LAN, WAN, Wireless Network & Cellular Network -Network Analysis Report Writing Assessment Answers

Network Analysis Report Assignment Help

Assignment 1-Individual Network Analysis report

Network Analysis Report

The main task of is assignment is to start you thinking about data networks and what sorts of functions they can fulfil within different environments. Your first step will be to select a data network that you are familiar with, try choosing one you use on a regular basis. For example, at your workplace or home. Your next step is to research the function and purpose of all the various hardware and software components that interconnect and interact to provide this functioning network (think about the 7 layer OSI model).

Networks are rarely isolated islands. One network is usually connected to other networks to provide global reach. Therefore, when looking at your chosen network don’t limit yourself just to the local infrastructure. For example most networks share access to the Internet via an ISP which they may be leasing broadband lines from another supplier. Consider if this is the case for you and also what other networks you may have access to.

Details and Requirements

1. Provide a brief overview of your chosen network i.e. what’s its main purpose, how many users and devices it supports.
2. Using software create a simple network diagram that depicts your chosen network (Powerpoint will be adequate). Show how the components interact and what other networks you may be connect to.
3. Provide a short written description about key components in your network and how they interact.

   For example: A short description about the attributes of the cabling you may be using (e.g. why CAT 5 is better to use than the older CAT 4 cables – you may also want to explain why you have decided to use wi-fi for some devices and not others) Conversely you may indicate in your diagram that you use a firewall. This is a complex device and provides an important function. Therefore, it should be covered in your written description.

4. Outline a brief description of three (3) network based applications being used on your network (e.g. email, Skype, web browsing etc..)
5. Provide a brief overview of the protocols used by those network applications in transferring data from one point to another.
6. Identify two (2) areas in which your network could be improved upon.

#Hypothetical devices can be included if your network is modest. All assignments should feature more than 5 devices.

The next areas you need to address are the applications you use or are available across the network(s) such as email, web surfing and maybe file sharing. Most IT infrastructure is built to fulfil a number of functions. For example: to provide access to financial systems; as a method of resource sharing; as a means of communication etc. Have a look at your own network and consider the various functions it provides to you and others. Briefly discuss the transport protocols required for this information to be able to be transferred from one location to another. Once you have completed this component of this assignment you should have a better appreciation of the various components that help build networks and how their interaction helps to meet specific requirements and needs.

Network – 1:

Name: LAN (Local Area Network)

1. Brief Overview:

The Local Area Network, abbreviated as LAN, is a network which is applicable to smaller areas such as house, schools or offices. Presently all LANs irrespective of wireless or wired LANs are based on the Ethernet. Data speeds provided by LANs range from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Apart from Ethernet, other major technologies of LAN are FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) and Token Ring. (Malik, 2014)

The Services of LAN (Local Area Network) provide connectivity to the various end – devices in a typical network of corporate or personal type. As the network infrastructure is made a single one, various gadgets such as telephones, cameras, computers, scanners and printers etc need connection to the personal or corporate network via the LAN. Mostly, LANs are used in corporate offices. In order to provide access of wireless type, wireless access points can be applied to give safe mobile access to gadgets such as scanning devices, laptops, mobile phones etc. (LAN Baseline Architecture Overview—Branch Office Network, 2007)

1. Network Diagram:

   

Figure –LAN Network Diagram

1. Description of key components and their interaction:

The key components of a LAN network are: network cables, routers, devices such as laptops, personal computers, printers etc, network hubs and network switches. Following is the description of each component of a LAN network:

• Network cables – network cables basically are the physical lines which are used to carry data between various computer and devices in a LAN of wired type. Generally the cables are named by their category type and are called as CatX, where X stands for category number of the cable. The most commonly used network cable for a LAN is RJ45 which is a category of CAT5 cable.
• Routers – network routers are the ones which are used in connection of networks to one another instead of connecting devices such as computers in one network. Routers have the capability of connecting computer groups which are segregated by a wall. Routers are mainly found in house using which the computers are connected to internet. Modern routers are a combination of network switch and router and may also consist of other tools such as firewall and DHCP server.
• Devices (laptops, personal computers, printers) – These are the devices which are connected to the LAN to access internet.
• Network hubs – this is considered to be centralized point for transmitting data to PCs in LAN. When a data from PC is passed to the hub, it is broadcasted to all computers connected to network.
• Network switches – these are the latest technology in networking and assign particular MAC address to each computer connected in network and thus allow in effective information sharing to the desired computer. Hence, switches also allow allocating full bandwidth to each computer in a LAN. (Thompson, 2016)

