Please help me to design this Campus network

[WizIT]

Hi, all I could not find the proper place for my question, but I hope it fit in this category...

Please advise me to design this network

There is a building having 7 floors, intended for making it college(in future it will be connected to another building networks..)

Roughly there are about 125 PCs at each floor. More than 1050 in total

The objective is to connect all the PCs (Networking) with high speed as possible.

Want to have high bandwidth backbone (fibre optics)

May be CISCO (or other alternative) for manageable 2/3 layer switch at each floor (if better solution let me know, because of fibre optics run as backbone, connect each floor)

All PC on each floor should work at least at 100Mbs on twisted pairs, connected to switch on same floor.

A common 5MB internet line will be shared among all 1050 PCs

There will be server/firewall and others at 4th floor, half the way from bottom.

Please advice me how to design complete network infrastructures, like types of switches (numbers) connection, any examples of such networks. Complete network diagram (access layer, core layer, etc) any other useful things/consideration.

Please let me know if there is any network designing software (like Cisco network Assistant, but I cannot download) for printing, simulation, design etc

[jackyoung]

It is hard to say how to design a network. In addition from the provided information, you also need to consider the server distribution location, traffic flow / pattern, resiliency, security concern, etc.

Please try to check below link for the design guide of LAN from Cisco. It helps a lot.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk1330/technologies_design_guide_chapter09186a0080666712.html

What I suggest the minimal config. is 3 layers of switch w/ core, distributio & access layer. If you have budget, try to select the higher model that may able to provide more features and higher throughput (however, it usually limited on the server & application sides). For layer 2 or 3 switching, it depends on your requirement (e.g. VLAN required ?). 100Mbps is a minimum port speed at LAN switch, so no worry of the user access speed, but do consider how much bandwidth is required from access to distribution and core then server (e.g. how fast can the server support ?).

You can download the Visio template from Cisco and draw the network diagram yourself.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/prod_visio_icon_list.html

Hope this helps.

[m-haddad]

As Jack said to design you should know the application requirements to have the right solution. However, can you answer my questions:

1- What is the port density in each floor?

2- How many fiber links they will have from each floor to the core?

3- Are they thinking of deploying VoIP in the future?

4- Check the future expansions?

5- Are they considering 100 or 1Gbps LAN?

6- Where will the servers be located?

Answering the above will help in your design,

Please rate if you find my post helpful,

Regards,

[WizIT]

Dear m-hadad

Thanks for reply, here are the answers to your questions

1. Each floor is having about 150 PCs...

That means all 7 floors will have around 1000 to 1400 PCs in total (keeping in view future expansion)

2. I don't know what the required fiber links is, but what is wanted is that backbone of all the network should be fiber optics. Each floor will have manageable switch (layer 2/3 switch) it will be connected to fiber optics directly (if possible) and also to LAN (RJ45). May be expanded to two three switch in series if required in each floor. (May be you can advice what is the best. Do we need core layer??)

Our main objective is to make the LAN efficient, with strong backbone and share the Internet (5MB to all PCs)

3. No, but there will be some Wireless (WiFi) access points for laptop users.

4. Future expansion is very low, may be in each floor per year 10 PC more. No any other demand; may need to connect to other similar branches in other cities, over WAN (but that is not important factor now)

5. We are considering 100Mbp LAN at the moment; because of Twisted Copper Pair (STP) wires (Do these wires support Gbps???). May be if needed then upgrade to 1Gbps LAN in future (but very low chance)

6. Server will be located in between of all floors. That means there are 7 floors, server will be located at 4th floor. (Any other advice please let me know) Server will be dual core PC with at least 1GB RAM, used for mostly authentication and DHCP. There will be backup server too. No need for web, ftp or any high demand data transfer on servers. Server runs Windows 2003 server OS.

Please see myRoughPlan (attached)

[jackyoung]

I have an initial feedback on the fibre design that you should one more fibre from floor 3 to floor 7 to make it as a ring to provide resiliency path. Unless you are using star design then you do not require the ring. Otherwise, resiliency is very important.

Moreover, not sure your cable will able to run 1Gbps, you better make some cable test or check w/ the cabling contractor to ensure it works w/ 1Gbps. e.g. Cat5e ot Cat6.

According to your requirement, a flat network design may be good enough unless you require segmentation of users.

Hope this helps.

[WizIT]

Can some one tell me what are the manageable switches available from CISCO which I can use for my case? Yah, I prefer flat design because we want faster and cheaper solution. Can someone please do some rough drawing for me, I haven't design any CISCO network with fiber optics.

[jackyoung · Accepted solution]

I could like to recommend below models :

1) Access-layer = 2960 48 x 10/100 + GE (copper) at each floor, copper GE connect to distribution switch

2) Distribution layer = 2960 24 x 10/100/1000 (Fibre+ Copper)at each floor to connect same floor access switch and uplink to core swtich

3) Core layer = 4500 + 1 x 18 port fibre GE for distribution switch + 1 x 24 or 48 port 10/100/1000 for servers / common use device

Please try to estimate the number of switch per floor base on the no. of port per floor and the diagram from you is fine. Or you can request the vendor / supplier to provide the drawing to you too.

Hope this helps.

[m-haddad · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Below you can find my recommendation:

1- Fiber optics should run from each floor to the core switch in the forth floor. This will provide higher throughput for each floor to the core => thus to the server farm. Also, you aviod single point of failure in case one of the switchs goes down.

2- Try to use Copper CAT6 for the LAN because they support 1Gbps in case you upgrade your LAN to 1Gbps. There is no much price difference between CAT5E and CAT6

3- For the access layer switch in each floor I recommend using 3560 with PoE this will allow future VoIP deployment. Therefore, this will be a VoIP ready infrastrcuture and open windows for you to sell VoIP for the customer in the future. Moreover, this is for proof of investment.

4- IN the forth floor, you should have 4006 Multi-layer switch with suppervisor engine II. You should have two slots for GBIC modules. Therefore, all floors will terminate directly to the core switch.

5- Server Farm: You have two options, either you get a slot with UTP ports to terminate them to the core or you can get 3750 Stack switchs where you terminate all servers. From the 3750 switchs you run an ether-channel to the Core (At least five Gbps from the server farm to the core switch). The 3750 act as 1 logical unit and this provide high availability.

This is my recommendations for you.

Please let me know if you have further questions,

PLease rate if you find my post helpful,

Thanks,

[m-haddad]

Thanks for the rate.

Regards,

[WizIT]

Everybody...very helpful... keep it up your good work!!!!

[nkotadiya]

Kindly find the below suggestion from my point of view.

> Each floor will have one 6509 L2 switch with the PoE module.

> As you mentioned, the servers will be in the 4th floor. So make the 4th floor as your Data Center. Put the seprate 2 6509 server farm switch for redudancy purpose in the event of the singal point of failure.

> Put 2 L3 capable switch in the 4th floor and take 2 Fiber connection from all the floors L2 switch to L3 switch.

> Use CAT6 for the desktop connectivity as it provides the high bandwidth compare to CAT5.

> So as per this design access layer will have all the floor L2 switches. Distribution layer will have L3 switch where all the L2's are connected. Core layer will have 2 router for redudancy and provide the connectivity between router and your L3 switch.

If you need any more help in this let me know.

If you like my suggestion plz rate.