Scenario: Spidola, an organization that manufactures radios, uses many local are

Question

Scenario: Spidola, an organization that manufactures radios, uses many local area networks in its corporate office. Spidola naturally used earlier forms of Ethernet based on hubs when LANs were first becoming popular. The LAN speeds in the corporate office have been upgraded several times over the years, with some groups now using 10 Mbps, and others 100 Mbps. Spidola continues to use hubs to this day, because the network manager, Alan, likes that the price of hubs is significantly lower than that of layer-2 switches, and feels that older technologies are time-tested and proven. The cables for the 100Mbps subnets run to a server room, while the cables for the 10Mbps subnets run to utility closets. Spidola has no wireless access.

The CTO, recognizing the current trends, has asked Alan to upgrade the speed of the network, use more modern technology, and add wireless capabilities. Alan submitted the following proposal.

Network Design

The network staff will interview the managers and technical leads from every internal group to determine what applications they use, and be sure to include the executives in this interview process. Using this information, the network staff will carefully calculate the speeds needed by each group. The staff will then contact various vendors to review their prices through discount negotiations or bid requests, and determine the cheapest devices available to support the speeds necessary for each group. The goal is to minimize purchase cost. This process will take about a year.

During the interview process, the staff will also ask about who needs wireless access, to get a rough number of users that would use it.

Network Implementation

After the technologies and speeds have been designed, some groups will be given 100Mbps speed subnets connected to hubs, which will be placed in the server room. This allows some existing hubs to be reused rather than purchase. Some groups will be given 1Gbps subnets connected to switches, also placed in the server room. If most in a group needs wireless access, their wired access will be removed to save upgrade cost, and all in the group will access the network wirelessly.

Wireless access points will be placed near to groups that need wireless access. If no one needs wireless access in a certain part of the building, no access point will be added. Access points will also be placed around the edges of the building, so that employees can access the network with their laptop at the picnic tables and outdoor areas.

The upgrades will be rolled out one small area at a time, to avoid work disruptions. This process will take about 10 months.

1. Review the network design and implementation proposal given by Alan, then address the following.

a. What elements of Alan's proposal are problematic? Identify them, and explain what the issues are.

b. What elements of Alan's proposal work well? Identify them, and explain why they work well.

3. Alan's proposal has hubs and switches that coexist on the same network. Compare and contrast the characteristics of each type of device with regards to the following aspects:

a. throughput

b. frame collisions

c. frame loss

d. security

e. future growth and speed upgrades

4. The CTO asked for wireless capabilities, and Alan's proposal includes access points to this end.

a. What are two security vulnerabilities that would be easier to exploit on Spidola's new WLAN when compared to Spidola's existing wired LANs?

b. What are three steps that could be taken to mitigate or eliminate these vulnerabilities?

c. What wireless protocol(s) would provide Spidola with fast and secure WLAN access, while being readily available in modern network devices?

5. Now that you have reviewed the characteristics, positives, and negatives of Alan's proposal:

a. Write an alternative proposal that does not exhibit the same issues. The proposal should contain both a network design and a network implementation section, and correct the issues you listed in 1a.

b. Explain specifically why your proposal is better than Alan's, hitting on all of the following topics in your comparison:

Speed

Cost

Network management

Security

Functionality

Explanation / Answer

ccording to the Rockford University, the essence of a business proposal is how it frames how a business will run in a systematic way based on one’s researching and thinking. This process helps one analyze the details, review facts, and critically examine ideas. It may be time consuming but this avoids costly damages and future errors.

A business proposal consists of narratives, worksheets, and data, but it can be modified based on its purpose, context, or audience or target recipient. The following are the uses of a business proposal according to June Campbell of Nightcats Multimedia Productions in a 4hb.com article:

(1) A business entity has called for tenders or has invited you to submit a RFP (Request for Proposal). In this case, your goal is to be “short listed,” meaning that you will be one of the three or four bidders who is awarded an interview. Your proposal must stand among possibly dozens of submissions.

(2) You have an idea, concept or project that you want to propose to someone with the goal of gaining support, funding or an alliance. In this case, there is no competitive bidding process. However, your proposal must make a favorable impression and must explain all aspects of your proposed concept clearly and quickly. A document that is vaguely written, difficult to understand or that presents more questions than answers will likely be discarded promptly.

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