Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a networking report that outlines the business and technical network requirements for a fictional advertising agency. The report will include strategies for WAN connectivity, IP addressing, and wireless access, along with the business and technical rationale for the recommendations. Terms and concepts used in the report must also be explained clearly and thoroughly.
The project includes two milestones submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final project is submitted in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
- Understand the language, theory, and concepts involved in telecommunications and networks
- Understand the relationship between networking technology, network services, and business
- Demonstrate practical hands-on competency with networking hardware and software
- Present and communicate networking concepts to others
Prompt
The scenario: Newton Ad Agency is a startup with three locations. The headquarters is located in Austin, TX, with a satellite office located 2 miles away in a rural area. There is a clear line of sight between the two offices. The New York office needs to share large media files with the Austin office. The New York office will also have a web server for clients to download large media files and needs to be able to do it quickly.
To hire the best talents, Newton Ad Agency allows employees to work from home full-time. Remote workers will need access to the network in Austin. The IT Department should have the ability to log into all of the workstations, including the remote computers, when they are connected to the network.
You have been hired as the network administrator. You are tasked with building the network IP strategy, building a remote access strategy, and selecting WAN technologies that meet the business requirements. As one of your first tasks, you have been asked to develop a proposal for the management team. These members have varying backgrounds and sometimes limited knowledge of IT services.
Newton Ad Agency: Business and Technical Requirements
1. Spend no more than $1,100 per month on internet for all sites (after initial hardware and setup costs)
2. The company IP addresses should be within the following range: 192.168.100.0–192.168.103.255
Austin Headquarters: Business and Technical Requirements
1. Fast WAN connectivity
2. Must have backup WAN connectivity with 99.999% uptime
3. IP addresses must support 500 hosts
4. Must provide wireless access for users
5. All wireless connectivity must be centrally managed
Austin Headquarters: Available Internet Options
1. Fiber Optics ($700)
2. T1 ($300)
3. Cable ($175)
4. DSL ($75)
New York Office: Business and Technical Requirements
1. Fast WAN connectivity
2. IP address strategy for 200 users/PCs
New York Office: Available Internet Options
1. Fiber Optics ($600)
2. T1 ($300)
3. Cable ($125)
4. DSL ($50)
Rural Satellite Office: Business and Technical Requirements
1. Does not have any type of commercial WAN connectivity
2. Needs to have WAN connectivity (located 2 miles from headquarters and line of sight—show this in a diagram)
3. IP address strategy needs to support 200 users/PCs
Critical Elements
Based on the scenario above, students will develop a 5- to 7-page networking report for the owners of the advertising agency. The report must include the following:
1. The WAN connectivity at each location
2. A diagram showing the WAN connectivity
3. An explanation of why the specific WAN technology was chosen
4. IP address strategies at each location
5. Wireless access strategy at the Austin office
a) List and explain the services that will support remote workers
b) List and explain the service(s) that IT will use to access all workstations on the network
6. An explanation of the terms and concepts used in the paper
Milestones
Milestone One: IP Assignments
In task 3-3,you will submit the IP assignments for each site along with the calculations on how you subnetted the addresses. This milestone is graded with the Final Project Milestone One: IP Assignments Rubric.
Milestone Two: WAN Technology Requirements
In task 5-2, you will submit a report on the WAN technologies chosen for each site, along with a diagram showing the connectivity. This milestone is graded with the Final Project Milestone Two: WAN Technology Requirements Rubric.
Final Submission: Networking Report
In task 7-2, you will submit the final networking report for the advertising agency scenario. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This will be graded using the Final Product Rubric (below).
Final Product Rubric
Format: Written components of project must follow these formatting guidelines when applicable: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and discipline-appropriate citations. The paper should be 5 to 7 pages, not including cover page and resources.
Instructor Feedback: Students can find their feedback in the Grade Center.
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Critical Elements
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Exemplary
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Proficient
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Needs Improvement
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Not Evident
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Value
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WAN Connectivity
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Recommends an effective WAN connectivity solution that fully meets the requirements of each office
(15)
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Recommends a WAN connectivity solution that generally meets the requirements of each office
(12.75)
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Recommends a WAN connectivity solution, but does not adequately address the requirements of each office
(8.25)
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Does not recommend a WAN connectivity solution for each office
(0)
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15
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WAN Diagram
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Provides a professional-quality diagram that fully illustrates the proposed WAN solution
(15)
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Provides a high-quality diagram that illustrates the proposed WAN solution
(12.75)
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Provides a diagram that does not fully illustrate the proposed WAN solution
(8.25)
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Does not provide a diagram that illustrates the proposed WAN solution
(0)
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15
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Explanation of WAN Decisions
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Provides a clear, concise, and complete explanation of why specific WAN technologies were chosen
(10)
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Provides a generally effective explanation of why specific WAN technologies were chosen
(8.5)
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Provides an incomplete or inadequate explanation of why WAN technologies were chosen
(5.5)
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Does not provide an explanation of why WAN technologies were chosen
(0)
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10
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Wireless Access Strategy at the Austin Office
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Describes an effective wireless access strategy that fully addresses the stated requirements
(15)
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Describes a wireless access strategy that addresses most of the stated requirements
(12.75)
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Describes a wireless access strategy that does not adequately address stated requirements
(8.25)
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Does not describe a wireless strategy that addresses the stated requirements
(0)
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15
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Services for Remote Workers
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Provides a clear, concise, and complete explanation of proposed services for remote workers
(10)
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Provides an accurate explanation of proposed services for remote workers
(8.5)
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Provides an explanation of proposed services for remote workers, but the suggested solution is inadequate or unclear
(5.5)
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Does not provide an explanation of proposed services for remote workers
(0)
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10
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Services for IT Access
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Provides a clear, concise, and complete explanation of remote access IT services that meet stated requirements
(10)
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Provides an adequate explanation of remote access IT services that meet most of the stated requirements
(8.5)
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Provides an inadequate explanation of remote access IT services
(6)
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Does not provide an explanation of remote access IT services
(0)
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10
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Terms and Concepts
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All terms and concepts are clearly and accurately explained
(15)
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Most terms and concepts are accurately explained
(12.75)
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Terms and concepts are explained, but explanations are often missing or incomplete
(8.25)
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Does not explain terms and concepts used in the report
(0)
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15
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Articulation of Response
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Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format
(10)
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Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization
(8.5)
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Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas
(5.5)
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Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas
(0)
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10
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Earned Total
Comments:
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100%
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