LEARN HOW TO DESIGN A LOCAL AREA NETWORK IN 2023 BY YOMESHA

THE AUTHOR OF THIS BLOG IS YONA MESHACK SHANNY

PUBLICATION DATE: JUNE 24, 2023

NAME OF PROJECT: YOMESHA 4TH PROJECT

TITLE OF PROJECT: LEARN HOW TO DESIGN A LOCAL AREA NETWORK IN 2023 BY YOMESHA

E-MAIL: shannyyona@gmail.com

WhatsApp PHONE NO: 0685046743

NAME OF BLOG: tztech-media.blogspot.com

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE AUTHOR:

TO EDUCATION THE COMMUNITY ALL ABOUT THE WORLD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
WHAT ARE BENEFITS AND MISCHIEF OF THE WORD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HOW TO OVERCOME DIFFERENT PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE WORLD OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

LEARN HOW TO DESIGN A LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) 2023 BY YOMESHA

Today i want to teach you how do design your good Local Area Network (LAN) for your own purpose or use even for business issue

In order to know how to design your simple Local Area Network (LAN) your might first know the three important things such as what is computer network, types of computer network as well as the different network topologies.

let us start

Computer Network

Is a set of computers sharing resources located on or provided by network nodes. Computers use common communication protocols over digital interconnections to communicate with each other. Computer networks may be classified by many criteria, including the transmission media which is used to carry signals, bandwidth, and communications protocols to organize networks traffic, the network size, the topology, traffic control mechanisms, and organizational internet. Below are several types of computer network:

Types of Computer Network

Generally, networks are distinguished based on their geographical span. A network can be as small as distance between your mobile phone and its Bluetooth headphone and as large as the internet itself, covering the whole geographical world.

Personal Area Network

A Personal Area Network (PAN) is smallest network which is very personal to a user. This may include Bluetooth enabled devices or infra-red enabled devices. PAN has connectivity range up to 10 meters. PAN may include wireless computer keyboard and mouse, Bluetooth enabled headphones, wireless printers, and TV remotes.

For example, Piconet is Bluetooth-enabled Personal Area Network which may contain up to 8 devices connected together in a master-slave fashion.

Local Area Network

A computer network spanned inside a building and operated under single administrative system is generally termed as Local Area Network (LAN). Usually, LAN covers an organization offices, schools, colleges or universities. Number of systems connected in LAN may vary from as least as two to as much as 16 million.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK

LAN provides a useful way of sharing the resources between end users. The resources such as printers, file servers, scanners, and internet are easily sharable among computers.

LANs are composed of inexpensive networking and routing equipment. It may contains local servers serving file storage and other locally shared applications. It mostly operates on private IP addresses and does not involve heavy routing.

LAN works under its own local domain and controlled centrally.

LAN uses either Ethernet or Token-ring technology. Ethernet is most widely employed LAN technology and uses Star topology, while Token-ring is rarely seen.

LAN can be wired, wireless, or in both forms at once.

Metropolitan Area Network

The Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) generally expands throughout a city such as cable TV network. It can be in the form of Ethernet, Token-ring, ATM, or Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI). Metro Ethernet is a service which is provided by ISPs. This service enables its users to expand their Local Area Networks. For example, MAN can help an organization to connect all of its offices in a city.

METROPOLITAN AREA NETWORK

Backbone of MAN is high-capacity and high-speed fiber optics. MAN works in between Local Area Network and Wide Area Network. MAN provides uplink for LANs to WANs or internet.

Wide Area Network

As the name suggests, the Wide Area Network (WAN) covers a wide area which may span across provinces and even a whole country. Generally, telecommunication networks are Wide Area Network. These networks provide connectivity to MANs and LANs. Since they are equipped with very high speed backbone, WANs use very expensive network equipment.

WIDE AREA NETWORK

WAN may use advanced technologies such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Frame Relay, and Synchronous Optical Network (SONET). WAN may be managed by multiple administration.

