Based On Your Study This Week: Routing And Switching Pro

Based On Your Study This Week What Routing And Switching Protocols Wo

Based on your study this week, what routing and switching protocols would you choose for your Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) network? What about if you had to work in a small company? Explain your thought processes. What transmission medium would you use in a larger company that had multiple campuses? Remember, you’re not only working out these ideas for yourself, but you’re sharing them with your classmates. Approach this discussion from the viewpoint of a meeting where you are making recommendations to a team.

Paper For Above instruction

In modern networking environments, selecting appropriate routing and switching protocols is vital for ensuring efficient, reliable, and scalable network operations. The choice of protocols frequently depends on the size, complexity, and requirements of the network. This paper discusses suitable routing and switching protocols for a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) network, a small company, and a larger enterprise with multiple campuses, providing reasoning and considerations for each scenario.

Routing and Switching Protocols for SOHO Networks

In a SOHO environment, simplicity, cost-efficiency, and ease of configuration are primary considerations. Typically, these networks employ dynamic routing protocols such as Routing Information Protocol (RIP) or static routing, depending on the complexity of the network (Cisco, 2020). RIP is widely favored because it is straightforward to configure and suitable for small-scale networks, but it has limitations, including slow convergence and a maximum hop count of 15. For most SOHO setups, which are relatively small and do not require high scalability, static routing may suffice if the network topology remains simple and infrequently changes. Additionally, switching within the network often employs basic Ethernet switching, which is reliable and cost-effective. Using unmanaged switches or simple managed switches supports the network's needs without unnecessary complexity.

Protocols for Small Businesses

When working within a small company, the network complexity increases slightly, warranting the use of more robust routing protocols such as OSPF (Open Shortest Path First). OSPF is a link-state protocol that provides faster convergence, scalability, and better management features compared to RIP. It allows for hierarchical network design with areas, which supports growth and segmentation (IEEE, 2018). For switching, VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks) can be implemented to segment traffic for improved security and performance, with switches supporting Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) to prevent loops (Cisco, 2021). This setup provides a balance of manageability, scalability, and security suitable for small enterprises that are growing institutionalized workloads.

Transmission Media for Large Companies with Multiple Campuses

In large organizations with multiple campuses, the transmission media becomes pivotal to ensure high bandwidth, low latency, and reliable connectivity over long distances. Fiber optic cables are the optimal choice for inter-campus links because of their superior capacity, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and ability to support high-speed data transmission over long distances (Bhandari, 2022). For intra-campus connections and local area networks (LANs), high-quality Ethernet cabling such as Cat6 or Cat6a is adequate for speeds up to 10 Gbps. Wireless technologies, like Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), may be employed strategically for mobile devices, guest access, or remote work areas, but fiber remains the backbone for core network links. The combination of fiber optics for backbone connections and Ethernet for local links ensures a scalable, high-performance network architecture capable of supporting modern organizational demands.

Conclusion

In summary, the choice of routing and switching protocols hinges on the network's scale and complexity. A SOHO setup benefits from simple, cost-effective protocols like static routing and basic Ethernet switches. Small companies should consider scalable, dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF coupled with VLAN-enabled switches for efficient traffic management. Large multi-campus organizations require high-speed fiber optic backbone links, supplemented by high-performance Ethernet switches and wireless technologies, to facilitate seamless connectivity across dispersed locations. As network demands evolve, these protocol choices should be revisited to ensure alignment with organizational growth and technological advances.

References

• Bhandari, R. (2022). Fundamentals of Fiber Optic Communications. Springer.
• Cisco. (2020). Routing Protocols and their Applications. Cisco Networking Academy.
• Cisco. (2021). VLANs and Spanning Tree Protocol. Cisco Networking Academy.
• IEEE. (2018). IEEE Standard for Local and Metropolitan Area Networks – Bridges and Bridged Networks (IEEE 802.1Q). IEEE Standards.
• Sivaraman, V., & Harvey, D. (2019). Network Routing Protocols. Elsevier.
• Stallings, W. (2018). Data and Computer Communications. Pearson.
• Siegel, P. (2020). Routing Protocols and Network Management. Wiley.
• Odom, W. (2021). CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide. Cisco Press.
• Mitchell, J. (2020). Network Infrastructure Fundamentals. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Turban, E., et al. (2019). Information Technology for Management. Wiley.