NEWT 208 Group Project 1 - WAN Backup Design

Overview

In this project, we are tasked with redesigning the WAN (Wide Area Network) for a campus to address the issues currently faced by the architects, engineers, and users. The key focus of the redesign is on improving network reliability by introducing redundancy, optimizing existing equipment, and proposing a new WAN backup design. The ultimate goal is to ensure continuous network availability, even in the event of equipment failure.

Campus Redesign

The current campus network lacks redundancy, which means that if any critical piece of equipment fails, the entire network could go down, resulting in significant downtime and productivity loss. The proposed solution involves adding a second 6500 switch on top of the three already implemented at each site connected to the ISP. This additional switch will act as a backup, taking over in case the primary switch fails.

1. Redundancy Implementation: Redundancy is a critical feature in any network design. By adding an additional 6500 switch at each site, the network gains an extra layer of reliability. In the event of a switch failure, traffic can be seamlessly redirected to the backup switch, ensuring that network services remain uninterrupted.
2. Switch Replacement: The existing Ethernet hubs, which are a source of network slowness, will be replaced with smaller 3560-CX switches. Unlike hubs, which broadcast incoming traffic to all ports, switches direct traffic only to the intended destination, significantly reducing unnecessary network traffic and improving overall bandwidth efficiency.
3. Packet Switching Implementation: The proposal includes the implementation of packet switching, a method that divides data into packets before they are transmitted. Packet switching is more cost-effective than leased lines because it allows the carrier to use virtual circuits between customers, optimizing the use of available bandwidth.

WAN Backup Design

A robust WAN backup design is essential for maintaining network reliability, especially in the face of potential equipment failures or outages. The proposed design includes several key components to improve the current WAN setup.

1. Trunking the Second Switch: To increase bandwidth and allow for future growth, the second switch will be trunked to the first one with the ISP WAN link. Trunking involves combining multiple network connections to increase the overall bandwidth available, allowing for more simultaneous connections and reducing the likelihood of network congestion.
2. Access Control Lists (ACLs): To further optimize network traffic, ACLs will be created and applied to specific VLANs for each department in the company. ACLs are a set of rules that control the incoming and outgoing network traffic, ensuring that only authorized traffic is allowed to pass through the network interfaces. This helps in reducing unnecessary traffic and improves overall network performance.
3. Dynamic MPLS Redundancy: The proposed WAN backup design includes the implementation of Dynamic MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching). MPLS directs data from one network node to another based on short path labels rather than long network addresses, which speeds up the data transfer process. Dynamic MPLS also supports redundancy by aggregating multiple connections, ensuring that traffic is automatically rerouted if one connection fails.

Benefits of the Proposed Design

The proposed WAN backup design offers several key benefits that address the current network’s shortcomings and future needs.

1. Improved Reliability: By introducing redundancy through the additional 6500 switch and trunking, the network becomes more reliable. The backup switch ensures that even if the primary switch fails, network services remain operational, minimizing downtime and its associated costs.
2. Increased Bandwidth and Scalability: Trunking the second switch with the ISP WAN link not only increases the available bandwidth but also allows for future network expansion. As the company grows, the network can easily accommodate additional connections without compromising performance.
3. Enhanced Security and Traffic Management: The use of ACLs and VLANs helps in managing network traffic more effectively, ensuring that only authorized traffic is allowed to pass through the network. This reduces the risk of security breaches and improves overall network performance.

Conclusion

The proposed WAN backup design for the campus addresses the current issues of redundancy, bandwidth, and traffic management. By implementing additional switches, trunking, ACLs, and Dynamic MPLS, the network will become more reliable, scalable, and secure. These improvements will not only meet the current needs of the company but also ensure that the network can support future growth and technological advancements.