In-Course Assessment Brief

Programme Academic Year 2010/2011

Module: Data Communications Systems
Assignment 2: ISP and Customer Network Design Report

Centre: CTN

Module Co-ordinator: Steve Barson

Set Date: 27th May 2010

Submission Deadline: 29th July 2010

Assessment Weighting: 100%

Submission Method: Submitted to ilearn
Nominal time to
complete this 30 Hours
assignment:
Brief Assessment
Details
As a data networks consultant you are to write a report
outlining the range of technologies in initiating an ISP. Within
the report there is also a requirement to discuss the ISP’s
customer WAN and QOS issues. Discuss and evaluate
converged network requirements. There is a requirement for a
basic network security element included within the report.

Individual Assessment: Individual assessment. The work you submit shall be your own
and not the product of collaboration with anyone else.
Plagiarism will be penalised.

IMPORTANT STATEMENT
Plagiarism: the presentation of the work of another (from whatever source: book,
journal, internet etc) as if it were one’s own independent work. This can be
anywhere on a continuum ranging from sloppy paraphrasing to verbatim
transcription without crediting sources.

You are advised to refer to the Student Handbook on matters of cheating and plagiarism
as they relate to coursework, group assignments, class tests and examinations. Both
cheating and plagiarism are totally unacceptable and the University maintains a strict
policy against them. It is YOUR responsibility to be aware of this policy and to act
accordingly.

The University requires that the following statement is included in all module documents.

“You are reminded of the University Disciplinary Procedures which refer to cheating.
Except where the assessment of an assignment is group-based, the final piece of work
which is submitted must be your own work. Close similarity between assignments is
likely to lead to an investigation for cheating. It is not advisable to show your
completed work to your colleagues or to share and exchange disks.

You must also ensure that you acknowledge all sources you have used. Work which
is discovered to be the result of collusion or plagiarism will be dealt with under the
University’s Disciplinary Procedures, and the penalty may involve the loss of academic
credits.

If you have any doubts about the extent to which you are allowed to collaborate with
your colleagues, or the conventions for acknowledging the source you have used, you
should first of all consult module documentation and, if still unclear, your module tutor.”

You will be asked to confirm in writing when handing in any piece of assessed work that it
is your own by completing the Coursework Submission & Record Form which should be
printed from ECMS My-course on https://mytid.bcu.ac.uk/.

It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to accurately complete the form and comply with its
rules and guidance as described in the student handbook for this academic year.
Learning Outcomes to be Assessed:

a) Understand the nodes and traffic routing aspects within an ISP.

b) Compare and choose a WAN technology for any given situation.
c) Discuss and give advice on QoS and traffic issues within an ISP.
d) Discuss issues concerning the implementation of converged data and voice networks.
e) Comprehension of basic security issues.

Assessment Details:

This assessment is worth 100% of the Module mark

Aims At the end of this assignment you should be able to:

Demonstrate your ability to research a topic.

Demonstrate your ability to gather, evaluate and present relevant information.
Demonstrate your ability to give advice on the implementation of an ISP.
Demonstrate your ability to discuss QoS and traffic issues within an ISP
Demonstrate your ability to develop Wide Area Networks.
Demonstrate your ability to discuss implementation issues for converged voice /
data networks.
Demonstrate your ability to develop basic network security.
Present your work in an appropriate written report.

Assignment Details:
Title: ISP and Customer Network Design Report

Introduction

You are required to write a report to the directors of a newly formed ISP known as ACME
corporation. Their priority is to implement an overlay network, initially capable of securely
handling converged network of two major customers. The directors have chosen two possible
technologies for initial implementation, ATM and Frame relay with topologies shown in the
following two diagrams.

C
S
 Customer A
Site A
In the first part of the report you are requested to discuss and analyse the operation and
advantages and disadvantages of these technologies culminating in your choice of
implementation. From your research suggest another technology to meet the requirements of
ACME Technologies.

