations to improve their network.

The following is a short list (not complete) of the details you recorded during your audit.

XYZ has 1500 employees spread over 2 adjacent 4 story buildings built in 1984. The wiring in the building (and between the two buildings) is cat5.

The backbone segment run between buildings is 212 feet.

Each building is 4500 square feet per floor.

The wireless LAN on the fourth floor of building two is supported by two wireless 802.11g routers only.

The devices used in the local area network are a mixture of 10/100 switches and hubs.

The second floor of building one is networked by two 24 port hubs.

Someone on the fourth floor of building one has installed their own wireless router.

The second floor of building two has 3 24 port switches with one router wired between switches 3 and 4. Switch 4 is the one connected to the backbone for that floor.

STEP 1

INTRODUCTION

indication of 3 problems supported by the audit details that you believe indicates there is a problem.

(be sure to indicate WHY you believe each one is a problem)

The first problem is the XYZ corporation is using cat 5 cablings between their buildings. Cat5 cabling is outdated and too slow for any corporation to run efficiently. Cat5e or higher should be used for faster bandwidth and faster communication

(Anders, 2019)

. Secondly, with the 1,500 employees the WIFI usage and set up is outdated and too slow for a business. The number of routers is not sufficient combined with the obsolete 802.11g routers on the fourth floor of the second building presents a risk to the integrity of the network security. Thirdly, the usage of hubs, which are not reliable when it comes to sending packets because of packet collisions, needs to be replaced with switches. Finally, the usage of a personally installed router on the fourth floor in building one, on the company network is a high-risk issue and needs to be removed.

STEP 2

Indicate at least 2 possible solutions to each of the 3 problems you have found.

–
PROBLEM 1

The old Cat5 cabling connecting offices and floors is not sufficient for more than 100 feet, bandwidth is 100MHz with speeds of only 100 Mbps. (Anders, 2019)

-P1 solution 1.

Installing a fiber-optic between the two adjacent buildings will improve bandwidth and speed for all 1,500 employees and increase network security. This will also keep the corporation current and ready for any technological advancements soon.

-P1 solution 2.

Upgrading the Cat5 wiring to Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a or higher is more reliable and provides better bandwidth and speeds. Also, with each upgrade in a wire is less chance of cross-talk, with it almost eliminated in the 6a. (Anders, 2019)

-PROBLEM 2

As the building was constructed in 1984, there will be multiple interferences as well as dead spots or locations where the signal is very poor. In building two on the fourth floor 2 wireless 802.11g routers are being utilized for the whole floor operations. The 802.11g wireless routers are obsolete and lack the bandwidth needed to support increasing device densities and application requirements. (“

Why an Obsolete Wireless Network Is Bad for Business

| SSD Technology Partners|Managed IT Services”, 2018)Thus, the use of 802.11g is not the best option for the company’s needs.

-P2 solution 1.

Upgrading all routers and gateways to 3.1 Docsis and 802.11ac or 802.11b to support higher bandwidth, range, and will provide 5Ghz to wireless users.

(“All About DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modems – Pick My Modem”, 2019)

Each floor has 4,500sqft of space, so at least two wireless routers will need to be installed on each floor if a wireless operation is a way the company is moving forward. Furthermore, the an immediate disconnect of the router on the fourth floor in building one. It is not a company-assigned router and causes a security threat to the network and the company’s assets.

-P2 solution 2.

Running Cat5e or better cabling up to the fourth floor on each building to eliminate the use of wireless routers and install more switches.

-PROBLEM 3

The second floor in building one currently networks with two 24 port Hubs. Hubs can only work in half-duplex mode meaning they can only send or receive data at any one time. It shares the bandwidth between every device attached to the Hub, which slows down the network. Hubs also send the message to every computer connected to the Hub which can cause traffic issues if another computer is trying to send a message as one is being received. For this reason, Hubs have been replaced with switches and routers. (Stone, 2021)

-P3 solution 1.

Upgrading to 10/100/1000 Switches since it supports higher speed, and it is more reliable and efficient.

-P3 solution 2.

Upgrading to 10/100/1000 Switches and Docsis 3.1 routers. While this will increase the connection to everyone it does also open the business network to the outside world and leaves it more open to malware and threats.

STEP 3

indicate the pros and cons for each possible solution for each of the 3 problems.

–
PROBLEM 1

The old Cat5 cabling connecting offices and floors is not sufficient for more than 100 feet, bandwidth is 100MHz with speeds of only 100 Mbps. (Anders, 2019)

-P1 solution 1.

Installing fiber-optic cabling between the two adjacent buildings.

