Communications and Networks Analysis - Essay Example

Define each of the following term and their negative and positive. Us the table provide VAN - Value Added Network - a private/public network setup to transport the information of well-defined objects in a pre-defined standard format. E.g. XML, MARC21 or RFID formats for demand-supply chains, library automation system, product tracking. Intranet - Is the physical network of networking and computing systems spread in a building or across buildings of the same organization. Intranet access is limited to the employees of the organization. Extranet - is the intranet extended over internet or public telecommunication network to provide B2B services and e-commerce. Extranet is different from VAN in terms of services provided, e.g. extranet provides for employee to employee communication, employee to customer and organization to organization. Internet - is the physical network of networking and computing systems spread in a large geographical area that spans across continental boundaries. E.g. World Wide Web. VAN Intranet Internet Extranet Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Security - The useful & important organizational/private information is at risk by using a public transport system like internet. - The IPSec tunnels provide the necessary security mechanism to establish a secure VPN for the transfer of Value added information online. The company/private confidential information must not be published on the insecure intranet. The multi-site intranet has to be secured through the public network. A central security system for repository of organizational information. The secure multi-site intranet connections provide a single organization network. Exposure of the personal/organization computing/networking system to the internet security hazards. Information sharing is a competition risk. Any private/financial information sent through the internet is at the risk of fraud. The secure VPN tunnels over internet connect multi-site offices to provide single organization network for employees. Remote/mobile secure IP connection to work/world wide web. SSL/IPSec for data transaction (financial or personal e.g. e-mail) The exposure of intranet over internet must secure the confidential intranet information. The unauthorized access from internet users must be barred through access rules. Security procedures like VPN or SSL, digital signatures, authentication etc on Extranet provide extra security to the information transported on the extranet as compared to open internet. Extranet security can be enhanced with leased line connections. B2B The automation of the organization procedure e.g. demand-supply, object tracking system. There could be security issues in terms of sharing employee /branch information. Not used for B2B. Security of the business processes must be ensured. Secure VPN tunnels can be established over internet to connect B2B sites without additional external infrastructure. Additional external infrastructure and maintenance is required if Extranet is not run over internet. The extranet is more secure than VPN over internet for B2B when deployed on leased lines. e-commerce The VAN services are limited to the intranet users. The output/input of VAN procedures is input/output to online e-commerce site. Not used for e-commerce. Not used for e-commerce. Privacy of User information e-mail, credit cards etc) Competition amongst business. Internet provides the infrastructure backbone for e-commerce. E-commerce is the revenue earning source in terms of more business for ISPs and e-commerce providers. The extranet customer base is not as wide as internet. The extranet can be run over secure VPN tunnels or leased lines to other business partners for e-commerce. Define each following term and state their negative and positive LAN - Local Area Network, NETBIOS protocol based physical network systems limited to a building. The protocol used could be IBM/NBF, Internet TCP/IP, or Novell IPX/BPX. WAN - Wide Area Network, TCP/IP protocol based physical network systems that span large geographical areas beyond continental boundaries. E.g. internet MAN - Metropolitan Area Network, TCP/IP protocol based physical network systems limited to city/metropolitan area boundaries. LAN MAN WAN Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Speed A high-speed LAN will require investment in network infrastructure like cables (100Base-TX, Gigabit), router and switch. The slow speed LAN can hamper the organization work e.g. build process, shared printer, remote lab access etc. A high-speed LAN will increase the employee throughput. Faster internet access when connected to WAN/MAN A high-speed MAN will require investment in network infrastructure like high capacity cables (e.g. fiber optic cables for ATM), router and switch. The high-speed MAN turnover must make profits. High-speed MAN for faster business transactions for multi-site offices. Faster internet access when connected to WAN. Fast remote access to the LAN. A high-speed WAN must be setup. Security & Maintenance of costly infrastructure equipments. Provides fast internet access. Faster business transactions. The high bandwidth provides for the convergence of Data, Voice and Video on the same infrastructure. Larger profits with more information flow. Security Secure individual systems from unauthorized access. (e.g. Code