Answer to Question #166606 in Computer Networks for ERIC KOOMSON

Question

As the network administrator for your organization, you have been tasked to create a new network for newly set up workstations.

a.    What network topology will you adopt? Explain your reasons, compare the chosen topology to 2 other topologies, and establish why the one you chose is better than the rest. 

 

b.   What type of IP addressing will you use, when assigning IP addresses to the workstations on the network? Explain your answer with practical examples.

 

c.    Assuming your organization recommended that you adopt the star topology, which network device will u use as the central connection point, and why.

Answer 1

a.      I would use star topology because it is easy to install, troubleshooting is easy, it provides high data transfer speed, and relocating a computer is easier than other topologies. Bus topology- where one computer acts as the server of another computer; a single cable connects all the included nodes. I would not use this method because if there is a problem with the backbone cable the whole network gets affected while star topology since each computer use separate cable, fault in cable does not affect the entire network.. Ring topology- each device has exactly two neighbors to communicate with, the issue with it is that it is so hard to troubleshoot while star topology is relatively easy to troubleshoot.

b.     I will use dynamic IP addresses because it, automates configuration. With dynamic IP addresses, the DHCP server automatically assigns IP addresses.

c.      I would use a switch as the central connection point because it will help multiple devices connect in a network. A switch is better than a hub because it eliminates collisions since each port is placed in its collision domain. In addition, a switch can work at full-duplex as collisions are reduced.