networking :: essays research papers

Computer Network Modifications. Regional Offices. Existing Bus Topology (hubs) should be replaced with star topology using switches. In star topology, all devices are connected to a common central location, typically a hub or a switch, in this case we will be using switches. (See diagram 1) when a node sends data to the central location, the central device retransmits the information and sends it to the destination. Because all cabling is connected to the central device , if one link fails, only that portion of the network will fail. The rest of the network will not be affected. However, if the central devise fails the entire network will fail. A star topology can have a maximum of 1024 nodes on a LAN and is commonly used for 10BaseT. (IEEE 802.3) and 100BaseTX (IEEE 802.3u) Ethernet. The advantages of using a Star Topology include reliability and ease of maintenance and installation. Monitoring and troubleshooting can be maintained at the central device, providing easier maintenance. A Star topology allows for greater reliability because each node is connected to the central devise by a segment. If one segment breaks, only that node loses access to the network so the rest of the network is not affected. Because each node is connected to the central device, star topologies also allow for an easy network layout, providing the network administrator easier installation over the other topologies. The disadvantage of this topology is cost. With each devise being connected to the central location, more cabling is required than with other topologies. In addition there is a cost of the central device. This is a LAN topology in which endpoints on a network are connected to a common central switch by point to point links. A ring topology that is organised as a star implements a unidirectional closed loop star, instead of point to point links. (Diagram 1: Star Toplogy) Star topology is the most widely used models in networking and are extremely stable By using Assymetric switches (10/100) over the existing CAT 5 UTP cabling. CAT 5 UTP can accommodate up to 100MB/S Switches have many benefits. A LAN switch allows many users to communicate in parallel through the use of virtual circuits and dedicated network segments in a collision free environment. This maximises the bandwidth availability on the shared medium. Also, moving to a switched LAN environment is very cost effective because you can reuse the existing hardware and cabling. The power of the switch combined with the software to configure LAN’s gives network administrators’ greater flexibility in managing the network.