Albion University Network Design and Implementation

Project Overview

This project simulates the network architecture for Albion University, which consists of a main campus and a smaller branch campus, located 20 miles apart. The design focuses on ensuring seamless communication, security, and network efficiency across the university’s administrative departments, faculties, and student labs using Cisco Packet Tracer.

The network is built to support VLAN segmentation, dynamic IP addressing, inter-VLAN routing, and secure network access. Routing between campuses is facilitated by RIPv2, and external communication to a cloud-hosted email server is handled via static routing.

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Objectives and Requirements

Albion University’s network needs to accommodate four faculties spread across multiple buildings on the main campus and the Faculty of Health and Sciences at the smaller campus. The network design ensures:

• Logical network segmentation using VLANs.
• Secure and dynamic IP address assignment via DHCP.
• Scalable routing with RIPv2 for internal routing and static routing for external servers.

Specific Requirements:

• Main Campus:

  • Building A: Hosts the administrative staff (HR, Finance, and Management) and the Faculty of Business. VLANs are set up to segment the network traffic of each department.
  • Building B: Contains the Faculty of Engineering and Computing and the Faculty of Art and Design, each on its own VLAN.
  • Building C: Houses the student labs and the IT department, which manages the university’s internal web server and other critical servers.

• Smaller Branch Campus:

  • Houses the Faculty of Health and Sciences, with staff and student labs segmented into separate VLANs on different floors.

Each faculty and department is configured with its own subnet and VLAN to ensure logical separation of network traffic.

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Technologies and Configurations

This project utilizes a wide range of networking technologies and configurations. Below is an outline of the key components:

1. Hierarchical Network Design

• A structured, layered design to ensure scalability and simplified management.

2. VLAN Configuration

• VLANs are used to logically separate network traffic by department, faculty, and lab across both campuses.
  • Building A VLANs: HR, Finance, Management, Business.
  • Building B VLANs: Engineering, Art and Design.
  • Building C VLANs: IT Department, Student Labs.
  • Branch Campus VLANs: Health and Sciences (separate VLANs for staff and students).

3. Subnetting and IP Addressing

• The network is subnetted to allocate appropriate IP ranges for each VLAN.
• Example IP ranges:
  • HR VLAN: 192.168.10.0/24
  • Finance VLAN: 192.168.20.0/24
  • Business VLAN: 192.168.30.0/24
  • Student Labs VLAN: 192.168.40.0/24

4. DHCP Configuration

• The DHCP server (configured on the router) dynamically allocates IP addresses to devices in Building A.

5. Inter-VLAN Routing

• Router-on-a-Stick: A router is configured with sub-interfaces to handle Inter-VLAN routing, enabling communication between VLANs.

6. RIPv2 Routing Protocol

• RIPv2 is implemented to manage routing between different network segments across the main and branch campuses.

7. Network Cabling

• Correct cabling, including Ethernet, serial, and fiber optic connections, ensures efficient communication between all devices.

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Network Topology

Below is the visual representation of the Albion University Network Topology.

Main Campus:

• Building A: VLANs for administrative departments and Faculty of Business.
• Building B: VLANs for Faculty of Engineering and Computing and Faculty of Art and Design.
• Building C: VLANs for Student Labs and the IT Department.

Smaller Branch Campus:

• VLANs for Faculty of Health and Sciences, with separate VLANs for staff and students.

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Key Configurations and Commands

Here are some key configuration examples used in the project:

VLAN Creation:

Switch(config)# vlan 10
Switch(config-vlan)# name HR_VLAN
Switch(config)# vlan 20
Switch(config-vlan)# name Finance_VLAN

Inter-VLAN Routing (Router-on-a-Stick):

Router(config)# interface g0/0.10
Router(config-subif)# encapsulation dot1Q 10
Router(config-subif)# ip address 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0
Router(config)# interface g0/0.20
Router(config-subif)# encapsulation dot1Q 20
Router(config-subif)# ip address 192.168.20.1 255.255.255.0

DHCP Configuration:

Router(config)# ip dhcp pool ADMIN_POOL
Router(dhcp-config)# network 192.168.10.0 255.255.255.0
Router(dhcp-config)# default-router 192.168.10.1
Router(dhcp-config)# dns-server 8.8.8.8

Switchport Security:

Switch(config)# interface f0/1
Switch(config-if)# switchport mode access
Switch(config-if)# switchport port-security
Switch(config-if)# switchport port-security maximum 2
Switch(config-if)# switchport port-security violation restrict

RIPv2 Routing:

Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-router)# version 2
Router(config-router)# network 192.168.10.0
Router(config-router)# network 192.168.20.0
Router(config-router)# no auto-summary

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Testing and Verification

• Ping Tests: Used to verify connectivity between VLANs and campuses.
• Traceroute: Ensures proper routing between network segments.
• Port-Security Tests: Validates security by simulating unauthorized device connections.

Example Ping Test:

PC> ping 192.168.20.2
Reply from 192.168.20.2: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=64

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How to Use the Project

1. Download the campus-network.pkt (Packet Tracer) file from the repository.
2. Open the file in Cisco Packet Tracer.
3. Examine the network topology, configurations, and connectivity tests.
4. Modify the design and configurations as needed for further learning or testing.

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Conclusion

This project demonstrates a scalable, secure, and efficient network topology for Albion University, meeting all the functional and security requirements for a modern educational institution. The use of VLANs, dynamic IP addressing, RIPv2 routing, and SSH-based secure access ensures seamless communication between faculty, students, and staff across multiple campuses.

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Project Files

• Network Topology Diagram: The complete diagram of the network design.
• Packet Tracer File: Download the Cisco Packet Tracer .pkt file here.