Internetwork

A network of networks is called an internetwork, or simply the internet. It is the largest network in existence on this planet. The internet hugely connects all WANs and it can have connection to LANs and Home networks. Internet uses TCP/IP protocol suite and uses IP as its addressing protocol. Present day, Internet is widely implemented using IPv4. Because of shortage of address spaces, it is gradually

migrating from IPv4 to IPv6.

Internet enables its users to share and access enormous amount of information worldwide. It uses WWW, FTP, email services, audio, and video streaming etc. At huge level, internet works on Client-Server model.

Internet uses very high speed backbone of fiber optics. To inter-connect various continents, fibers are laid under sea known to us as submarine communication cable.

Internet is widely deployed on World Wide Web services using HTML linked pages and is accessible by client software known as Web Browsers. When a user requests a page using some web browser located on some Web Server anywhere in the world, the Web Server responds with the proper HTML page. The communication delay is very low.

Internet is serving many proposes and is involved in many aspects of life. Some of them are:

Web sites
E-mail
Instant Messaging
Blogging
Social Media
Marketing
Networking
Resource Sharing
Audio and Video Streaming

INTERNETWORK

let us go through several LAN technologies in brief:

Ethernet

Ethernet is a widely deployed LAN technology. This technology was invented by Bob Metcalfe and D.R. Boggs in the year 1970. It was standardized in IEEE 802.3 in 1980. Ethernet shares media. Network which uses shared media has high probability of data collision.

Ethernet uses Carrier Sense Multi Access/Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) technology to detect collisions. On the occurrence of collision in Ethernet, all its hosts roll back, wait for some random amount of time, and then re-transmit the data.

Ethernet connector is network interface card equipped with 48-bits MAC address. This helps other Ethernet devices to identify and communicate with remote devices in Ethernet.

Traditional Ethernet uses 10BASE-T specifications. The number 10 depicts 10MBPS speed, BASE stands for baseband, and T stands for Thick Ethernet. 10BASE-T Ethernet provides transmission speed up to 10MBPS and uses coaxial cable or Cat-5 twisted pair cable with RJ-5 connector. Ethernet follows Star topology with segment length up to 100 meters. All devices are connected to a hub/switch in a star fashion.

ETHERNET

Fast-Ethernet

To encompass need of fast emerging software and hardware technologies, Ethernet extends itself as Fast-Ethernet. It can run on UTP, Optical Fiber, and wirelessly too. It can provide speed up to 100MBPS. This standard is named as 100BASE-T in IEEE 803.2 using Cat-5 twisted pair cable. It uses CSMA/CD technique for wired media sharing among the Ethernet hosts and CSMA/CA (CA stands for Collision Avoidance) technique for wireless Ethernet LAN. Fast Ethernet on fiber is defined under 100BASE-FX standard which provides speed up to 100MBPS on fiber. Ethernet over fiber can be extended up to 100 meters in half-duplex mode and can reach maximum of 2000 meters in full-duplex over multimode fibers.

FAST-ETHERNET

Giga-Ethernet

After being introduced in 1995, Fast-Ethernet retained its high speed status only for three years till Giga-Ethernet introduced. Giga-Ethernet provides speed up to 1000 mbits/seconds. IEEE802.3ab standardizes Giga-Ethernet over UTP using Cat-5, Cat- 5e and Cat-6 cables. IEEE802.3ah defines Giga-Ethernet over Fiber.

GIGA-ETHERNET

Virtual LAN

LAN uses Ethernet which in turn works on shared media. Shared media in Ethernet create one single Broadcast domain and one single Collision domain. Introduction of switches to Ethernet has removed single collision domain issue and each device connected to switch works in its separate collision domain. But even Switches cannot divide a network into separate Broadcast domains. Virtual LAN is a solution to divide a single Broadcast domain into multiple Broadcast domains. Host in one VLAN cannot speak to a host in another. By default, all hosts are placed into the same VLAN.

