Mettu University

Information Technology Program

Department of Information Technology

Course: Network Design

Course code: ITec4111

Chapter One
Introduction to Network Design

E-mail: [email protected]

Prepared by: Fikadu M (MSc)

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 Introduction
Network Design: (Always keep the users and type of
services in mind)
Network design refers to the planning for the
implementation of a computer network infrastructure.
Network design is generally performed
by network designers, engineers, IT administrators and
other related staff.
 It is done before the implementation of a network infrastructure
 Network design has generally been considered an art consisting of
a set of rules acquired through experience.
For example the 80/20 rule where 80% of a network’s
traffic is local and 20% is remote.
2 Network technologies and requirements have increased
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 Factors that affect Network Design
Capacity planning (a major factor in the design of the network)
Delay performance

Capacity Planning
Generally the solution to a problem will be “throw bandwidth to the
problem”.
Sometimes and especially recently it offers some relief but it is does not
solve all problems.
Delay performance
It’s very important in real-time services and needs to be optimized.
Network Reliability, Maintainability, and Availability (RMA) are the factor
that is really important for customer satisfaction.
Network Requirement
Most businesses actually have only a few requirements for their network:
The network should stay up all the time, even in the event of failed links,
equipment failure, and overloaded conditions.
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 Cont. …
The network should reliably deliver applications and provide

reasonable response times from any host to any host.

The network should be secure. It should protect the data that is

transmitted over it and data stored on the devices that connect

to it.
The network should be easy to modify to adapt to network

growth and general business changes. Because failures

occasionally occur, troubleshooting should be easy.
4 Finding and fixing a problem should not be too time-consuming
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 Why Network designers should consider?
Network designers ensure that our communications networks can

adjust and scale to the demands for new services.

To support our network-based economy, designers must work to create

networks that are available always (nearly 100 percent of the time).
Information network security must be designed to automatically fend

off unexpected security incidents.

Using hierarchical network design principles and an organized design

methodology, designers create networks that are both manageable

and supportable.
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Fundamental Design Goals
 When examined carefully, these requirements translate into four fundamental
network design goals:
 Availability
 Manageability
 Scalability
 Security
The Technical View
 A “Network” really can be thought of as of three things and they all need to be considered
when working on a network design project
 Connections
 Communications
 Services
 Connections
It’s provided by a hardware that ties things together
 Wire/Fiber Transport Mechanisms
 Routers
 Switches/Hubs
 Computers
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 Communications:
Cont…
 It’s provided by software
 A common language for 2 systems to communicate with each other.
 Interoperability Protocols
 TCP/IP (Internet/Windows NT), IPX / SPX (Novell Netware), AppleTalk, etc.
Services
It’s called as a Heart of Networking - especially important
today: the Internet in particular is moving quickly from a
connection emphasis to a service oriented network.
Cooperation between 2 or more systems to perform some
function – Applications driven
 – telnet, ftp, http, SNMP, UDP, etc.

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Network Design Overview
 They connect people, support applications and services, and provide access to
the resources that keep the businesses running.
 To meet the daily requirements of businesses, networks themselves are
becoming quite complex.
Building a Good Network
 Does not happen in a day
 A successful network is achieved by the hard work of network designers and
technicians, who identify network requirements and select the best solutions
to meet the needs of a business.
 The steps required to design a good network are as follows:
1. Verify the business goals and technical requirements.
2. Determine the features and functions required to meet the needs identified in Step
1.
3. Perform an assessment on network-readiness
4. Create a solution and site acceptance test plan.
8
5. Create
NetworkaDesign
project plan. 02/26/2025
 High Level View of NW design
Flat Design vs. Hierarchical Design

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 Introduction to Networks
 In the 1960s and 1970s, before the PC was invented, a company would typically

have only one central computer: a mainframe. Users connected to the mainframe
through terminals on their desks.
 These terminals had no intelligence of their own their only function was to display

a text-based user interface provided by the mainframe. For this reason, they were
usually called dumb terminals. The only network was the connection between the
terminals and the mainframe.
 In 1981, the IBM PC was released an event that changed the industry significantly.

