Number of PCs: 1200
LANs: 3 (for three departments in a company)
Platform: XP
Protocol: DHCP
All PCs will be located in one building but 3 different floors.
Usage:
Internet
Office applications
Oracl based internal company database
Some internal communicaation software
Info Required:
1) What should be the structure of 3 LANs? Topology, protocols, servers etc.
2) How should the 3 LANs be merged in the main network? Server, router etc.
3) Basic info on DHCP needed.
Background:
(irrelevent to the tech problem)
I don't have to do all this stuff. I am a manager in an IT company where a major new network is going to be installed. I know some basics of networking but don't have any working experience. Have to sit through the meeting where everyone will be discussing this network and don't want to look like an idiot when asked for my opinion
Guys, I only need overview info on just one of the possible setups. I don't need all the details. Consider it a 120 PC setup if 1200 is too much to explain. Or may be you could point me to some article or something for some information on this topic. I'll really be thankful to you.
Ok just to let you know I have not gone to school on this and this is not my job, but i've messed with networks in my house since I was 11. I can mabe give you the basics.
My thoughts are to have 2 or 3 switches for each floor and have the switches linked up to a central router with at least 8 ports. I recommend one ware you can set stuff like vlans, Qos, and mabe something where you can use the router command line such as a cisco router(If you know how to run them if not stay away very complicated.) Then have another switch for the servers. Also make you will have a faster network if you have something like a gigabit connection between the router and switches. Otherwise you'll have a bottleneck at times.
Once you get that in place you can configure the router to have whatever security setting you want.
agreed with SPAZO, definately static ip address's, try and keep your routers, swithces the same brand, rules out compatability problems. (buying in bulk can be cheaper too). You may get more specifics if you define the departments a little more, because you may not want some departments connecting directly to each other, then again you may want a dept on floor 1 directly connecting to a dept on floor 3, just a thought.
in a really basic way sales and purchasing don't need to communicate so can run on separate switches but they all need to connect to a stock control dept thus all on the same lan...
If i'm soundin stupid to anyone then please put me in me place.
But you need more detail to answer topology.
Static IPs for 1200 PCs? Errrr..have fun managing that, but in running a network that large..heck..in running any network of more than 10 PCs...I'll take DHCP anytime. DNS cache would resolve names.
In the class that this question came from for the exam....what did they tell you to use?
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Spazo wrote:pain, yes but when you get it set up you know that 192.168.3.24 = front desk and so on. Just make it so the average employee cant change the settings.
You already have that with DNS...local name resolution..the IP can be dynamic...the IP could change hourly...it won't matter.
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It just depends on your preferences. some routers have it so you have to enter the ip addresses for any kind of rule. yes local dns would be much quicker and less hassle, but if you have a lot of firewall rules and you don't want certain getting on other computers you almost do need a static on the majority. you can issue a range of ip addresses so like accounting gets 192.168.1.40-60 but give a static to the computers that need special rules. such as 192.168.1.41 has access to sales computer 5 (192.168.2.53) but 192.168.1.42 does not. When it comes down to it, it depends on what kind of security you need.
In those cases...what we usually implement in our business and enterprise networks...you make what's called "DHCP reservations". It's much more preferred. Whatever DHCP service you run (on a network this large..I'm sure there would be active directory)...the service hands out a specific IP address based on MAC address of client. This way your deployment of many workstations remains easy, let their TCP/IP be set to "obtain auto". And more importantly, you ease of management is kept relatively easy.
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