1. Description of three network based applications:

Three network based applications in LAN are:

1. Windows Home Group – is an application provided by windows OS for the purpose of sharing files between devices on a LAN. This supports devices such as desktops, laptops, running windows, printers etc. so this application can be used to effectively share files between these desktops and laptops on the LAN or to issue printouts from any desktop or laptop to a common printer connected to LAN.
2. Network Security – LAN Spy is an application that is used for network security and port scanning which gathers all the information about computers that are connected over the LAN. The details it is capable of retrieving include MAC address, server information, net bios name, domain name, open services, event and registry information etc
3. Remote control – there are applications included within windows OS and other applications which can connect to other desktops / laptops over LAN and perform operation such as silent installations, periodic reboots etc.

1. Protocols overview:

1. Ethernet – It is a set of protocols that are present at the data link and as well as physical layer. Standard Ethernet protocol is IEEE 802.3 and currently Ethernet protocol is used in about 90 percent of LANs. Design of IEEE 802.3 was done to make it operate at about 10 Mbps for a max distance of 2500 m having repeaters four in number. Minimum frame size is 512 bits or 64 bytes and maximum is 1518 bytes. The MAC frame of Standard Ethernet protocol is IEEE 802.3 consists of Preamble, SFD (Start Frame Delimiter), Destination address, Source Address, Length, Data and Padding and CRC. (N. Vlajic, 2010)
2. FDDI – it is a standard used for optical data communication and are applicable for long distance networks. Using FDDI, communication with fiber optics are provided up to distance of 200 kms with 100 Mbps speed. FDDI has two types of communication rings: primary and secondary. The primary ring functions along the network and secondary one is kept as a backup. For multimedia and long distance voice calls, FDDI was enhanced to FDDI-2.
3. Token Ring – similar to Ethernet, token ring is a set of protocols that function at physical and data link layer. Standard for token ring is IEEE 802.5 and the topology adopted is mostly ring type. Speed achieved is 4 Mbps and 16 Mbps, signalling used is Differential Manchester and can manage up to 250 stations. Token ring have benefits such as stability and fairness but the limitation is entire ring fails if any component in the ring fails. (N. Vlajic, 2010)

1. Suggested Improvements:

Some of the suggested improvements on the LAN network are:

• Manageability and security considerations
• Distance considerations that is between the closet and the office desk

Network – 2:

Name: WAN (Wide Area Network)

1. Brief Overview:

WAN stands for Wide Area Network and its operation is beyond the LAN’s geographic scope. WANs are used in the interconnection of enterprise LANs to the remote LANs in telecommuter and branch sites. Service providers are the owners of WANs and the service providers of WAN include – cable company, satellite service, telephone network etc. The links to perform the interconnection of remote sites are provided by service providers in order to transport video, voice and data. (Cisco Networking Academy Connecting Networks Companion Guide: Connecting to the WAN, 2014)

For most of the companies, WAN is a cost – effective and better option to connect the various branch offices to the main office. A WAN helps in transfer of information of all types, that include data and voice. In order to connect the LANs at each location, WAN routers are used. Various connection types supported by WAN routers are Dedicated T, E and J – carrier lines, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). The 3 basic elements of a WAN are: physical transmission media, specifications for electrical signalling and protocols of data link layer. Using the public carrier networks, three types of circuits can be created by WAN: dedicated circuits, PVCs (Permanent Virtual Circuits) and SVCs (Switched Virtual Circuits). (Overview of WAN Connections, n.d.)

1. Network Diagram:

   

Figure – WAN Network Diagram

1. Description of key components and their interaction:

Following are the key components of a WAN connection:

• DNS (Domain Name Services) – This system is responsible for resolution and management of domain name entries for MX, host, PTR records, alias etc. This solution also has the flexibility of delegating tasks DNS management for sub – domain components with respect to customer. (Nd.gov, 2016)
• VPN (Virtual Private Networks) – This is a network technology that is responsible for establishing secure network over public networks such as the internet or any other network that is owned by private company. Large corporate companies, universities, government agencies are common places where VPN is implemented and used. (WhatIsMyIPAddress.com, 2016)
• Firewall – Firewall is the network security layer that can usually be found between trusted network and un-trusted network such as internet or a less trusted network. The policies defined in the firewall can help better control what data flows inward and outward from network ports. (SearchSecurity, 2016)
• Intrusion Detection System – Intrusion detection system is a type of system that manages security between computer networks. It collects information from the systems and the network to understand and identify possible threats of intrusion within the system or in the network.

https://searchmidmarketsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/intrusion-detection

• Internet Protocol addressing – Internet protocol addressing is used both for external networks such as internet as well as for internal local networks. The internet protocol addressing can be used to manage details such as managing VLAN’s, subnets, addressing etc.