 The PC had intelligence of its own, allowing users to do tasks on their desktops

that previously required a mainframe. Networks were introduced to interconnect

these distributed PCs.
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 Cont..
 The term network is used in many ways. For example, people network with one another,

telephones are networked in the public telephone system, and data networks connect
different computers.
 These uses of the term have a common thread: Networks make it possible for people or

devices to communicate with each other.

 A data network is a network that allows computers to exchange data.

 The simplest data network is two PCs connected through a cable. However, most data

networks connect many devices.

 An internetwork is a collection of individual networks connected by networking devices

and that function as a single large network.

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 Cont…
 The public Internet is the most common example it is a single network that connects

millions of computers. Internetworking refers to the industry and products that are
involved in the design, implementation, and administration of internetworks .
 The first networks were LANs; they enabled multiple users in a relatively small

geographic area to exchange files and messages and to access shared resources such
as printers and disk storage.
 WANs were introduced to interconnect these LANs so that geographically dispersed

users could also share information. The “LANs and WANs” section later in this
chapter further describes these two types of networks.
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 Protocols
A protocol is a set of rules. The OSI model provides a framework
for the communication protocols used between computers. Two
computers must use the same protocol to communicate.
Computers that try to use different protocols would be analogous
to speaking in Italian to someone who understands only English it
would not work.
The most widely used network protocol suite today is the TCP/IP
suite, named after two of the protocols within the suite.
This network protocol suite is used in many places, including the
backbone of the Internet and within organization’s networks.
Novell’s NetWare, Apple Corporation’s AppleTalk, and IBM’s
System Network Architecture are other examples of network
protocol suites.
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 The OSI Layers
 The ISO standards committee created a list of all the network
functions required for sending data (such as an e-mail) and
divided them into seven categories.
This model is known as the OSI seven layer models. The OSI
seven-layer model was released in 1984.

