Instructions Using The Network Design Principles Described I

Instructions Using the network design principles described in the textbook you are going to

Using the network design principles described in the textbook you are going to analyze, design, and model a portion of CSU's network. Focus on the Albury, Bathurst, and Wagga Wagga campuses, considering one office building and one academic computer centre on each campus. Include a central computer centre at Bathurst housing the Web Server (staff.CSU.edu.au) and external internet access. At Wagga Wagga, incorporate a print server and two VLANs: staff and student, with one workstation per VLAN. The staff VLAN should only access the print server, while both staff and student VLANs are accessible in the academic computer centre.

The design must use private IP addresses derived from your CSU student ID for internal networks and a public IP (200.168.10.1/24) for external internet connection. Incorporate a suitable dynamic routing protocol to enable end-to-end connectivity. To enhance security, implement an extended Access Control List (ACL) to deny HTTP traffic (TCP port 80) from student VLAN devices to the staff Web Server (staff.CSU.edu.au), while permitting other traffic. Test the ACL by ensuring ping from any student VLAN PC to the Web Server succeeds, but web access (HTTP) times out, confirming the ACL's effectiveness.

Design the network model following standard principles, including addressing, routing, VLAN segmentation, and security. Document the design, including network topology, IP addressing scheme, VLAN configuration, routing protocol choices, and ACL rules. Capture and include screen shots from PacketTracer demonstrating the operational end-to-end connectivity and ACL enforcement. Submit a comprehensive design document and the PacketTracer (*.pkt) file demonstrating your network simulation.

Paper For Above instruction

The increasing reliance on networked systems within educational institutions such as Charles Sturt University (CSU) necessitates meticulous network design that emphasizes efficiency, security, and scalability. This paper explores the application of fundamental network design principles to develop a segmented, secure, and functional network architecture for CSU’s Campuses in Albury, Bathurst, and Wagga Wagga, using Cisco PacketTracer as a modeling tool. The design focus includes addressing, VLAN segmentation, routing protocols, ACL security policies, and practical implementation considerations, aligned with best practices delineated in the network design textbook.

Introduction

Effective network design is pivotal in ensuring reliable connectivity, security, and operational efficiency within university campuses. The aim is to establish a network topology that segregates user groups through VLANs, employs appropriate IP addressing schemes, and ensures secure access to critical resources such as web servers and printers. The design incorporates redundancy, scalability, and security measures such as ACLs to mitigate unauthorized access and potential threats.

Network Architecture and Topology

The network topology comprises core, distribution, and access layers, following the hierarchical model to promote scalability and manageability. Each campus features an office building and an academic computer centre, interconnected via routers forming a wide-area network (WAN). The central computer facility in Bathurst hosts the primary web server and offers internet connectivity. At Wagga Wagga, VLANs for staff and students provide segmentation, with specific access constraints, and a print server supports campus administrative activities.

IP Addressing and VLAN Configuration

Internal IP addressing leverages a private address space (10.0.0.0/8) with subnetting based on the last four digits of the CSU student ID. For example, a student ID ending in 7890 results in a network address of 10.78.90.0 with appropriate subnet bits for the number of devices. Each VLAN receives a distinct subnet: staff VLAN (e.g., 10.78.90.0/24), student VLAN (e.g., 10.78.90.0/24), and print VLAN (e.g., 10.78.90.0/24). VLANs are configured on switches at each campus, with trunks connecting switches to routers, enabling inter-VLAN routing with a Layer 3 router or multilayer switch.

Routing Protocols and Connectivity

Dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF are implemented to enable efficient route exchange between campus sites, ensuring scalable and adaptable connectivity. OSPF’s hierarchical design and rapid convergence make it suitable for campus networks. Routers at each site are configured with OSPF to share routing information, forming an integrated wide-area network. The external connection uses the public IP 200.168.10.1/24, assigned to the interface facing the ISP, with NAT configured at the network edge for address translation.

Security Measures with ACLs

To protect web resources and prevent unauthorized access, an extended ACL is configured on the router. The rule denies TCP traffic destined for port 80 (HTTP) from the student VLAN subnet to the web server at staff.CSU.edu.au’s IP address. All other traffic, including pings and other protocols, is permitted by default. This ACL enforces campus security policies, preventing students from accessing staff web resources via HTTP while allowing general network communication.

Implementation and Testing

Using PacketTracer, the network design is modeled with appropriate device configurations, including interface settings, VLAN assignments, IP address schemes, OSPF configuration, and ACL rules. Connectivity tests include pinging between workstations across VLANs and sites to verify routing and segmentation. HTTP access tests confirm that the ACL blocks web traffic from students but not pings or other permitted traffic. Screenshots demonstrate successful end-to-end connectivity and ACL enforcement. The *.pkt file captures the entire simulation setup for submission.

Conclusion

Proper application of network design principles—addressing, segmentation, routing, and security—creates a robust, scalable, and secure network for CSU campuses. The use of VLANs ensures efficient traffic management, dynamic routing protocols facilitate adaptability, and ACLs enforce security policies. Such a comprehensive approach enhances operational effectiveness while safeguarding sensitive resources, aligning with best practices in network architecture.

References

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