Pros

· Increased bandwidth

· Security

· Fastest Speeds

· Near elimination of crosstalk

· More reliable

· Ready for future network advancements

Cons

· Price

· Delicate Wire

· Fiber Fuse (

Appendix B

)
· Unidirectional Light Propagation (

Appendix C

)
(“The

Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics

| Fiber Optics vs. Copper Wiring”, 2021)

-P1 solution 2.

Installing Cat5e or better cabling.

Pros

Cat 5e

· 100 MHz Bandwidth

· 1,000 Mbps Speed

Cat 6

· 250 MHz Bandwidth

· 1,000 Mbps Speed

· STP – to reduce crosstalk

Cat 6a

· 500 MHz Bandwidth

· 10,000 Mbps Speed

· Shielding design to nearly eliminate crosstalk

Cat 7

· Latest Gen

· 600 MHz Bandwidth

Cat 7a

· 1,000 MHz Bandwidth

Cons

Cat 5e

· Lowest cost but not the fastest or best bandwidth for a company’s needs.

Cat 6

· Other components need to be up to the speed of Cat6 to get the desired speed

Cat 7

· Only slightly higher Bandwidth

· One of the most expensive

Cat 7a

· The most expensive out of Cat wiring

(Anders, 2019)

–
PROBLEM 2

The usage of 802.11g wireless routers on the fourth floor of building two.

-P2 solution 1.

Upgrading all routers and gateways to 3.1 Docsis and 802.11ac or 802.11b to support higher bandwidth, range, and will provide 5Ghz to wireless users.

Pros

· Speed

· Quality of Service

· Higher Capacity on Existing Networks

· Energy Efficient

(“All About DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modems – Pick My Modem”, 2019)

Cons

· Security

· Cost

· Monitor Employees Usage

-P2 solution 2.

Run Cat5e or better cabling up to the fourth floor on each building to eliminate the use of wireless routers and install more switches.

Pros

· Wired Connected Devices

· Faster in a LAN setting than a router

Cons

· Cost

· Restricted to wired network connection

–
PROBLEM 3

The usage of Hubs on the second floor of building one.

-P3 solution 1.

Upgrading to 10/100/1000 Switches since it supports higher speed, and it is more reliable and efficient.

-P3 solution 2.

Upgrading to 10/100/1000 Switches and Docsis 3.1 routers. While this will increase the connection to everyone it does also open the business network to the outside world and leaves it more open to malware and threats.

STEP 4

State your choice of the best solution for each of the three problems and be sure to indicate why you believe that is the best solution.

Problem one consisted of outdated and insufficient cabling for the needs of the XYZ Corporation. Our advice is since new cabling is needed, to replace it with the best option of Fiber Optic Cable. While this is going to be an expense the reward is far outweighing. Not only will the speeds and bandwidth be superior the company will be ready for any advances in technology to stay at the forefront against the competition.

Concerning problem two and the usage of the outdated 802.11g router on floor four of building two, our advice is to upgrade all wireless routers. Upgrading all the router and gateways to 3.1 Docsis and 802.11ac or 802.11b will support higher bandwidth, range, and it will provide 5Ghz speeds.

Finally, in problem three the usage of Hubs is outdated and inefficient. It slows down the network and congests the network lines causing packets to be dropped and lost in transit. Our advice on this issue is to remove the Hubs that are on the second floor of building one and replace them with 10/100/1000 switches that are better able to handle the demands of the XYZ Corporation.

In conclusion, we also feel it would be best to remove the wireless router an employee has installed on floor four of building one. This is a security risk and not worth the risk to the corporation or your customers if data is lost or stolen.

By setting up the XYZ Corporation with Fiber Optic cabling, upgrading all the wireless routers, and removing the Hubs, and replacing them with Switches on every floor will improve the network, connectivity, and make monitoring the network more streamlined and flow more efficiently. With the latest technology speeds and bandwidths, the XYZ Corporation will be able to advance into the leaders of tomorrow.

References

All About DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modems – Pick My Modem. Pick My Modem. (2019). Retrieved 17 February 2021, from

All About DOCSIS 3.1 and DOCSIS 3.1 Cable Modems

.

Anders, D. (2019). Uncovering Which Ethernet Cord Is Right for You – Allconnect. Allconnect. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from

Ethernet cable speed categories explained

.

Stone, D. (2021). What Are the Disadvantages of Using Hubs?. Small Business – Chron.com. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-using-hubs-72951.html

.

The Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics | Fiber Optics vs. Copper Wiring. Fieldnation.com. (2021). Retrieved 17 February 2021, from

https://www.fieldnation.com/insights/pros-and-cons-of-fiber-optics

.

Why an Obsolete Wireless Network Is Bad for Business | SSD Technology Partners|Managed IT Services. SSD Technology Partners|Managed IT Services. (2018). Retrieved 17 February 2021, from

https://www.ssdel.com/wlan/why-an-obsolete-wireless-network-is-bad-for-business/

.