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 Cont…
Application layer: Session layer:
 Network application Controls the dialog between
Mail computers
Web Also controls the duplexing,
File transfer
Management termination and restarts
Remote Connection Datagrams are called upper layer
 Datagrams are called upper layer data
data Transport layer:
Presentation layer: Provide transparent transfer of data
 Provides a context for communication TCP And UDP
between layer End
 ASCII characters
to end connection
 Encryption and decryption Reliability
 Compression Flow control
 Datagrams are called upper layer data Datagrams are called segments
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. Network layer
 Provides connection between host
to different networks
 IPv4 and IPv6
 Routing of packets
 Datagrams are called packets
Data Link layer:
 Provides connection between host
on the same network
 Ethernet
 MAC Address
 Datagrams are called frames
Physical layer:
 Describes electrical and physical
specification for devices
 Cables, connectors, hubs, repeaters
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 LANs and WANs
LAN
LANs were first used between PCs when users needed to connect
with other PCs in the same building to share resources.
A LAN is a high-speed, yet relatively inexpensive, network that
allows connected computers to communicate.
LANs have limited reach (hence the term local-area network),
typically less than a few hundred meters, so they can connect only
devices in the same room or building, or possibly within the same
campus.
A LAN is an always-on connection in other words, you don’t have to
dial up or otherwise connect to it when you want to send some
data. LANs also usually belong to the organization in which they are
deployed, so no incremental cost is typically associated with
sending data.
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 Cont…
 A variety of LAN technologies are available, some of which are described here:
 Ethernet and IEEE 802.3, running at 10 megabits per second (Mbps), use a
carrier sense multiple access collision detect (CSMA/CD) technology. When a
CSMA/CD device has data to send, it listens to see whether any of the other
devices on the wire (multiple accesses) are transmitting (carrier sense). If no
other device is transmitting, this device starts to send its data, listening all the
time in case another device erroneously starts to send data (collision detect).
 Fast Ethernet (at 100 Mbps), covered by the IEEE 802.3u specification, also
uses the CSMA/ CD technology.
 Gigabit Ethernet (running at 1 gigabit per second [Gbps]) is covered by the
IEEE 802.3z and 802.3ab specifications and uses the CSMA/CD technology.
 Wireless LAN (WLAN) standards, defined by the IEEE 802.11 specifications, are
capable of speeds up to 54 Mbps under the 802.11g specification. (A new
standard, 802.11n, planned to be ratified in 2007, will be capable of higher
speeds.) WLANs use a carrier sense multiple access collision avoidance
(CSMA/CA) mechanism (versus the CSMA/CD mechanism used by the wired
Ethernet standards).
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 WAN
 WANs interconnect devices that are usually connected to LANs and are located over a
relatively broad geographic area (hence the term wide-area network). Compared to a
LAN, a typical WAN is slower, requires a connection request when you want to send
data, and usually belongs to another organization (called a service provider). You pay
the service provider a fee (known as a tariff) for the use of the WAN; this fee could be
a fixed monthly amount, or it could be variable based on usage and distance.
 Some of the common WAN technologies include the following:
 Packet-switched network: A network that shares the service provider’s facilities.
 The service provider creates permanent virtual circuits and switched virtual circuits
that deliver data between subscribers’ sites. Frame Relay is an example of a packet-
switched network.
 Leased line: A point-to-point connection reserved for transmission. Common data
link layer protocols used in this case are PPP and High-Level Data Link Control
(HDLC).
 Circuit-switched network: A physical path reserved for the duration of the
connection between two points. ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) is an example of this
type of network.
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 Network Devices
Terminology: Domains, Bandwidth, Unicast, Broadcast,
and Multicast
The following is some terminology related to the operation of
network devices:
A domain is a specific part of a network.
Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be carried across a
network in a given time period.
Unicast data is data meant for a specific device.
Broadcast data is data meant for all devices; a special
broadcast address indicates this.
Multicast data is data destined for a specific group of
devices; again, a special address indicates this.
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 Hubs
 A typical Ethernet LAN uses unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cables with
RJ-45 connectors (which are slightly bigger than telephone RJ-11
connectors). Because these cables have only two ends, you need an
intermediary device to connect more than two computers. That device
is a hub.
A hub works at Layer 1 and connects multiple devices so that they are
logically all on one LAN.
A hub has no intelligence it sends all data received on any port to all
the other ports. Consequently, devices connected through a hub
receive everything that the other devices send, whether or not it was
meant for them. This is analogous to being in a room with lots of
people if you speak, everyone can hear you. If more than one person
speaks at a time, everyone just hears noise.
All devices connected to a hub are in one collision domain and one
broadcast domain.
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 Switches
 Just as having many people in a room trying to speak can result in nobody
hearing anything intelligible, using hubs in anything but a small network
is not efficient. To improve performance, LANs are usually divided into
multiple smaller LANs interconnected by a Layer 2 LAN switch.
The devices connected to a switch again appear as they are all on one
LAN, but this time, multiple conversations between devices connected
through the switch can happen simultaneously.
LAN switches are Layer 2 devices and have some intelligence they send
data to a port only if the data needs to go there. A device connected to a
switch port does not receive any of the information addressed to devices
on other ports.
Therefore, the main advantage of using a switch instead of a hub is that
the traffic received by a device is reduced because only frames addressed
to a specific device are forwarded to the port on which that device is
connected.
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 Cont…
Switches read the source and destination MAC addresses in the frames and

therefore can keep track of who is where, and who is talking to whom, and
send data only where it needs to go.
However, if the switch receives a frame whose destination address indicates

that it is a broadcast (information meant for everyone) or multicast

(information meant for a group), by default it sends the frame out all ports
(except for the one on which it was received).
All devices connected to one switch port are in the same collision domain,

but devices connected to different ports are in different collision domains. By

default, all devices connected to a switch are in the same broadcast domain.
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 Routers
 A router goes one step further than a switch. It is a Layer 3 device that has much more

intelligence than a hub or switch. By using logical Layer 3 addresses, routers allow devices

on different LANs to communicate with each other and with distant devices for example,

those connected through the Internet or through a WAN. Examples of logical Layer 3

addresses include TCP/IP’s IP addresses and Novell’s IPX addresses.