VIRTUAL LAN

In this diagram, different VLANs are depicted in different color codes. Hosts in one VLAN, even if connected on the same Switch cannot see or speak to other hosts in different VLANs. VLAN is Layer-2 technology which works closely on Ethernet. To route packets between two different VLANs, a Layer-3 device such as Router is required.

let us also go through several computer network topologies in brief:

A Network Topology is the arrangement with which computer systems or network devices are connected to each other. Topologies may define both physical and logical aspect of the network. Both logical and physical topologies could be same or different in a same network. Below are several computer network topologies:

Point-to-Point

Point-to-point networks contains exactly two hosts such as computer, switches, routers, or servers connected back to back using a single piece of cable. Often, the receiving end of one host is connected to sending end of the other and vice versa.

POINT-TO-POINT

If the hosts are connected point-to-point logically, then may have multiple intermediate devices. But the end hosts are unaware of underlying network and see each other as if they are connected directly.

Bus Topology

In case of Bus topology, all devices share single communication line or cable. Bus topology may have problem while multiple hosts sending data at the same time. Therefore, Bus topology either uses CSMA/CD technology or recognizes one host as Bus Master to solve the issue. It is one of the simple forms of networking where a failure of a device does not affect the other devices. But failure of the shared communication line can make all other devices stop functioning.

BUS TOPOLOGY

Both ends of the shared channel have line terminator. The data is sent in only one direction and as soon as it reaches the extreme end, the terminator removes the data from the line.

Star Topology

All hosts in Star topology are connected to a central device, known as hub device, using a point-to-point connection. That is, there exists a point to point connection between hosts and hub. The hub device can be any of the following:

Layer-1 device such as hub or repeater
Layer-2 device such as switch or bridge
Layer-3 device such as router or gateway

STAR TOPOLOGY

As in Bus topology, hub acts as single point of failure. If hub fails, connectivity of all hosts to all other hosts fails. Every communication between hosts takes place through only the hub. Star topology is not expensive as to connect one more host, only one cable is required and configuration is simple.

Ring Topology

In ring topology, each host machine connects to exactly two other machines, creating a circular network structure. When one host tries to communicate or send message to a host which is not adjacent to it, the data travels through all intermediate hosts. To connect one more host in the existing structure, the administrator may need only one more extra cable.

RING TOPOLOGY

Failure of any host results in failure of the whole ring. Thus, every connection in the ring is a point of failure. There are methods which employ one more backup ring.

Mesh Topology

In this type of topology, a host is connected to one or multiple hosts. This topology has hosts in point-to-point connection with every other host or may also have hosts which are in point-to-point connection with few hosts only.

MESH TOPOLOGY

Hosts in Mesh topology also work as relay for other hosts which do not have direct point-to-point links. Mesh technology comes into two types:

Full Mesh: All hosts have a point-to-point connection to every other host in the network. Thus for every new host n(n-1)/2 connections are required. It provides the most reliable network structure among all network topologies.
Partially Mesh: Not all hosts have point-to-point connection to every other host. Hosts connect to each other in some arbitrarily fashion. This topology exists where we need to provide reliability to some hosts out of all.

Tree Topology

Also known as Hierarchical Topology, this is the most common form of network topology in use presently. This topology imitates as extended Star topology and inherits properties of Bus topology.

This topology divides the network into multiple levels/layers of network. Mainly in LANs, a network is bifurcated into three types of network devices. The lowermost is access-layer where computers are attached. The middle layer is known as distribution layer, which works as mediator between upper layer and lower layer. The highest layer is known as core layer, and is central point of the network, i.e. root of the tree from which all nodes fork.

TREE TOPOLOGY

All neighboring hosts have point-to-point connection between them. Similar to the Bus topology, if the root goes down, then the entire network suffers even though it is not the single point of failure. Every connection serves as point of failure, failing of which divides the network into unreachable segment.

Daisy Chain

This topology connects all the hosts in a linear fashion. Similar to Ring topology, all hosts are connected to two hosts only, except the end hosts. Means, if the end hosts in daisy chain are connected then it represents Ring topology.

DAISY CHAIN

Each link in daisy chain topology represents single point of failure. Every link failure splits the network into two segments. Every intermediate host works as relay for its immediate hosts.

