Semester Project for System and Network Administration

BSIT 7th (Evening)

Coursework Brief:
UOC is a large university in the locality. It has Four Blocks. (BS Block, City Block, Engg.
Block and Karam Noor Block). Each block is allocated to a four different faculties. (CS/IT, Engg,
Medical Science, and Law)
These blocks are approximately one kilometer away from one another. Each Faculity member has a
computer or laptop and students have the access to Lab only.

Requirements:

1. Main Campus
• Building A, Administrative staff in the departments., The admin staff PCs are distributed in
the building offices and it is expected they will share some networking devices.(Hint: VLANs
is expected here)
• BuildingB. Facultymembers(teachers)
• Building C. Labs for students
• Building D. Data Center
b. You will be expected to configure the core devices and few end devices to provide end to end
connectivity and access to the internal server and external server.
• Each department has its own IP Network.
• Each switch is configured with appropriate VLAN and security setting.
• OSPF is used for routing
• Devices in Building B will be provided Dynamic hosting

Tasks:
1. Your task is to plan a network design for the university using Packet tracer
2. Configure Packet Tracer the Network with appropriate setting to achieve the
connectivity and functionalities specified in the requirements.
3. Produce a report (max 1500 words) including evaluation your proposed network
design and critical appraisal on your work. Your evaluation should include
performance, scalability, reliability and security of your proposed network.

Submission Guidelines:

• Report must be printed with Times New Roman with font size 12
• Headings must be bold
• Set proper margin
• It must be binded
• Soft copy of your plan must for completion of your task
• This project will a group task as mentioned in FYP
• Last date of submission is 22-01-2025
Introduction

The University of Chakwal is a large institution with a distributed campus consisting of four
blocks: BS Block, City Block, Eng. Block, and Karam Noor Block. Each block hosts a
specific faculty: CS/IT, Engineering, Medical Science, and Law, respectively. To cater to the
networking needs of faculty, staff, and students, this project aims to design a robust, scalable,
and secure network. The network will provide seamless connectivity within the campus and
access to external servers while ensuring data security and optimal performance.

This report outlines the proposed network design, configuration details, performance
evaluation, and a critical appraisal of the design’s effectiveness.

Network Design

Campus Layout

The campus consists of four blocks spread approximately one kilometre apart. Each block is
assigned a specific role:

• BS Block: Faculty of CS/IT

• City Block: Faculty of Engineering

• Eng. Block: Faculty of Medical Science

• Karam Noor Block: Faculty of Law

The main campus buildings are structured as follows:

• Building A: Administrative staff

 • Building B: Faculty members (teachers)

• Building C: Student labs

• Building D: Data centre

IP Addressing Scheme

Each department is allocated a unique IP network to ensure logical separation and ease of
management. Subnetting is applied to optimize IP address usage, with adequate room for
future growth.

Department IP Range Subnet Mask

Administrative 192.168.1.0/24 255.255.255.0

Faculty 192.168.2.0/24 255.255.255.0

Labs 192.168.3.0/24 255.255.255.0

Data Centre 192.168.4.0/24 255.255.255.0

VLAN Configuration

VLANs are implemented to segment the network logically and enhance security and
performance. Each building and function is assigned its own VLAN:

• VLAN 10: Administrative Staff

• VLAN 20: Faculty

• VLAN 30: Labs

• VLAN 40: Data Center

Routing Protocol

OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is selected as the routing protocol due to its scalability and
efficiency. OSPF enables dynamic routing between VLANs and buildings, ensuring optimal
data flow and redundancy.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Dynamic IP allocation is implemented for faculty devices in Building B using a centralized

DHCP server. This reduces administrative overhead and ensures efficient IP address
management.

Data Center Design

Building D hosts the core data center, which provides services such as internal file storage, a
centralized DHCP server, and access to external servers. Proper redundancy and security
measures are implemented to ensure uptime and data protection.
Implementation

Tools and Resources

The network design and configuration are simulated using Cisco Packet Tracer. Core devices
include:

• Layer 3 switches for inter-VLAN routing

• Layer 2 switches for endpoint connections

• Routers for external connectivity

Configuration Details

1. VLAN Setup:

o VLANs are created and assigned to respective ports.

o Example configuration for VLAN 10:

o Switch(config)# vlan 10

o Switch(config-vlan)# name Admin_Staff

o Switch(config-vlan)# exit

o Switch(config)# interface range fa0/1-10

o Switch(config-if-range)# switchport access vlan 10

Switch(config-if-range)# switchport mode access

2. OSPF Configuration:

o OSPF is enabled and networks are advertised:

o Router(config)# router ospf 1

o Router(config-router)# network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

o Router(config-router)# network 192.168.2.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

o Router(config-router)# network 192.168.3.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

Router(config-router)# network 192.168.4.0 0.0.0.255 area 0

3. DHCP Configuration:

o DHCP settings for VLAN 20:

o Router(config)# ip dhcp pool Faculty

o Router(dhcp-config)# network 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0

 o Router(dhcp-config)# default-router 192.168.2.1

Router(dhcp-config)# dns-server 8.8.8.8

Testing and Verification

• Ping tests between VLANs to confirm inter-VLAN routing.

• Connectivity tests to ensure access to external servers.

• DHCP lease validation for faculty devices.

Evaluation

Performance

The network design ensures minimal latency and high throughput through effective VLAN
segmentation and OSPF routing. Load balancing and traffic prioritization further enhance
performance.

Scalability

The hierarchical structure and logical addressing scheme allow for easy expansion.
Additional blocks or devices can be incorporated with minimal reconfiguration.

Reliability

Redundancy is built into the design using backup links and failover configurations for critical
devices. Regular monitoring ensures high availability.

Security

Security measures include:

• VLAN-based segmentation to isolate sensitive data.

• Access control lists (ACLs) to restrict unauthorized access.

• Regular updates and patches for network devices.

Critical Appraisal

Strengths

• Logical segmentation enhances performance and security.

• Scalable design accommodates future growth.

• Centralized DHCP and dynamic routing reduce administrative overhead.

Challenges
 • Ensuring redundancy for remote blocks may require additional investment.

• Initial configuration and testing are time-intensive.

Areas for Improvement

• Implement advanced security measures such as firewalls and intrusion detection

systems.

• Enhance redundancy with additional backup links and hardware.

Conclusion

The proposed network design effectively addresses the university’s requirements for
connectivity, security, and scalability. Through VLAN segmentation, OSPF routing, and
centralized management, the network ensures reliable performance and accommodates future
growth. While the design is robust, continual monitoring and updates will further enhance its
effectiveness.

References

• Cisco Networking Academy. (2023). CCNA Exploration: LAN Switching and

Wireless.

• Tanenbaum, A. S. (2020). Computer Networks.