 A device connected to a router does not receive any of the information meant just for

devices on other ports, or broadcasts (destined for all networks) from devices on other

ports.

 The router reads the source and destination logical addresses in the packets and therefore

keeps track of who is where, and who is talking to whom, and sends data only where it

needs to go.
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 Cont…
 It supports communication between LANs, but it blocks broadcasts

(destined for all networks).

 All devices connected to one router port are in the same collision domain,

but devices connected to different ports are in different collision domains.

 All the devices connected to one router port are in the same broadcast

domain, but devices connected to different ports are in different broadcast

domains. Routers block broadcasts (destined for all networks) and

multicasts by default; routers forward only unicast packets (destined for a

specific device) and packets of a special type called directed broadcasts.

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 Switches versus Bridges
 You might have also heard of bridges. Switches and bridges are logically

equivalent.
 The main differences are as follows:

 Switches are significantly faster because they switch in hardware, whereas

bridges switch in software.

 Switches can interconnect LANs of unlike bandwidth. A 10-Mbps Ethernet

LAN and a 100- Mbps Ethernet LAN, for example, can be connected using a
switch. In contrast, all the ports on a bridge support one type of media.
 Switches typically have more ports than bridges.

 Modern switches have additional features not found on bridges

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 TCP/IP Suite

The TCP/IP application layer includes the functionality of the OSI application,
presentation, and session layers.

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 Application Layer:
FTP and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP): Transfer files
between devices.
SMTP and POP3: Provide e-mail services.
HTTP: Transfers information to and from a World Wide Web server
through web browser software.
Telnet: Emulates a terminal to connect to devices.
Domain Name System (DNS): Translates network device names
into network addresses and vice versa.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP): Used for
network management, including setting threshold values and
reporting network errors.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP): Assigns dynamic
IP addressing information to devices as they require it.
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 Transport Layer Protocols
 The TCP/IP transport layer includes the following two protocols:
 Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): Provides connection-oriented, end-to-
end reliable transmission. Before sending any data, TCP on the source device
establishes a connection with TCP on the destination device, ensuring that both
sides are synchronized. Data is acknowledged; any data not received properly is
retransmitted. FTP is an example of an application that uses TCP to guarantee
that the data sent from one device to another is received successfully.
 User Datagram Protocol (UDP): Provides connectionless, best-effort
unacknowledged data transmission. In other words, UDP does not ensure that all
the segments arrive at the destination undamaged. UDP does not have the
overhead of TCP related to establishing the connection and acknowledging the
data. However, this means that upper-layer protocols or the user must determine
whether all the data arrived successfully, and retransmit if necessary.
 TFTP is an example of an application that uses UDP. When all the segments have
arrived at the destination, TFTP computes the file check sequence and reports
the results to the user. If an error occurs, the user must send the entire file again.
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 Internet Layer Protocols
The TCP/IP Internet layer corresponds to the OSI network layer and
includes the IP-routed protocol, as well as a protocol for message and
error reporting.
Protocols
The protocols at this layer include the following:
IP: Provides connectionless, best-effort delivery of datagrams through the
network. A unique IP address—a logical address—is assigned to each
interface of each device in the network.
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP): Sends messages and
error reports through the network. For example, the ping application
included in most TCP/IP protocol suites sends an ICMP echo message to a
destination, which then replies with an ICMP echo reply message.
Ping provides confirmation that the destination can be reached and gives
a measure of how long packets are taking to travel between the source
and destination.
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 ! ! !
N E
R O
T E
H AP
F C
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N D
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