9/8/2014

LAN Proposal

LAN (Local Area Network) Proposal,

Revised Fall 1995 (Incomplete)
by Roy H. Campbell and Members of CS 490
Network Protocols
The Wire
Network Topologies
Hubs and Routers
Conceptual Diagram
Conceptual Diagram (multi-story building)
Recommendations:
Horizontal Wiring
EIA/TIA Horizontal Wiring Standards
Example: Mellon Building
Mellon Building Cost Estimate (excluding router)
Glossary

Network Protocols
A network protocol is a method used to transport information.
Each protocol has a certain capacity at which it can transfer information.
This capacity is usually denoted using Mbps or Kbps
You can think of a protocol's capacity to be the cross sectional of a pipe.

Why would we want greater capacity?

New applications employing pictures, animations, audio and/or video require greater network capacity.
The 'pipe' is shared.
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ATM is different. Using ATM every user can take advantage of the entire 155 Mbps.
What protocol is appropriate for the schools needs?
Plan to use ATM in the future
Ethernet is the short term solution
Why not use ATM now?
It is a new technology and, at this time, it is cost prohibitive to configure every desktop machine for ATM.

The Wire
Like the network protocols, wire has a rated capacity.

The capacity of the wiring must meet or exceed that of the protocol that it will be carry.
UTP Level 5 meets or exceeds the capacity of all the current protocols.
AT&Tand Beldin have tested UTP Level 5 at 622 Mbps and 1 Gbps
What about coaxial cable
EIA/TIA no longer has a standard for co-ax
EIA/TIA adopted UTP as the standard for copper wiring.
Why not use fiber?
Fiber does have its advantages
has a very large capacity
impervious to EMI and RF interference
Can cover a greater distance
The disadvantages of fiber include:
the fiber is expensive
the interface cards are expensive
What are the recommendations
Use UTP Level 5
use fiber where distance > 90 meters and/or EMI could cause problems

Network Topologies
There are a number of network topologies

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The star and hierarchical star topologies are the most robust
Ethernet and ATM over UTP require the star topologies

Hubs and Routers

What is a hub?
a hub acts as a multiport repeater
anything it receives on one port is repeated to all other ports
the network is analogous to a party line
What is a router?
a router acts as a traffic cop. Each message is only broadcast over the network segment that it has permission
to travel over.
Why would you want to use a router?
A router allows you to segment the network
this reduces the number of devices on a network segment
it also reduces collisions
it protects data traveling over the network
What are our recommendations?
Every school should have a router
the network in the school should be broken down into at least 3 segments (requires 3 hubs)
one segment would be used for the administration offices
one segment would be used for the classrooms
one segment would contain the shared resources for the administration and classroom and also any servers
(email, etc.) that will need access to the outside world
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LAN Proposal

Each lab should have its own hub

To reduce support costs:
standardize the hubs and routers throughout both districts
routers have management software, the hubs should too

Conceptual Diagram
Based on the recommendations, the conceptual design of a network would be:

Conceptual Diagram (multi-story building)

A network for a larger building may look like:
Note the fiber backbone used for the vertical wiring.

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Recommendations
The Wire
Adopt EIA/TIA guidelines
Install UTP Level 5 for horizontal wiring.
Use fiber for backbone (vertical) wiring.
Wiring a building
Hubs and Routers
Every school should have a router
The network in the school should be broken down into at least 3 segments (requires 3 hubs)
one segment would be used for the administration offices
one segment would be used for the classrooms
one segment would contain the shared resources for the administration and classroom and also any
servers (email, etc.) that will need access to the outside world
Each lab should have a hub
To reduce support costs:
standardize the hubs and routers throughout both districts
routers have management software, the hubs should too

Horizontal Wiring
General recommendations for horizontal wiring
Adopt EIA/TIA standards
Use level 5 hardware - wall jacks, etc.
Always use cable trays
Classrooms:
Minimum 2 drops per room
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1 drop can be used for Ethernet and the other to support localtalk devices.
It is better to initially place more drops into a room if it is known that more than 2 devices will be resident in
each room. The wire can be left unconnected until such time that it is needed.
Leal's technology plan calls for 3 computers in each classroom. Running 4 drops into each classroom
would be appropriate.
If additional jacks are needed, solutions include
Four or 8 port dumb hubs (ethernet or localtalk)
Using the cable trays and running additional wire.
Preferable to have them in same location.
We felt the front of the room was appropriate.
Labs
Two drop minimum
Will require a hub for each lab
secure area to house hub. Possible to place the lab's server in same location.
Wiring Offices
Two drops near phone jack
Meeting Rooms:
Treated in the same manner as classrooms
Minimum of 2 drops in each location
Libraries:
Treated in the same manner as labs
The number of computers and peripherals dictate that most libraries have a hub.

EIA/TIA Horizontal Wiring Standards

A network infrastructure based on the standards developed by the Electronics and Telephone Industry Associations
will meet your needs for many years into the future.
The standards define the maximum length of the cable runs:
100 meter maximum between network devices (i.e.. hub and computer)
No more than 90 meters between wall jack a crossconnect equipment in wiring closet.
No more than 3 meters from the wall jack to the network device (computer, printer, etc.)
Is it wise not to follow EIA/TIA standards?
While ethernet can propagate over a distance greater than 90 meters, installing cable with runs over 90 meters
will not allow you to migrate to newer network protocols as they become cost effective.
Anything installed using the EIA/TIA standards will remain compliant with any new network technologies
It's wise to do it right the first time.
Wiring usually accounts for less than 5
Studies have shown that wiring, done incorrectly, accounts for nearly 70 all down time.

Example: Mellon Building

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Mellon Building Cost Estimate (excluding router)

Glossary
EIA - Electronics Industry Association. Standards setting body for the electronics industry.
FDDI - Fiber Distrubuted Data Interface. Recently developed standard for transfering data at 100 Mbps over fiber-optic
cable.
CDDI - FDDI standard over copper.

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Collision - A collision occurs when two devices on the same network segment attempt to simultaneously transmit.
hub - acts as a multiport repeater. See multiport repeater.
multiport repeater - a repeater operates at the electrical level, it boosts any signal it receives on a port and transmits on all
other ports
router - acts as a traffic cop. Each message is only broadcast over the network segment (port) that message has permission
to travel over.
topology - a physical layout
TIA - Telephone Industry Association. Standards setting body for the telephone industry.
Edited 3.15.97 Leah J. West

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