Benefits of Subnetting a Small Network
Review the scenario and client expectations https://app.sophia.org/tutorials/introduction-to-networking-scenario-and-client-expectations about Greenfield Properties. Make sure you also review the additional client expectations related to this Touchstone Preparation.
Based on the information provided by the client, answer the following questions in 2-4 sentences each. Be sure to explain your answers in detail.
Although this network is rather small, subnetting it can still be beneficial. What are some reasons why? If you need some help, this article https://www.fieldengineer.com/skills/subnetting may be useful.
How do you plan to segment the network? Explain your strategy, and list the subnets you would create.
Looking at the scenario document, how many subnets do you think you will need, and how many hosts must each of them support?
Given the needed numbers of hosts that each subnet will support, what subnet masks should be used for each of them? For each subnet, state the number of mask bits (for example, /27) and the subnet mask to use (for example, 255.255.255.224). You may find it useful to use a subnetting calculator, such as this calculator https://www.subnet-calculator.com/. (Ref: IP Subnetting https://app.sophia.org/tutorials/ip-subnetting)
Do you think it would be useful to implement VLANs in the proposed network? Why or why not? (Ref: Virtual LANs https://app.sophia.org/tutorials/virtual-lans)
Benefits of Subnetting a Small Network:
Subnetting a small network can provide several benefits, even if the network size is relatively small. Some reasons why subnetting can be beneficial are:
Improved Network Performance: By dividing the network into smaller subnets, you can reduce network congestion and improve overall performance. Each subnet can have its own broadcast domain, which means that broadcast traffic is contained within each subnet and doesn’t unnecessarily traverse the entire network.
Enhanced Security: Subnetting allows for the implementation of security measures such as access control lists (ACLs) at the subnet level. This enables better control over network traffic and helps to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
Simplified Network Management: Subnetting allows for easier management of IP addresses and network resources. It provides greater flexibility in assigning IP addresses and makes it easier to troubleshoot network issues by isolating problems within specific subnets.
Segmentation Strategy and Subnets:
To segment the network in Greenfield Properties, I would use a combination of geographic and functional segmentation.
Geographic Segmentation:
Office Building 1: This would be considered as one subnet.
Office Building 2: This would be considered as a separate subnet.
Remote Office: This would be considered as another subnet.
Functional Segmentation:
Administration Department: This would be a separate subnet within each office building.
Sales Department: This would be another subnet within each office building.
IT Department: This would be a separate subnet within each office building.
Based on this segmentation strategy, the subnets that would be created are:
Office Building 1 - Administration Department
Office Building 1 - Sales Department
Office Building 1 - IT Department
Office Building 2 - Administration Department
Office Building 2 - Sales Department
Office Building 2 - IT Department
Remote Office - Administration Department
Remote Office - Sales Department
Remote Office - IT Department
Number of Subnets and Hosts:
Looking at the scenario document, it is mentioned that there are three office buildings and one remote office. Therefore, a total of four subnets would be needed.
In terms of hosts, the scenario document states that each office building has 50 users, and the remote office has 25 users. Therefore, each subnet should support a minimum of 50 hosts.
Subnet Masks for Each Subnet:
To determine the subnet masks for each subnet, we need to calculate the number of mask bits based on the number of hosts required.
For a minimum of 50 hosts per subnet, we need a subnet mask with at least 6 host bits (2^6 = 64 - 2 = 62 usable hosts).
The subnet masks for each subnet would be as follows:
Office Building 1 - Administration Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Office Building 1 - Sales Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Office Building 1 - IT Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Office Building 2 - Administration Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Office Building 2 - Sales Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Office Building 2 - IT Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Remote Office - Administration Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Remote Office - Sales Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Remote Office - IT Department: /26 (255.255.255.192)
Implementing VLANs:
It would be useful to implement VLANs in the proposed network for several reasons:
Enhanced Security: VLANs provide logical segmentation of the network, allowing for better isolation of traffic between different departments or user groups. This helps to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive resources and improves overall network security.
Improved Performance: By separating different types of traffic onto separate VLANs, network performance can be optimized. For example, separating voice traffic from data traffic can ensure that voice calls are prioritized and have minimal latency.
Simplified Management: VLANs make it easier to manage and configure network resources by grouping devices into logical groups based on their function or location. It allows for more efficient network administration and troubleshooting.
Overall, implementing VLANs in the proposed network would provide better security, performance, and management capabilities, making it a valuable addition to Greenfield Properties’ network infrastructure.