Learning objectives

Learning objectives

We as a group considered many designs while attempting to complete this project.

Several designs were put forth. On the first attempt, we designed the site with 11 IDFs and equipment that is more suitable for an installation where every penny is accounted for and must be justified. Although, the design would work, it did have its limits and most importantly, did not comply with all requirements of the proposal. This original design is more in line with what a school would ultimately purchase; however, it did not meet the requirements.

After much deliberation, we decided to meet the requirements of the proposal without considering cost. This required a complete reconfiguration of the original project, which is what is being presented.

The project as described required us to do much search regarding hardware to determine what equipment is available and how it is to be configured. As a general rule, higher end products do not come pre-configured and as such required much research.

In the process, we as a group learned much about the costs of cable, backbone, and hardware. We also learned that it is quite east to install the wrong equipment that may function for the moment but ultimately become a bottleneck and an administrative nightmare. We learned that the IP addressing scheme is extremely important to plan out or the configuration of routers can become unmanageable.

Because the IP addressing scheme cannot generally identify a cable to an office, we learned that the cut sheet and naming convention for the cables are extremely important or the network will not lend its self to easy maintenance in the future.

We learned that prices for some equipment fluctuate widely and that in many cases the price is only expensive and does not yield a return.

We leaned that careful consideration up front will result in a better design and will ultimately function more reliably and if a failures occur, the original design specifications if documented will really help.

We as a group learned that when the pressure is on, people have a tendency to fail in completing the assignments. We had twice as many group members as when we finished.

Backup plans must be in place with a reasonable time frame to complete the project should team members (co-workers) fail to complete delegated tasks. If the deadlines are not met, a backup plan can then be implemented.