Hybrid Topology

A network structure whose design contains more than one topology is said to be hybrid topology. Hybrid topology inherits merits and demerits of all the incorporating topologies.

HYBRID TOPOLOGY

The above picture represents an arbitrarily hybrid topology. The combining topologies may contain attributes of Star, Ring, Bus, and Daisy-chain topologies. Most WANs are connected by means of Dual-Ring topology and networks connected to them are mostly Star topology networks. Internet is the best example of largest Hybrid topology.

Implementation of Local Area Network (LAN)

Below here i will show you how to implement a simple and good Local Area Network (LAN)

Dear Learner in order to design and implement a simple and good Local Area Network you must choose the network classifications. In order to teach you and be able to understand well what i'm teaching i choose the following network classification:

Transmission media: wired
Network size: LAN
Network topology: star topology

I think now you understand well about LAN as well as star topology because i have already explained above what does it mean.

Network devices

Network devices these are the hardware and/ or software whose primary purpose is to route and control communication between computers and computer networks.

The following are devices that are considered when your designing and implement your Local Area Network using star topology:

RJ45 modular data plugs

These are crimped over the wire ends for plugs into a well jack\switch port, or Ethernet card\ connect on your device.

2.RJ45 crimping tool

This device is needed to crimp the RJ45 modular data plug onto the wire making a connection on each of the pins of the data plug

3. Ethernet cable

This the device which is widely used for networking purpose to establish wired connections between devices, but also Ethernet cable used to create the local area network within home, schools and university and other environments by multiple to a network switch or router using Ethernet cables user can able to share files, printers, and other network resources.

4. Jacket\ sheath cutter\ or wire stripper

This tool will safely cut the jacket off the wires inside without cutting the wires. You will measure out about two inches of the cable to cut the jacket off by twisting the cutter around the cable. This tool is often combined with the RJ45 crimping tool.

5. Rubber shoe/ Rubber boot

They are designed to fit over the end the end of CAT-5 or CAT-6 connectors to relieve the strain on the connector and clean up the cosmetics of the cable this also improve the identification and durability of patch cords terminated with the industry standard RJ45 plug.

6. Computer

This is an electronic device accept input, store data, and provide output when they are needed by the user. In the project computer are connected so as to share some resources within the local area network such as printers and Ethernet cable.

8. Switch

The main function of a switch filter and forward packets between local area network segments switch operate at the data link (layer 2) and sometime the network (layer 3) of the open system interconnect reference model and therefore support any protocol local area network that uses switch are called (switched local area network).

8. Extension cable

This is a device used to supply electricity within the local area network. They are of several length but those which are much preferred are those which are long so that it could be easy to acquire the electricity even though the source is very far from the network.

9. Cable taster

This is an electronic device used to verify the electronic connection in a signal cable or other wired assembly.

TERMINATION

Components:

RJ-45 connector.

Crimping Tool.

Twisted pair Cable.

rubber shoe.

cable striper.

STEP 1

By using a crimping Tool, you can trim the end of the cable that you want to terminating, to ensure that the ends of the conducting wires are even.

STEP 2

Careful we strip off approximately 1 inch of the cable's jacket, using a modular crimping tool or a wire stripper.

STEP 3

We separate the 4 twisted wire pairs from each other, and then unwind each pair, so that we end up with 8 individual wires. We flatten the wires out as much as possible, since they'll need to be very straight for proper insertion into the connector.

STEP 4

We arrange the wires in a flat, side-by-side ribbon formation, placing them in the following order: white orange, orange, white green, blue, white blue, green, white brown, and brown.

STEP 5

We hold the RJ45 connector so that its pins are facing away from us and the plug-clip side is facing down and then we carefully insert the flattened, arranged wires into the connector, pushing through until the wire ends emerge from the pins. For strength of connection, also push as much of the cable jacket as possible into the connector.

STEP 6

We check to make sure that the wire ends coming out of the connector's pin side are in the correct order.

STEP 7

We insert the prepared connector/cable assembly into the RJ45 slot in our crimping tool and firmly squeeze the crimper's handles together until we can't go any further and we release the handles and repeat this step to ensure a proper crimp.

