MOUNT KENYA UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

NETWORK MANAGEMENT

BIT 3204

BBIT/111/05470

NYAWIRA MUNENE MAUREEN

SUBMITTED ON 26TH, MARCH 2020.

(a)

(i) Why is it important to do site survey when planning for a network upgrade (2

marks)

i. The main purpose of a site survey is to understand the nature of the business

premises in terms of how the building, office space and electrical wiring are

set up.

ii. It helps answer whether or not the type of network requested can be supported

by the organization of the building.

iii. It also helps estimate how much material will be required to layout the

network.

(ii) Describe any three areas you would look at when conducting a site survey(6

marks)

i. Physical location -a network site should be located where there is least

obstruction or harmful interference. For example, t is not advisable to set up a

wireless network near hospitals as the interference may be harmful to some

sensitive operations.

ii. Budget -the cost should always be factored in. How much will the equipment

cost? How much will labour cost?

iii. Total users -the number of users directly impacts network capacity. Network

users should be able to have a smooth experience thus scaling accordingly is

desirable.
 iv. Security -hackers gain access to systems primarily through networks. The

security aspect is a must when setting up site surveys. Both physical and

technological aspects of security should be considered.

(b) Discuss the four fundamental design goals that are considered by a network

designer during the design phase of network development (8 marks)

i. Connectivity and Security

Network connectivity today means more than Ethernet cables and wireless access

points. People today are more connected while mobile than ever before and many

of them want access to company email and data while they are out of the office.

Balancing those needs while maintaining security is a challenge that needs to be

addressed in the design phase of any network.

ii. Redundancy and Backing Up

Redundancy means having backup devices in place for any mission-critical

components in the network. Even small organizations should consider using two

servers. Two identical servers, for example, can be configured with fail-safes so

that one will take over if the other fails or requires maintenance. A good rule of

thumb is to have redundant components and services in place for any part of a

network that cannot be down for more than an hour.

iii. Standardization of Hardware and Software

Standardization of the hardware and software used in a network is important for

ensuring the network runs smoothly. It also reduces costs associated with

maintenance, updates and repairs. Conducting a full audit of the current computer
 systems, software and peripherals will help to determine which should be

standardized.

iv. Disaster Recovery Plan

A detailed disaster recovery plan should be a part of any network design. This

includes, but is not limited to, provisions for back-up power and what procedures

should be followed if the network or server crashes. It should also include when

data is backed up, how it is backed up and where copies of the data are stored. A

comprehensive disaster recovery plan includes office disasters, building disasters,

and metropolitan-wide disasters.

(c) Explain any three tools or applications used in securing a computer network(6

Marks)

i. The Metasploit Framework: This is a free and open source network penetration

testing framework. Network security experts worth their salt should have this tool

as one of the minimum requirements (Kizza, 2012). It can be used both for testing

and breaking into systems making it also one the favourite hacker tools.

ii. Nmap: Nmap is a popular open source port scanner. This network tool has many

functionalities such as mapping out of networks and host fingerprinting. This tool

comes with a scripting engine that can aid in determining network vulnerabilities.

iii. Wireshark: this is mainly a network traffic analysis tool. Wireshark applications

include an array of tasks such as incident response, malware analysis, reverse

engineering, and network penetration testing. This tool can analyse networks in a

live environment or logged pcap file formats.

 (d) Discuss four factors will you consider before choosing a network operating system

(4

Marks)

i. Performance – This is considered on how the operating system performs

according the network layout used.

ii. Management and monitoring tools - a good network operating system should

come equipped out of the box with tools that can manage networks, analyse

traffic and vulnerabilities.

iii. Security - The network operating system is at the heart of network operations.

When considering such a system a critical look at security vulnerabilities should

be done and any measures to prevent exploits taken.

iv. Price: some network operating systems some such as MicroTik or Windows NT

can be costly depending on organizational needs. If budget is an issue, then open

source solutions should be considered.

(e) With reference to the steps of network development distinguish between a logical

topology and a physical topology (4 marks)

Physical Topology is the actual layout of a network and its connections. Logical Topology is

the way in which data accesses the medium and transmits packets.

REFERENCES

Brennan, T. (2009). Network Effects as Infrastructure Challenges Facing Utilities and

Regulators. SSRN Electronic Journal, 3(1), 233-342. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1456376

Hidden, R. (2000). Private Addressing and Subnetting Large Networks. IP Addressing &

Subnetting INC IPV6, 87-112. doi:10.1016/b978-192899401-5/50006-1

Kizza, J. M. (2012). Computer Network Security Protocols. A Guide to Computer Network

Security, 4(2), 365-395. doi:10.1007/978-1-84800-917-2_17

Smith, J. (2011). Network Performance Management. Telecommunications Network

Management into the 21st Century, 3(4), 453-560. doi:10.1109/9780470546529.ch10