Learn how to design an effective and efficient network by applying the LAN design goals:

• Scalability: the network must be capable of easily growing to meet any future requirements.
• Functionality: the network must meet the requirements of the users.
• Adaptability: the network must be capable of evolving to use future technologies with the minimum disruption and cost.
• Manageability: the network must be designed with monitoring and management of the network in mind , to ensure ongoing efficiency.

Understand the need to establish what the Customers current and future requirements are by discussion.

• Identify what applications will be implemented now and in the future and how will they be implemented, e.g. on hosts or on servers.
• Identify security policy.
• Identify Internet and WAN connectivity requirements.
• Identify company policy on network administration.

Analyse the requirements.

Design and document the layer 1 requirements.

• Use appropriate media for the cabling, i.e. CAT5e for horizontal cabling, fibre for vertical or backbone cabling.
• Determine the location and type of hubs and repeaters.
• Create a topological diagram.
• Create a cut sheet showing the cabling in detail.

Design and document the layer 2 requirements.

• Determine the location and type of switches and bridges.
• Document the configuration of switches.

Design and document the layer 3 requirements.

• Determine the location and type of routers.
• Document the configuration of routers.

Appreciate the importance of documentation for the installation, maintenance and management of the network..

Understand collision and broadcast domains and the effect these have on bandwidth availability and network performance.

Understand how segmentation with different types of networking equipment affects collision and broadcast domains.

Understand IP and IPX addressing schemes and document how they are implemented.

Understand routing protocols such as IGRP and how they affect network performance with routing table updates. Document how they are implemented.

Understand how the placement of servers affects traffic flow. Workgroup servers accessed by a small group should be located as close to them as possible. Enterprise servers accessed by all staff need to be placed where they will cause least congestion such as at the MDF.

Understand the role Access Control Lists (ACLs) play in regulating traffic and providing security. Understand how to implement ACLs on a routers interface for maximum effectiveness. Document how the ACLs are implemented.

Understand how VLANs work. How they can be used for segmenting broadcast domains and provide security and flexibility by enabling groups of users to be associated by function rather than location. Understand and document how the VLANs are implemented.

Understand the features and benefits of WAN protocols such as PPP, ISDN and Frame Relay. Understand and document how they are implemented.