Management System host) TCP/IP based systems are supported by ICMP network control protocol, NBF & Novell Netware are secured only by IEEE802.2 security mechanisms. Cabling must be secured from rodents/theft. Shared resource usage must be managed and disciplined. TCP/IP based LAN can be managed with ICMP control protocol. The LAN system are secured from unauthorized access through challenge-response protocols (e.g. password authentication) Wireless LAN reduces security issues of the infrastructure. The MAN connection endpoints must be secured from unauthorized external & internal access. The external transport / network media must be secured from unauthorized physical access. (e.g. taping) Cabling must be secured from rodents. Wireless Access Points for infrastructure physical media security. Secure MAN connection provides for inter-office-site network build. The WAN endpoints must be secured from unauthorized access. The private/financial information transported is at the risk of hacking/fraud. The inter-continental or inter-country security protocol interworking issues must be resolved. Cabling must be secured from rodents/theft. Wireless Access Points for infrastructure physical media security. The IPSec, SSL, NAT, Firewall, VPN and digital signatures provide secure connection mechanism for the transfer of important information. Secure WAN connection builds trust for online business. cost - Isolated systems will save on the networking equipment cost, but will reduce the employee throughput. LAN infrastructure does not require routers and modems for external connection. The firewalls and access list are not required. The shared systems reduce company infrastructure cost. The bandwidth deployed must meet the requirement and must earn profit. More infrastructure investment in terms of maintenance resources (both people & system e.g. security) Individual expense to secure the system connected to MAN (e.g. Firewall, McAfee or Norton Antivirus) The MAN connection will require additional networking systems like routers and mode. Revenue earning through public interface. Reduction in business cost by providing remote access to LAN for more working hours. Investment in WAN security & infrastructure layout and maintenance. Expense to secure the system connected to WAN (e.g. McAfee or Norton Antivirus) - Reduced expense with converged Data, Video and Voice networks. Define each following term and state their negative and positive Ring - The computing systems connected such that the cable runs from one system to another and thus forming a closed circuit. Thin-wire Ethernet cable is used for the ring networks. E.g. IBM/NBF token ring LAN. Star - The computing systems connected to a central distributing system like hub. 10Base-T/100BaseTX Ethernet cables are used. Bus - The computing systems connected to a single backbone physical media. E.g. systems connected through Attachment Unit Interface (AUI) cable to thick-wire Ethernet backbone. Mesh - A network of computing systems where each system is connected to all other systems. The connection could be either through external physical media like cable or a switch. 10Base-T/100BaseTX Ethernet or gigabit Ethernet cables are used. Ring Star Bus Mesh Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Negative Positive Cost Limited number of systems can be connected. External transceiver hardware is not required. BNC connectors are mounted on computer board. The thin-wire cable is cheaper than the Bus thick-wire cable. A distributing system like hub is required. Twisted-pair 10Base-T/100Base-TX cables are cheaper. External transceivers on the backbone cable are required to connect to the host adapter. The backbone coaxial cable is costly. Bus networks can be extended by connecting bridges between segments. A switching system is required. Twisted-pair 10Base-T/100Base-TX cable is cheaper. Mesh is the fastest & easiest network connection. Robustness A single non-working port breaks the network. Thin-wire has more tolerance to electrical interference as compared to thick-wire Ethernet. A faulty hub breaks the network. A faulty Ethernet port keeps the connected system out of the network. Adding or Removing a system does not affect the network. - A break in the backbone cable will divide the network into segments. - Heavy shielding is required to protect the cable from electrical interference. - Adding or Removing a system does not affect the network. - Bus topology for thick-wire Ethernet is mostly used in environments with high electrical interference equipments. - A faulty switch breaks the network. - A faulty Ethernet port keeps the connected system out of the network. Adding or Removing a system does not affect the network. Flexibility Supports lesser number of systems as compared to the bus network. A new system can be added to a chain with a new cable. The number of systems connected depends on the hub capacity. - The system can be connected/removed to/from the hub. - The localized star networks can be expanded through ring, bus, mesh. A transceiver is to be installed on the backbone cable for the addition of a new system. More number of systems can be connected as compared to the ring network. Higher capacity switch or additional switch will be required for more systems to be meshed. The number of systems in a mesh can be increased by cascading the switches. Read More