1. Description of three network based applications:

Following is the description of three network based applications of WAN:

• Email – Email is an application that communicates through internet or private network through WAN. The email client communicates with particular SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server through LAN router followed by the gateway server which connects to WAN to send and receive mails.
• Web browser – The web browser is an application that communicates through either the internet or local network in order to retrieve and display web content. The web browser usually sends the requests to the web server through the LAN router followed by the gateway router to make connection and use service on internet.
• Communicator – The communicator is an application that uses Message session relay protocol to communicate with people within the organization or other related organization over the internet. The communicator makes connection to the other party over the LAN router followed by gateway router to connect to WAN so that communication can be established.

1. Protocols overview:

• Point to Point Protocol (PPP) – PPP has developed a standard to manage and assign the IP addresses, link configuration, network protocol multiplexing, error detection, link – quality testing etc. Also, PPP provide support to the above mentioned functions by giving an extensible LCP (Link Control Protocol) and NCPs (Network Control Protocol) to manipulate the facilities and optional configuration parameters. The type of broadband connection used determines the PPPoE or PPPoA. PPPoE stands for Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet and PPPoA stands for Point to Point Protocol over ATM.
• HDLC (High – Level Data Link Control) – on the synchronous serial interface of Cisco, HDLC is basically the type of default encapsulation. It is the protocol of data – link layer of synchronous type and is bit – oriented. HDLC provide a specific method for data encapsulation on the serial links of synchronous type by making use of checksums and frame characters. Hence, it is considered as a standard that can be used for interpretation. Thus, various versions of HDLC are available. If the communication is with a non – Cisco device, then synchronous PPP is more efficient.
• Asynchronous Transfer Protocol (ATP) – it is an international standard that is meant for cell relay in which various service types such as data, voice or video can be transmitted in cells of fixed length. ATM is designed in such a way that it can take the benefit of transmission media of high – speed type such as T3, E3 and SONET up to speed of 10 Gbps. (WAN Technologies and Components, n.d.)

1. Suggested Improvements:

• Packet Loss
• Insufficient bandwidth.

Network – 3:

Name: Wireless Network

1. Brief Overview:

Wireless networking is a term is a technology that has the capacity to enable two or more PCs to carry out communication by making use of few standard protocols but without using any kind of network cables. The IEEE standard for Wireless network is IEEE 802.11 and wireless network is abbreviated as Wi – Fi. The operating band of wireless network is 2.4 GHz and the maximum bandwidth allowed by Wi – Fi standard 802.11b is up to 11 Mbps, for 802.11g it is about 54 Mbps and whereas for 802.11n the maximum bandwidth is about 300 Mbps in specific conditions. (Eui.eu, 2015)

A peer – to – peer or Ad – hoc wireless network consists of many computers and each computer will be mounted with a networking interface card that is wireless. Thus, direct communication of one computer to another computer is enabled using wireless network. Over the wireless network or Wi – Fi, it is possible to share printers and files but it is not possible to get an access to wired LAN resources. If in case, access to wired LAN resources is required, it can be achieved by implementing a process called “bridging”, in which one computer is made to act as a bridge to the LAN connection by making use of special software. (Wireless Networking, 2015)

1. Network Diagram:

   

Figure – Wireless Network Diagram

1. Description of key components and their interaction:

Following are the key components of a wireless network and their interaction:

1. Wireless access points – these are the base stations that are connected to the wired network. Wireless access points are considered to be a mid – point between the wireless world and wired world. Installation of wireless access points should be done in such a way that it enhances the coverage and efficiency of the wireless network. Coverage cell is basically the coverage supplied by a wireless access point. For the areas of larger span, in order to achieve proper coverage, more than one access point is required. In such situations, the set up of access point is done in such a way that their coverage point’s overlap which enables their users’ get a fast access to internet by roaming between coverage cells without getting disconnected to internet. (Southeastern.edu, 2016)
2. Wireless clients – on the other hand, wireless clients (for instance – PCMCIA card) are the network – based interfaces in the computer gadgets such as PDAs, PCs and laptops that establish a connection to communicate with the access points. in case if any wireless client enter the coverage cell, it get connected to wireless access point and if the device has the required credentials and settings, it is granted permission to get access to the wireless network in the permitted coverage cell area. (Southeastern.edu, 2016)

