LESSON 1

Introduction to Network Design

Quick Recap
What is a computer network?

• A computer network is a group of computer systems

and other computing hardware devices that are

linked together through communication channels to

facilitate communication and resource-sharing

among a wide range of users.

 Types of networks
based on their geographic extension.

• A personal area network (PAN) is a computer

network used for communication among

computers and different information technological

devices close to one person. Some examples of

devices that are used in a PAN are personal

computers, printers, fax machines & telephones.

 Types of networks
Classification based on their geographic
extension
LAN
• Scale – occupy the space of a room or a building.

• Elements: Clients, server, switches, access points, printers

and router to exit the LAN.

• Typical speed: 100mbps to 1gbps – meant for nearby

communication between devices

 Types of networks
Classification based on their geographic
extension
Backbone
• In a site you can have multiple buildings.

• Scale: less than a few kilometres

• Elements: LANs, high speed switches or routers, high speed circuits (on

fiber optic cable) to interconnect LANs on different buildings.

• Typical speed: from 1 gbps to 40 gbps

• A backbone is a part of computer network that tie together diverse

networks in the same building, in different buildings in a campus

environment, or over wide areas.

 Types of networks
Classification based on their geographic
extension
• Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
• Broader extension covering a town, a city or a region.
• (eg a firm having multiple branch offices in multiple locations within a region or city)
• Scale: more than a few kilometres
• Elements: LANs, Backbone Networks, Circuits are normally leased to Network providers (eg
cable companies). It is less expensive to lease than to privately lay down fiber optic cables
over long distances.
• The alternative is to have a point to point connections through microwaves – this requires a
straight line of sight for it to work. This is generally expensive.
• A cheaper alternative would be the use of VPN tunnels as a way to communicate between
one branch officeand another.
• Typical speeds: from 64 kbps to 10 gbps
• Note: 64kbps is the lowest rate to have VOIP conversation.
 Types of networks
based on who can access the network.
• Campus area network (CAN)
- is a set of LAN segments and building networks in an area
that is generally less than a mile in diameter.
• A home area network (HAN) is a residential LAN used
for communication between digital devices typically
deployed in the home, usually a small number of
personal computers and accessories, such as printers
and mobile computing devices.
• A storage area network (SAN) is a dedicated network
that provides access to consolidated, block level data
storage & used to make storage devices, such as disk
arrays and tape libraries.
 Types of networks
Classification based on their geographic
extension
Wide Area Network (WAN)

• Extends MANs to a much bigger scale.

• WANs are used to interconnect multiple operations across the

globe for a single firm.

• Scale: more than tens or hundreds of kilometres, usually

international.

• Elements: same as MANs, but a greater distance

• Typical speeds: from 64Kbps to 10Gbps

 Types of Wide Area Networks (Cont’d)

WANs can be further classified into two categories:

• Enterprise WANs. An enterprise WAN is a WAN that

connects the widely separated computer resources of a
single organization. An organization with computer
operations at several distant sites can employ an enterprise
WAN to interconnect the sites. An enterprise WAN can use a
combination of private and commercial network services but
is dedicated to the needs of a particular organization.

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 Types of Wide Area Networks
A global WAN interconnects networks of
several corporations or organizations. An
example of a global WAN is the Internet.

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 Types of networks
based on who can access the network.
• Intranet: is only accessible by internal members of the
organization.
• The employees can collaborate using a central
information system (e.g ERP through an intranet)
• The employees can collaborate on a LAN or WAN

• The employees on the move can access sensible data

from a remote location through a VPN
 Types of networks
based on who can access the network.

• Extranet – this is a network that is accessible for

people or entities external to the organization.
• E.g. clients and providers logging into an
inventory system over the extranet.
• Public e-commerce websites

• WIFI network for customers

 What is Network Design

• Design: a preliminary sketch or outline showing the main

features of something to be executed. The arrangement of
elements or details in a product or work of art. [Merriam-
Webster Dictionary]
• Network Design: involves decisions on several issues including
topology, architecture, flexibility and other cost and vendor
related issues. The final product is a plan to be implemented
including cabling, routing strategies, protocols to use.
• Management: the act or art of managing: the conducting or
supervising of something. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary]
• Network Management: The process of controlling a network so
as to maximize its efficiency and productivity. ISO model defines
5 functional areas of network management: Configuration
Management, Fault Management, Performance Management,
Accounting Management, and Security Management.
 What is Network Design

• Network design refers to the planning of the implementation of a

computer network infrastructure.
• Network design involves evaluating, understanding and scoping
the network to be implemented. The whole network design is
usually represented as a network diagram that serves as the
blueprint for implementing the network physically.
• Network design involves evaluating and understanding how all
the elements of the network link together (from routers,
switches, and servers to desktops, laptops, and printers) and how
they can be made to run as efficiently as possible.
• A well-designed network can bring increased operational
efficiency.
• Network design is a task that is usually performed by network
designers, IT administrators, and other related employees.
 Network Design

• Typically, network design includes the following:

• Logical map (displays how information flows through a network) of
the network to be designed. To achieve this, you need to have
gathered information about network devices, routing protocols
and subnets.
• Cabling structure
• Quantity, type and location of network devices (routers, switches,
servers, Clients etc)
• IP addressing structure
• Network security architecture and overall network security
processes
• Network design is generally performed by network designers,
network engineers, network administrators and other related
staff.
• NOTE: Network design is done before the implementation of a
network infrastructure.
 Network Infrastructure
• Network infrastructure refers to the hardware and software
resources of an entire network.
• A typical network infrastructure includes:
1. Networking Hardware:
– Routers
– Switches
– LAN cards
– Cables
– Access points
 Network Infrastructure
2. Networking Software:
– Network operations and management/NOC from
where network monitoring and control is exercised over a computer.
3. Operating systems: e.g Debian , Ubuntu, Windows server

– Firewall: e.g samba firewall

– Network security applications/Tools e.g. Intrusion detection and
prevention system, Anti-malware etc
4. Network Services:
– T-1 Line – a dedicated transmission connection between a service
provider and client
– Digital subscriber line (DSL) – used to transmit digital data over
telephone lines.
– Satellite
– Wireless protocols
– IP addressing
 Types of Network Design
• New network design

• Re-engineering a network design

• Network expansion design

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 New Network Design
• Actually starting from scratch

• No legacy networks to accommodate

• Major driver is the budget, no compatibility

issues to worry about

• Getting harder to find these situations

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 Re-engineering a Network Design
• Modifications to an existing network to
compensate for original design problems

• Sometimes required when network users

change existing applications or
functionality

• More of the type of problems seen today

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 Network Expansion Design
• Network designs that expand network
capacity

• Technology upgrades

• Adding more users or networked

equipment

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 Building a Good Network
• Good networks do not happen by accident.
• They are the result of hard work by network designers and technicians,
who identify network requirements and select the best solutions to meet
the needs of a business.

Steps required to design a good network

 Verify the business goals and technical requirements.
 Determine the features and functions required to meet the needs
identified.
 Perform a network-readiness assessment.
 Create a solution and site acceptance test plan.
 Create a project plan.

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 Network design best practices
• Don’t skip the actual design phase
• Plan for the future
• Embed security in your design
• Monitor your network
• You’re never finished – technology evolves

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