STEP 8

This is step that explain on how to verify the connection of wire if are arranged properly and it involve to turn ON first the cable and then to insert the cable which are already terminated.

STEP 9

After the completion of first termination, we repeat process on the opposite end of our cable and test the Ethernet.

NETWORK CONFIGURATIONS

On the server Computer

On the server computer, we are required to follow these steps to share the network connection:

1. Log in to the host computer as Administrator or as Owner.

2. Click on the search box then, search and open Control Panel.

3. Select and click Network and Internet.

4. Select and click Network and Sharing Center.

5. Select and click Change advanced sharing settings.

6. Then turn ON the following Network discovery, file and printer sharing, public sharing folder, media streaming and password protected sharing.

On the clients Computer

On the client computer, we are required to follow these steps to share the network connection:

1. Log in to the client computer.

2. Click on the search box then, search and open Control Panel.

3. Select and click Network and Internet.

4. Select and click Network and Sharing Center.

5. Select and click Change advanced sharing settings.

6. Turn ON the following Network discovery, file and printer sharing, public sharing folder and password protected sharing then turn OFF media streaming.

Procedure for creation workgroup

Ø Go to start menu and press on search button “change workgroup name”

Ø Then open “change workgroup” click “change”

Ø Give name to the computer.

Ø Select workgroup and write the name of the workgroup

Ø Click “OK” then “apply”

Ø Click “OK” on the required computer to restart

Ø Then click “CLOSE” then “restart now”

This workgroup and computer name helps to identify name of the computer shared in a network as well as helps to organize all computer in a network to facilitate sharing resources.

Procedure for resource sharing

a. File sharing

Ø Select a folder that contain the file be shared then right click and press on properties

Ø Click on security then edit ,then add, the advanced

Ø Click find now and go to search now result then find everyone.

Ø Click “OK” then “OK” again.

Ø Permit everyone then select full control then apply then click ok.

Ø Go to sharing, click share.

Ø Click an arrow to find everyone then select everyone then click add and give permission to read and write.

Ø Then click share and done.

Ø Go to advanced sharing and select share this folder then click “Apply” and “OK”.

Ø Then click close.

The file will be already shared.

b. Printer sharing (Source computer connected to printer).

Ø Open the control panel.

Ø Go to devices and printers sharing.

Ø Then open, after opening select the printer which connected to the computer.

Ø Then right click on that printer and select printer properties and click it.

Ø Go to security then select everyone and on permission for everyone, give the permission print.

Ø Click sharing, then select this printer, then apply and click OK.

We observed printer shared on other on other computers in a network.

On other computers (That are not connected direct to printer).

Ø Open the computer network.

Ø Select the computer that shared the printer to other computers in a network.

Ø Select printer which is shared and open it, in order to install.

Finally we observed shared printer is stored in a computer and has permission to print now.

Procedures to assign IP address on a selected computer.

Ø Select and right click on a computer network, then click properties.

Ø Click “Change adapter setting”.

Ø Select Ethernet and right click.

Ø After that click “properties” and select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).

Ø Click properties then select “Use the following IP address”.

· We decided to use IP address class C which is found in the range of 192.168.20.1 (for the first computer).

· Click subnet mask, in which we observed the subnet mask assigned automatic according to our class range.

Ø Then click “OK”.

Ø After assigning the IP address, we then opened the command prompt in order to check our IP address which we assigned in our computers.

Ø Use ipconfig command to check the IP address and subnet mask which are assigned.

Ø Then use the ping command to ping the IP address of the other computers connected in the same network, in order to check connection if it is ok.

Ø If it is OK, it displays the message reply and if it is not OK, it displays the message “Time out”.

Overview

For sum up, i'm choose star network topology due to the following reasons; cost effective, efficient in troubleshooting, network control, familiar technology, easily expandable, and high data speeds. However, there are some challenges like defective tools such as crimping tool, unavailability of devices such as cable taster, network failure. Star network topology it has different applications such as in education but also in other sectors such as health, judiciary, banks and the like.