1. Protocols overview:

• LTE (Long Term Evolution) – before the advent of 4G wireless networking for smartphones, the older generation protocols that were used for communication are EV – DO, GPRS and HSDPA. In order to support the 4G technology, phone carries developed a standardization communication protocol called LTE, which stands for Long Term Evolution. It was basically designed to improvise the roaming issues and low data rates with older device protocols. (Mitchell, 2016)
• Wi – Fi – it is largely related to the wireless networking and thus has become a standard for public and home networks. The data rates which Wi – Fi can handle were enhanced from 11 Mbps to 54 Mbps. It is possible to make Wi – Fi operate to longer distances in carefully monitored environments but basically the protocol is limited for operation in a single home or a building and outdoor surroundings to a shorter area. (Mitchell, 2016)
• Bluetooth – this is the one of the oldest and efficient wireless protocols that is still in use since 1990. It was basically designed to synchronize the data between gadgets and other battery running devices. The amount of power required to operate Bluetooth is quite less when compared to Wi – Fi and other wireless protocols. (Mitchell, 2016)

1. Three applications that use cellular networks are:

• File sharing applications – File sharing applications such as Feem, Nitro etc. make use of the wireless protocols such as 802.11. It connects to the other devices which are connected to the same wireless networks and transfers the files/data in wireless mode without having to connect RJ45 cables such as in typical LAN network.
• Gaming applications – Gaming applications usually support multiple player modes on wireless networks. Before the game is started all the players need to connect to a common wireless network. Once this configuration is made then all the players can play against each other over the wireless network.
• Consumer electronic applications – Consumer electronics such as television, refrigerator etc. have support to connect over the wireless network. There are some prebuilt applications such as web browser, video streaming etc. which can be used over the wireless networks. The consumer electronic devices make connection to the router to connect to the internet and the application can be used.

1. Suggested Improvements:

• Coverage issues : the faster is the wireless network speed, the poorer is the coverage and thus it needs improvement on coverage issues
• The non – overlapping channels are limited in number and require improvement

Network – 4:

Name: Cellular Network

1. Brief Overview:

The cellular network is a type of CMPS network (Cellular Mobile Phone Services) that is meant particularly for mobile services. Cellular network not only provide voice transmission services but also transactions such as sending e – mails and other services. To carry out this kind of transaction, data transmission is required which can be done by making use of present cellular networks. Use of cellular networks for data transmission can be done in two different ways as explained: firstly, by using the current CMPS without any modifications and secondly it is by making use of a digital data cellular network. This network specifically makes use of the technology of packet switched and also requires minor modifications in architecture to CMPS. (Periannan and Joseph Fahham, n.d.)

1. Network Diagram:

   

Figure – Cellular Network Diagram

1. Description of key components and their interaction:

• Mobile equipment (ME) – mobile equipment is nothing but the phone device that is used for making the calls. It should be a device which is capable to operate on the frequencies of the cellular network. There are different types of phones such as dual band, triple band and also quad band. Every phone has a unique identification number called international mobile equipment identity (IMEI number). This number can be found printed in the phone and it is provided by the manufacturer
• Base transceiver station (BTS) – Base transceiver station is the antenna on tower top. The phone accesses the cellular network through the BTS. BTS is responsible for radio communication to occur between the mobile phone and network. It also handles functionalities such as Demodulation / modulation, encryption, encoding and multiplexing.
• Cell – Cell is nothing but a set of radio frequency channels at the base station. The cell boundary defines how much number of mobile subscribers can be serviced by the Cell. The sizing of cell is decided by the network provider on the basis of the amount of traffic it expects to handle at a specific location.
• Base Station Controller (BSC) – it is responsible for controlling multiple Base transceiver station. It is also responsible for the interaction between different BTS, power and signal measurements, radio channel allocation, frequency administration etc.
• Mobile switching center – this component is one of the most vital components of the GSM network. It is responsible for functionalities such as switching, calls set – up and call routine. The MSC component controls and handles multiple BSCs and also helps in interaction with other MSCs and components. It is also responsible for the co – ordination between multiple MSCs and inter – MSC communication.

