Business Case: Airport IT Network Expansion
An airport authority is seeking your expertise to establish a new IT network infrastructure for its operations. Here are the specifics of the given case.
The airport has a central terminal building with various departments and facilities that need to be interconnected through a robust network.
Within the terminal building, there are:
- Four administrative sections, each housing 30 desktop computers.
- Each section requires 10 portable/laptop computers with wireless connectivity (WiFi).
- A network printer is necessary for shared use in each administrative section.
- It's imperative that all computers within each administrative section have access to the network.
Additionally, there is a Data Room within the terminal building containing:
- Databases for passenger and flight information.
- Databases for employee records.
- A Printer Server to manage printing for LANs.
- Web Server for internal applications.
- Email Server for communication within the organization.
Your role involves designing and illustrating network diagrams to visualize the proposed solutions.
Question 1: (Network Diagram 1) Develop and draw a network diagram depicting the LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) for one administrative section within the terminal building. Focus on detailing the network setup for this specific section.
Question 2: (Network Diagram 2) Develop and draw a network diagram for INTRANET. This network will connect all computers within the central terminal building, enabling them to communicate with each other and access the resources within the Data Room as well.
Question 3: (Network Diagram 3) The airport authority operates branches in three different cities: DC, NYC, and MIAMI. Design an EXTRANET diagram to establish private communication between all sites. The Extranet should provide access to shared resources while maintaining security protocols.
Question 4:(Network Diagram 4) Update your EXTRANET diagram to include provisions for internet connectivity. This addition will allow all branches and the central terminal to have access to the internet while safeguarding the network's integrity.
Use https://www.draw.io to develop/draw network diagrams
Sample Solution
The LAN for one administrative section within the terminal building will consist of the following components:
- Switch: The switch will serve as the central hub for the LAN, connecting all devices to each other.
- Desktop computers: There will be 30 desktop computers in each administrative section, each of which will be connected to the switch using a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable.
- Wireless access point (WAP): The WAP will provide wireless connectivity for the 10 portable/laptop computers in each administrative section.
- Network printer: The network printer will be connected to the switch, allowing all users in the section to share it.
Network Diagram 2: Intranet
The Intranet for the central terminal building will consist of the following components:
- Core router: The core router will serve as the backbone of the Intranet, connecting all switches and other devices to each other.
- Distribution routers: The distribution routers will connect the core router to the edge routers.
- Edge routers: The edge routers will connect the LANs in each administrative section to the Intranet.
- Switches: The switches will serve as the central hubs for each LAN, connecting all devices in the LAN to each other.
- Desktop computers: There will be 120 desktop computers in the central terminal building, 30 in each administrative section.
- Wireless access points (WAPs): There will be 4 WAPs in the central terminal building, one in each administrative section.
- Network printers: There will be 4 network printers in the central terminal building, one in each administrative section.
- Data Room: The Data Room will be connected to the core router, allowing all users on the Intranet to access the resources within the Data Room.
Network Diagram 3: Extranet
The Extranet for the airport authority's three branches will consist of the following components:
- Site-to-site VPN: The site-to-site VPN will create a secure tunnel between the three branches, allowing them to communicate with each other and access shared resources.
- Firewalls: Firewalls will be placed at each branch to protect the network from unauthorized access.
- Routers: Routers will be used to connect the branches to the Internet and to each other via the VPN.
- Switches: Switches will be used to connect all devices in each branch to the network.
- Desktop computers: There will be 10 desktop computers in each branch.
- Network printers: There will be 1 network printer in each branch.
Network Diagram 4: Extranet with Internet Connectivity
To update the Extranet diagram to include provisions for internet connectivity, the following components will be added:
- Internet routers: Internet routers will be placed at each branch to connect the branch to the Internet.
- Firewalls: The firewalls at each branch will be configured to allow traffic to flow to and from the Internet.
Security Considerations
The following security considerations should be taken into account when designing and implementing the network infrastructure for the airport authority:
- Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA): All users should use strong passwords and MFA to protect their accounts.
- Keep software up to date: All software should be kept up to date to patch known vulnerabilities.
- Use firewalls and intrusion detection systems (IDS): Firewalls and IDS can be used to protect the network from unauthorized access and attacks.
- Educate users on security best practices: Users should be educated on security best practices, such as how to identify phishing emails and how to avoid malware infections.
By following these security considerations, the airport authority can help to protect its network from unauthorized access and attacks.