You have been asked to help upgrade the LAN at a very successful CPA firm with five departments in one building and a total of 560 employees. Although the firm's employees understand accounting, they haven't spent much time improving their network. Currently, it runs 10Base-T Ethernet and relies on 35 hubs to connect every user workstation to the network. Most of these workstations were purchased within the past two years, when the firm experienced a growth spurt. The hubs are connected to the backbone via switches. The CPA firm wants to upgrade its LAN, but not at great cost. It also wants to ensure that it can easily expand its LAN in the future. It has already decided to use a version of Linux as its network operating system. What kind of LAN will you design for this company? Describe its physical layer standard this access method should rely on. What types of infrastructure upgrades are necessary to implement your suggested network?
I want the answer in that situation
To design a LAN for the CPA firm with the given requirements, we need to consider a solution that is both cost-effective and scalable for future expansion.
Physical Layer Standard:
For the LAN design, we will recommend using a Fast Ethernet network infrastructure based on the 100Base-TX standard. This standard provides a significant upgrade in terms of bandwidth compared to the existing 10Base-T Ethernet. It supports data transfer rates of up to 100 Mbps, which will improve network performance and accommodate the firm's operations effectively.
Access Method:
The recommended access method for the LAN would be Ethernet with a star topology. In this topology, each user workstation is directly connected to a central switch, which acts as the backbone of the network. This allows for easy management and troubleshooting of network connections.
Infrastructure Upgrades:
To implement this suggested network, several infrastructure upgrades are necessary. Here are the key components to consider:
1. Switches: Replace the existing hubs with new switches. Since switches provide dedicated bandwidth to each connected device, they offer better performance and alleviate network congestion. The number of switches required would depend on the number of user workstations. Consider switches with additional ports for future expansion.
2. Cabling: Upgrade the existing cabling infrastructure to support Fast Ethernet. Replace the current Category 5 (Cat5) cables with Category 5e (Cat5e) or Category 6 (Cat6) cables. These cables can handle higher data transfer rates and provide better signal quality.
3. Network Operating System: Install and configure a version of Linux as the network operating system. Linux provides cost-effective and reliable options for network management, security, and scalability.
4. Network Security: Implement appropriate security measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, and access controls to protect the network from unauthorized access and potential threats.
5. Network Monitoring: Consider implementing network monitoring tools to ensure optimal network performance, identify and troubleshoot any issues, and plan for future expansion based on network utilization data.
By upgrading to a Fast Ethernet network based on the 100Base-TX standard, implementing a star topology with switches, and upgrading relevant infrastructure components, the CPA firm will have a cost-effective and scalable LAN that can accommodate their current needs while allowing for future growth.