Widget Corporation Network Redesign

Widget Corporation Network Redesign

This project involves redesigning the network infrastructure of Widget Corporation, a fictitious architectural company that designs medium to large office buildings. The company has provided a description of its current network setup and future plans. The task is to evaluate the existing network and propose a new, optimized, and scalable network design that addresses current issues, incorporates redundancy, improves security, and supports future expansion and technological upgrades.

Widget Corporation is a global architectural firm based in Toronto, Canada, with offices around the world. It employs approximately 300 individuals across 10 sites, ranging from small home offices to large remote offices with up to 150 employees. The headquarters is in Toronto, hosting major departments such as Design, Human Resources, Marketing, and Sales. The company’s network connects these sites via a hierarchical, three-tier WAN structure using serial links with bandwidths from 64 kbps to 2 Mbps. The network currently lacks redundancy, leading to sporadic outages and low response times, especially affecting productivity among architects and engineers relying on CAD applications and large files.

The existing network comprises Layer 2 switched remote offices, Ethernet hubs, and Catalyst 6500 switches at the headquarters. Routing is handled via EIGRP, with no route summarization, static routes for smaller remote sites, and a single Internet connection with limited bandwidth (1 Mbps). Current security measures are minimal, and network management tools such as SNMP and syslog are not fully implemented. The company’s future growth, security requirements, and technological advancements, such as VoIP and extranet access for its American client, call for a comprehensive network redesign.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Effective network design is vital for organizations like Widget Corporation, especially as they expand globally and require reliable, secure, and scalable connectivity. The current infrastructure presents several challenges, including lack of redundancy, low response times, and security vulnerabilities. Addressing these issues involves a multi-faceted approach focusing on campus LAN redesign, WAN backup solutions, IP addressing optimization, routing protocols, secure external connectivity, remote user access, and network monitoring.

Campus Network Redesign

The core of the campus redesign involves implementing a resilient LAN infrastructure that minimizes downtime and optimizes performance. A hierarchical, redundant architecture utilizing multilayer switches—such as Cisco Catalyst switches with Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)—will eliminate single points of failure. To enhance reliability, deploying redundant switches in a stacking configuration or using Virtual Switching System (VSS) technology will provide high availability.

Key improvements include:

  • Redundant Core Switches: Deploying dual Cisco Catalyst 9500 switches with link aggregation to ensure continuous operation even if one switch fails.
  • Distribution Layer: Using multilayer switches with redundant links between core and distribution layers.
  • Access Layer: Replacing hubs with managed switches supporting Power over Ethernet (PoE) for VoIP and security devices. Vertically partitioning the network into VLANs for different departments increases security and manageability.
  • Inter-VLAN Routing: Implementing Layer 3 switches at the distribution layer with HSRP or VRRP for default gateway redundancy.

The rationale for this redesign includes fault tolerance, improved response times, and simplified network management. Redundant links and devices ensure that failures do not disrupt ongoing work, directly addressing the issues reported by end-users.

WAN Backup Design

To improve network reliability, a comprehensive WAN backup strategy is essential. Given the current reliance on serial lines with variable bandwidth, a dual-connectivity approach is advisable. This involves establishing secondary links using alternate media such as broadband fiber or LTE/5G connections for critical sites.

Proposed solutions include:

  • Dual-Homed Links: Connecting remote and international offices through two different service providers, ensuring continuous connectivity even if one provider experiences an outage.
  • Incorporate VPN and SD-WAN Technologies: Using SD-WAN solutions to dynamically route traffic over the most reliable link, optimizing bandwidth and providing seamless failover between links.
  • Local Backup Routers: Upgrading remote office routers to support backup connections and automatic rerouting upon link failure.

This strategy enhances resilience, reduces downtime, and maintains productivity, supporting the company’s business continuity objectives.

IP Addressing and Routing Redesign

Currently, Widget Corporation's IP scheme involves multiple Class C networks, with no route summarization, leading to inefficient routing updates and potential scalability issues. An optimized addressing plan would involve summarizing address blocks and implementing a hierarchical addressing scheme aligned with the network topology.

The redesign includes:

  • Classless Addressing with CIDR: Transitioning from Class C networks to CIDR blocks—for example, aggregating multiple /24 networks into a single /16 or /13 block, depending on the size and number of sites.
  • Using Route Summarization: Configuring aggregation at the distribution and core layers, reducing routing table size and improving convergence times.
  • Address Planning: Reserving subnets for future expansion, segmenting departments logically, and applying proper subnet masks.

This approach simplifies management, improves routing efficiency, and supports scalability as new sites are added.

Routing Protocol Selection and Implementation

The current use of EIGRP is suitable for a Cisco-based network; however, it lacks route summarization, which impairs scalability. To meet future demands, implementing EIGRP with proper summarization at key points will enhance network efficiency. Alternatively,OSPF could be considered for better inter-domain routing, especially if the network becomes more geographically dispersed.

For the current environment, the following modifications are recommended:

  • EIGRP Route Summarization: Implementing summarization at the branch routers to reduce the size of routing updates.
  • Adjusting Metric and Timers: Optimizing EIGRP parameters for faster convergence.

This ensures rapid, reliable routing information dissemination, aligning with the company's performance and scalability goals.

Secure and Efficient WAN Connection to American Client

To enable secure access for the American client and facilitate large CAD file transfers, establishing a Site-to-Site IPSec VPN over the Internet is a cost-effective and secure solution. IPSec encryption ensures confidentiality and integrity, protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access or hacking attempts.

The VPN setup would involve:

  • VPN Gateway Devices: Deploying Cisco ASA firewalls at Widget’s headquarters and the client’s location.
  • VPN Configuration: Establishing IKE policies, defining crypto maps, and configuring secure tunnel endpoints on routers.
  • Routing and NAT: Using static or dynamic routing (e.g., BGP if complex) within the VPN tunnel for efficient data transfer.

Alternative options like dedicated leased lines or MPLS circuits offer higher reliability but entail higher costs. Given the global distribution and the need for flexibility, a Site-to-Site IPSec VPN is a flexible, secure, and scalable option suitable for this scenario.

Remote User Access Solutions

Remote users require reliable and secure access to the corporate network. Deploying a VPN solution such as Cisco AnyConnect or SSL VPN provides encrypted, remote access via the internet. A centralized VPN server at the headquarters can authenticate users against Active Directory or RADIUS, providing secure access to internal resources.

Additional security measures, such as two-factor authentication, should be implemented. For ease of use, the VPN client can be configured with split tunneling, allowing remote users to access the internet directly while securely connecting to internal resources.

Network Monitoring with SNMP and Syslog

SNMP enables centralized monitoring of network devices, providing visibility into traffic, device status, and performance metrics. Implementing SNMP agents on switches, routers, and servers allows network administrators to track issues proactively.

Syslog facilitates logging of system messages, alerts, and error reports from all devices. Collecting and analyzing syslog data helps in troubleshooting, security auditing, and maintaining network health. Regular review of logs can identify anomalies and prevent potential failures.

Together, SNMP and syslog improve network reliability, security, and operational efficiency by providing comprehensive oversight of network activities.

Conclusion

The proposed network redesign addresses the core issues faced by Widget Corporation—improving network reliability, scalability, security, and manageability. By introducing redundancy in LAN and WAN, optimizing IP addressing, refining routing protocols, and implementing secure external connections and remote access solutions, the company can support its growth and technological aspirations. Proper network monitoring ensures ongoing health and security, aligning with best practices for enterprise network management.

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