The first two customers of ISP XYZ are high profile converged networks each having two major
sites. Company B has a class C network address, and approximately 1750 node devices which
is to be split into seven subnets the largest being the voice call centre requiring 250 nodes
operating at G711 (80K). All other subnets have an equal number of nodes. Considering class
C has only the addressing structure for 254 nodes suggest how this limitation can be overcome,
creating an addressing plan for the network. Also discuss how internal addressing can
transferred to the external network. The managing director of company B also wishes you to
suggest a suitable scalable routing protocol for there network.

The next part of the report concerns the secure transmission of applications securely between
the sites. You are to select which is the most appropriate access method from each site to the
ISP utilising WAN Technologies and describe how the ISP technology chosen can route traffic
internally securely via a VPN ensuring to discuss both trusted and secure methods as shown in
the following diagram.
 C
The directors of ISP XYZ also require you to analyse within the report its customer
requirements to implement converged voice, video / data network, this includes the requirement
S
to securely access the ISP internet services. There is also a need for outside users to have
access to the sites e-mail and WWW server but not to any other services. On behalf of their
customer base you are required to discuss the implementation of the following.

1. The implementation of a converged network discussing your choice of equipment,

signalling and codecs.

2. Discuss baseline security for Customer’s B converged network.

www
E-mail
server
Finally you must ensure your report contains a short introduction and concise conclusion and
must be of approximately 6000 words
Information can gained from Cisco.com, Juniper.com or any CCNA/CCNP publications

Assessment see the table on the next page

Table of Assessment Criteria and Associated Grading Criteria

Assessment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Criteria Customer B Advantages / WAN VPN Converged Report
 Network Plan Disadvantages Technology network and Structure and
of each ISP quality Clarity
Technology discussion
Weighting: 20% 25% 20% 25% 10%
Grading Little evidence Insignificant wider Little evidence of Little evidence of Unacceptable in
Criteria of relevant issue research. relevant relevant terms of style,
information. information. information. language &
0 – 29% referencing. No
bibliography
30 – 39% Little research Little evidence of Little research Little research but Major
but not enough wider issue but not enough to not enough to deficiencies in
to show research with show show style and
understanding. significant understanding. understanding. language.
Pass if little shortcomings. . Pass if little more Pass if little more Questionable
more work work undertaken. work undertaken. attribution of
undertaken. sources.
40 – 49% Some relevant Some relevant Some relevant Some relevant Significant
research but knowledge but research but research but shortcomings in
lacking in extent report lacking in extent lacking in extent style and
and level. demonstrates and level. and level. language.
Evidence of limited knowledge Evidence of Evidence of Attempts at
straight forward of WAN straight forward straight forward attribution of
understanding. Technology. understanding. understanding. sources.
50 – 59% Broad research Generally Broad research Broad research Style and
but not all competent and but not all but not all language
relevant to the relevant research relevant to the relevant to the generally clear.
assignment but not covering assignment brief. assignment brief. Some minor
brief. all of the important errors.
areas of ISP All sources
technology referenced.
60 – 69% Wide ranging Generally good Wide ranging Wide ranging No major
research, contextual research, research, shortcomings in
demonstrating research of wider demonstrating demonstrating style and
methodological concepts. Some methodological methodological language.
approach and possible area not approach and approach and Appropriate
good explored. of ISP good good referencing.
understanding technology understanding of understanding of Well structured
of techniques/sourc techniques/source
techniques/sour es s
ces
70+% Extensive Extensive Extensive Extensive Clear, logical
research contextual and research research and error-free.
demonstrating background demonstrating demonstrating Comprehensive
breadth of research. Report breadth of breadth of bibliography. All
information demonstrates information information sources
required. acquisition of required. required. appropriately
Evidence of in wider issues and Evidence of in Evidence of in referenced.
depth details knowledge depth depth
understanding of ISP technology. understanding of understanding of
of techniques techniques and techniques and
and concepts. concepts. concepts.