Networking
Assignment Brief – BTEC (RQF)
You are employed as a network engineer by IBM. You hear that your manager is working on a project for Virgin Mobile and you would like to get involved.
Your manager proposes that, if you can demonstrate sufficient knowledge of networking, you can manage the project.
Task 1:
You have been asked by your manager to investigate and explain networking principles, protocols and devices.
You will need to produce a report for your manager that includes the following:
1. An explanation of networking principles, protocols and devices, including benefits and constraints of networked solutions, the impact of network topology, communication and bandwidth requirements, operating principles of networking devices and server types and networking software.
Task 2:
Your manager is happy with your report and offers you the Virgin Mobile project. You will need to analyse the specification from Virgin Mobile below for completion of this project within a given timeframe:
People: 150 call centre staff, 15 Virgin Mobile technicians, 12 marketing and administration staff, 5 higher managers including the head of Consumer & Mobile, 3 computer network administrators.
Part 1 Design efficient networked systems:
1. Prepare a written step-by-step plan of how you are going to design a Local Area Network including a blueprint of your LAN.
2. Justify your choice of devices and server for your network design.
3. Produce a test plan to evaluate this design and consider how user feedback could influence performance improvements.
4. Justify the security requirements and quality of services needed for selection of accessories.
5. Suggest a maintenance schedule to support the networked system.
Part 2 Implement test and diagnose networked systems:
1. Implement a networked system based on your prepared design.
2. Conduct verification with a variety of tools and protocols.
3. Record the test results and analyse these against your test plan.
4. Investigate what functionalities would allow the system to support device growth and the addition of communication devices.
5. Discuss the significance of upgrades and security requirements in your recommendations.
