• (1) How does the topology of the network cabling influence how the rooms will be interconnected?

• (2) What is the topology of your network?

• (3) Of the switches in your budget, which switches are “core” and which are “workgroup”?

Approach: My approach for Hands-On Exercise #4 has two general aspects. The first is to focus on all the necessary materials for finishing the cabling throughout Constant Hall. I’m focusing on having there be just enough or a little bit extra with the materials for a fitting price. The second aspect is to make sure that the switches have the appropriate specifications to handle the traffic for the network. This is to ensure that there are both proper connection and data flow.

(1) How does the topology of the network cabling influence how the rooms will be interconnected?

The most significant aspects of how topologies influence the interconnectedness of rooms is data flow and the layout of the devices. Because there is a range in how little or how much data is moving at one point, a topology needs to be both simple enough to where there is not excessive space for traffic, but also complex enough to manage all different forms of traffic without significant issue. The more complex the physical layout of a location, the more complex the topology needs to be to account for it. Furthermore, depending on the number of devices like routers, servers, computers, and outlets, they are large factors in how many switches and necessary cabling are needed to connect everything.

(2) What is the topology of your network?

The topology I’ll be using for my network is an extended star topology. This is due to the requirement of having both a “core” and “workgroup” switches that need to connect across the entire building. It also helps to retain connectivity by having the switches connect both with the “core” switch and each other, so if a “workgroup” switch fails, the network can still function.

(3) Of the switches in your budget, which switches are “core” and which are “workgroup”?

The “core” switch for my network is the S3900-48T6S-R switch with 6 SFP ports and the “workgroup” switches will be the S2805S-48T4S switch. With these switches, I will have flexibility when it comes to the interconnectedness of my network. However, while these are the initial choices, I may end up changing them if another option appears or if I need a better “core” or “workgroup” switch for my diagram.