Appendices

Appendix A

Why an Obsolete Wireless Network Is Bad for Business

“The Wi-Fi technology that forms the basis of the WLAN is advancing rapidly to keep up with these demands. If your WLAN is based upon the 802.11g or older protocol, it is obsolete and needs to be upgraded. Even 802.11n networks may lack the bandwidth needed to support increasing device densities and application requirements. Simply put, if your WLAN is more than a few years old it is probably time for a refresh.” (“Why an Obsolete Wireless Network Is Bad for Business | SSD Technology Partners|Managed IT Services”, 2018)

Appendix B
Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics

Fiber Fuse: At high power, fiber optic networks are also susceptible to something known in the industry as “fiber fuse”. This occurs when too much light meets with an imperfection in the fiber. This occurrence can destroy long lengths of cable in a short amount of time.

(“The Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics | Fiber Optics vs. Copper Wiring”, 2021)

Appendix C
Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics

Unidirectional Light Propagation: Fiber cables are also limited in the sense that they can only propagate light in one direction. If bidirectional communication is a necessary part of information transmission within a network, two concurrent cables must be laid to achieve bidirectional propagation of information. (“The Pros and Cons of Fiber Optics | Fiber Optics vs. Copper Wiring”, 2021)

NETW310 Project: Troubleshooting Network Problems

You are hired by XYZ corporation to improve the efficiency and reliability of their current network. Based on the information given below , your team should make 3 recommendations to improve their network.

The following is a short list (not complete) of the details you recorded during your audit.

XYZ has 1500 employees spread over 2 adjacent 4 story buildings built in 1984. The wiring in the building (and between the two buildings) is cat5.

The backbone segment run between buildings is 212 feet.

Each building is 4500 square feet per floor.

The wireless LAN on the fourth floor of building two is supported by two wireless 802.11g routers only.

The devices used in the local area network are a mixture of 10/100 switches and hubs.

The second floor of building one is networked by two 24 port hubs.

Someone on the fourth floor of building one has installed their own wireless router.

The second floor of building two has 3 24 port switches with one router wired between switches 3 and 4. Switch 4 is the one connected to the backbone for that floor.

STEP 1

Introduction

indication of 3 problems supported by the audit details that you believe indicate there is a problem.

(be sure to indicate WHY you believe each one is a problem)

STEP 2

Indicate at least 2 possible solutions to each of the 3 problems you have found.

-problem 1

-P1 solution 1.

-P1 solution 2.

-problem 2

-P2 solution 1.

-P2 solution 2.

-problem 3

-P3 solution 1.

-P3 solution 2.

STEP 3

indicate the pros and cons for each possible solution for each of the 3 problems.

-problem 1

-P1 solution 1.

pros

cons

-P1 solution 2.

pros

cons

-problem 2

-P2 solution 1.

pros

cons

-P2 solution 2.

pros

cons

-problem 3

-P3 solution 1.

-P3 solution 2.

STEP 4

State your choice of the best solution for each of the three problems and be sure to indicate why you believe that is the best solution.

NETW310 Week 7 Lab: Troubleshooting Network Problems

To complete your project you must 3 find network problems based on the network audit details given and then provide your solution with an explaination of why that is your recommendation.

Create your video report and submit it to the Week 7 Dropbox by the due date.  Use the reference documents and websites as required to complete this project.

In order to be eligible to receive full credit, you must include sufficient content to cover the following:

· You need to provide 3 main problems that you see.

· You must provide at least 2 ways to fix each problem and explain the pros and cons of each fix.

· You must state your recommend solution (from the ones you indicated) and explain why that is your recommended solution.

· Conclusion to include your recap.

You are hired by XYZ corporation to improve the efficiency and reliability of their current network. Based on the information given below , your team should make 3 recommendations to improve their network.

The following is a short list (not complete) of the details you recorded during your audit.

XYZ has 1500 employees spread over 2 adjacent 4 story buildings built in 1984. The wiring in the building (and between the two buildings) is cat5.

The backbone segment run between buildings is 212 feet.

Each building is 4500 square feet per floor.

The wireless LAN on the fourth floor of building two is supported by two wireless 802.11g routers only.

The devices used in the local area network are a mixture of 10/100 switches and hubs.

The second floor of building one is networked by two 24 port hubs.

Someone on the fourth floor of building one has installed their own wireless router.

The second floor of building two has 3 24 port switches with one router wired between switches 3 and 4. Switch 4 is the one connected to the backbone for that floor.

The following information came from capturing packets on the XYZ network with wireshark.

(be sure to support your recommendations)