1. Description of three network based applications:

1. Network signal info – This is an application that runs only on Android smart devices and provide an in – depth information about the presently used network, which means it is cellular network or Wi- fi connection. Main features of this app include providing detailed information about Wi – Fi and mobile networks, detailed information about Android system, available widgets for wi – fi network and mobile, wi – fi signal record function, mobile signal tracker etc
2. Voice calls – this is yet another application that runs on cellular network and can be used to make calls over the network of different service providers
3. Text messaging – this is the feature also known as SMS using which text messages can be sent to other numbers over the different cellular network

1. Protocols overview:

• 3G – As the name suggests, it is the third generation technology in wireless domain and is a successive of 1G and 2G. It is mainly applicable to wireless mobiles but can also be used in portable wireless and fixed wireless. Traditionally the 3G network must function from any location such as businesses, homes, military etc.
• 4G – This is the fourth – generation technology in wireless domain and is a successor of 3G. The distinguishing characteristics of 4G technology network are – HQ (High – Quality) video steaming and end – to – end Internet Protocol (IP). 4G makes use of a combination of Wi – Fi and WiMAX.
• CDMA – CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access and is a type of multiplexing in which it allows various signals to acquire a transmission channel and hence optimize the use of bandwidth available. CDMA technology makes use of spread – spectrum technology in combination with ADC (Analog to Digital conversion) and its operating bandwidth is in range of 800 MHz to 1.9 GHz.
• GSM – this is the most widely used digital type of mobile telephone system that makes use of variation of TDMA and is the highly used technology among CDMA and TDMA. This technology works on the principle of digitalizing and compressing data and then transfers it down a channel to two different user data streams, in its allotted time slot. Its operating frequency is band is either 900 MHz or 1800 MHz (SearchMobileComputing, 2016)

1. Suggested Improvements:

• Congestion problems
• Factors such as shielding and multipath leads to fading problems and hence require improvisation

Network – 5:

Name: PAN (Personal Area Network)

1. Brief Overview:

Basically the PAN (Personal Area Network) is an inter – connection of IT devices (Information Technology gadgets) within the coverage range of an individual which is traditionally 10 m. For instance, an individual travelling with a PDA (Personal Device Assistant), portable printer and a laptop can effectively inter – connect them using the technology of wireless without using any physical connection. Basically this type of PAN can also be interconnected to the internet or any other network without using wires.

In other words, PAN can be described as a technology that has the capability of enabling computer gadgets to carry out communication with other computers that are nearby and transfer information. (Hackmann, n.d.)

1. Network Diagram:

   

Figure – PAN Diagram

1. Description of key components and their interaction:

Following are the three network based applications using PAN:

1. Laptops – One laptop can be considered to be acting as a centralized connection which is used to connect various devices to form a PAN. This laptop can be used to connect other laptops using wireless technologies such as Bluetooth.
2. Wireless mouse – this device can be connected to the functional laptop by using Bluetooth technology.
3. Wireless Headphones – similar to wireless mouse, Bluetooth headphones can be connected to either a smart phone or a laptop
4. Smartphones – connection of smart phone with a headphone or a laptop is possible using wireless technology and can share files, folders, images etc
5. Printers – connection of printers is possible with the laptop and materials can be printed with just a wireless protocol connection.

1. Description of three network based applications:

1. Bluetooth file transfer – two devices having the feature of using Bluetooth technology can be connected by sharing the Bluetooth security pin. Files such as images, videos etc can be easily transferred from one device to another without any hassle. Files transfer using Bluetooth between devices is possible within certain range of distance such as 5 to 10 m after which the connection will be lost.
2. Wireless mouse – this is yet another useful and widely used application in which a wired mouse connected to a PC or laptop is replaced by a wireless mouse by making use of wireless technology such as Bluetooth.
3. Smart lighting – this is the recent application that has widely gained popularity in urban areas where in the lights in a building (particularly homes) are turned off or can be controlled by an individual using a device from another place. This application is highly efficient as it saves lot of energy and money.

1. Protocols overview:

• Bluetooth – Bluetooth technology as a protocol makes use of radio waves that are in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz and particularly in this frequency band, Bluetooth transmits data and voice at a speed lesser than 1 Mbps. There are two modes in which Bluetooth devices can function. They are circuit switched and packet switched. The circuit – switched mode is the most common mode for voice communications on wireless digital networks and whereas, packed – switched mode is the mode used for internet data and as well as for GPRS. (Proust, 2016)
• Zigbee – Basically the ZigBee is a computer networking protocol of a short – range type that uses low power and complies to IEEE Standard of 802.15.4.The ZigBee technology is designed in such a way to make it less complex and cost – effective than other technologies such as Bluetooth and WPAN. ZigBee being a WPAN protocol, it also finds applications related to telemetry such as building automation and automatic meter reading. This technology makes use of spread spectrum modulation of direct – sequence type with an average data rate of 40 kb / sec in bandwidth range of 900 MHz band and in 2.4 GHz band the data rate is about 250 kb / s. (Jacobsmeyer, 2007)

1. Suggested Improvements:

• Enhanced speed and security
• Frequency issues