California State University – Fullerton Developing a Home Network Homework

PROJECT SUMMARY:

You have been asked to submit a proposal to a client who has just bought a single-floor house. The proposal is on the analysis and design of the home network in the house. You, in preparing the proposal, must decide on the architecture, topology, and network hardware and software of the house’s new network.

BACKGROUND:

Your college friend, John Smith, just bought a single story house in Southern California. He intends for the home to have a state-of-the-art home network. Because Mr. Smith knows you personally, he asked you to submit a proposal on the network and all associated hardware and software. Knowing that you are an expert in networks, Mr. Smith is depending on you to analyze and design a network for his new home.

HIGH LEVEL REQUIREMENTS:

In speaking with Mr. Smith over lunch one day, you have gathered the following high-level requirements from him. These requirements are shown below in the form of quotes from Mr. Smith

1. I want the house “wired with fast network”
2. Get me “the fastest internet connection you can get”
3. The living room, the study, and the bedrooms need to have wired network connections for computers/network devices.
4. Mr. Smith recently bought a laptop. It is Dell XPS 15 Ultrabook with 7thGeneration Inetcore i9 processor; it also has a 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) display and a 1.0 TB SSD (Costco, 2019). Mr. Smith uses the laptop for general business applications and web surfing. He does not play online games.
5. The study needs to have “a networked color laser printer.”
6. “The living room in the house should have a network-connected, high definition, flat-panel, LED TV” (50 Inch Tv)
7. In the new home, there are one dining room,one study/library, one living room, one master bedroom, and one guest bedroom.
8. Mr. Smith does not want to pay for TV (no cable TV or satellite TV). But he does want a TV that can connect to Netflix and Roku services.

CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL REPORT

You have been asked to submit a proposal for building the home’s new network. Mr. Smith requires a network proposal that includes the following sections:

1. Executive Summary: A description of the objectives of the proposal and a high-level summary of the report.

2. Network Analysis: Described Below.

3. Technology Design: Described Below.

4. Cost Assessment: Described below

5. Bibliographical Refrences: Described Below.

NETWORK ANALYSIS SECTION

The network analysis section consists of two subsections: Need Analysis subsection and Logical Network Diagram Subsection.

Needs Analysis

The needs analysis subsection basically contains the requirements of the network. You need to conduct a NEEDS ANALYSIS to come up with the specific requirements (i.e., more detailed than general requirements shown above) of the network. The Needs Analysis will look at:

• Needs and requirements of the user (John Smith)
• Various applications necessary to support those needs. For examples, Netflix is an application, printing is an application, and web surfing is an application.
• Data rate needed to support those applications.

Needs Analysis must be detailed enough so that you can justify the solutions that you recommend in the proposal.

After determining the needs, you then generate a logical network diagram.

Logical Network Diagram

The logical network diagram subsection needs to include, at a minimum, the following:

• A logical network diagram of the network based on the network requirements (gathered as part of Needs Analysis)
• A description of the logical network diagram and how it’s different parts fir together to form a home network.

A logical network diagram resembles “block diagram” of the network connected together. Examples are shown in Figure 1-1 Attached below. In the logical network diagram, each network block is labeled generically (e.g., “router”, “printer”, “TV”, etc) and no manufacturer name and model number needed on the diagram.

Note that the logical network diagram would contain both LAN and wide-area network connection to the Internet. Discuss how you would connect the home’s LAN to the Internet.

TECHNOLOGY DESIGN SECTION

Technology design refines the logical network diagram generated and produces a physical design that will meet the requirements. The technology Design section consists primarily of Physical Design. In this report, you only have to produce a Preliminary Physical Design.

The Preliminary Physical Design needs to include, at a minimum, the following:

– Exact configuration of each piece of hardware (e.g., router, printer, TV, etc.) such as manufacture’s names and models, and brief description (in your own words with citations and references) of each piece.

COST ASSESSMENT SECTION

After you have gathered the exact configuration (manufacturer’s name/model number) of each piece of hardware (and software), present a detailed cost estimate of the entire network. The cost assessment section should include a detailed cost assessment of the network. Including cable, hardware, software, and labor. (Assume that 300ft. of cable is needed for the home network.)

Labor is an important component of cost, so include cost of labor required to install the network. Use a planning figure of $300/person-hour and estimate the cost of labor required to implement the network.

In addition, include the ongoing, operational cost of the network (such as monthly Internet Service Provider free or any periodic maintenance cost) for three years. In other words, present both initial, fixed cost of the network and the ongoing, operational cost of operating the network. An explanation of different cost items is required.

Notes

As with any real-life problem with ambiguities or unsolved considerations, you must make your own assumptions, but be sure to explicitly state any assumptions. Feel free to find materials that support your recommendations.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES SECTION

This section will have a list of references used in the report. Note that in addition to references in this section, the report also needs to have specific in-text citations in the body of the report.

PROPER CITATIONS AND REFERENCES:

1. Be creative in presenting your planning and analysis. You should research, glean and include materials necessary to appropriately communicate and understanding of the system. You need to write the report in your own words and give proper credits to sources you use.

2. If you quote a source word-for-word, do the following:

1. 1. 1. Put a pair of quotation marks around the quoted sentence(s), And give the citation (author, date, and page number) in parenthesis directly in text right after the quoted sentence(s).
      2. Put the full reference at the end of the report under the references section.

3. If you paraphrase a source, do the following:

1. 1. 1. Give the citation (author and date) in parenthesis directly in the text right after the paraphrased sentence(s).
      2. Put the full reference at the end of the report under the References section.

4. All references listed under the References section must be cited in the text. There should be no “orphan” reference in the References section.

5.Remember: its not enough to simply include the full reference at the end of the report under the References section. YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE IN-TEXT CITATION DIRECTLY IN THE TEXT ALSO.

WHAT TO DO:

1. The report must be typed.
2. The various diagrams must be drawn using software such as Visio. Visio is easier to use for drawing diagrams.
3. Draw tour own diagrams, don’t copy them from manufatures’ website.
4. Use the reference section to list all sources (online and in hardcopy form) or materials used.
5. The length should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words (not counting the Reference section, tables, and figures).

WHAT NOT TO DO:

1. Do not clutter your report with unnecessary drawings and diagrams that do not add to the substance and clarity of the report.
2. Do not blindly copy manufactures diagrams
3. Do not plagiarize.