Associate Program Material
Appendix J

Wireless Network Plan

Use the following outline to create your wireless network plan. Fill in each section of the plan as required.

Deployment Scenario

The best deployment scenario for this particular situation would be the infrastructure setup. This type of networking would allow the system to utilize both the wireless and wired components. This would also enable the network to utilize the WLAN for the majority of its networking needs, while still having the capability to merge a LAN into this WLAN design if needed.

Deployment Scenario Rationale

I went with the infrastructure networking mode due to the physical limitations within the Customer Service Call Center’s floor design. The Call Centers floor plan would allow the wireless access points to communicate with other wireless access points that are out of wireless coverage reach. For areas that are not considered mobile or require a higher level of security, the use of a wired connection can be used; while still allowing the wireless portion of the network to connect to the wired segment. What this means is, it provides a way for the wireless access points to communicate with the rest of the network, which is vital for connecting multiple wireless access points, as well as connecting a WLAN to a LAN if needed or requested.

Hardware Components

• Component Name: Access Point

o Rationale for using component: The use of five wireless access points are needed, so wireless coverage can be at an acceptable level throughout all areas of the floor plan.

o Rough cost estimate: The cost of a wireless access point would be around $180.00 each, which would total about $1,080.00 (6 access points) to supply wireless coverage throughout the floor plan.

• Component Name: Switch

o Rationale for using component: The implementation of a switch is needed to enable each wireless access point to be connected physically by a networking cable, which allows the wireless network to connect to the internet or other LAN based elements.

o Rough cost estimate: The average cost of a switch is around $85.00.

• Component Name: Network Cable

o Rationale for using component: This component is needed to connect the access points to the switch, since the wireless access points are unable to communicate to a wired network without the appropriate networking cables.

o Rough cost estimate: The networking cable needed to connect each wireless access point to the router would be less than 1000 ft. However, the CAT-6 networking cable needed can be purchased on a 1000 ft role for only $188.00, which would provide some extra cabling for future expansions or additional wiring needs.

IEEE Wireless Network Type

Apex Designs has identified that an 802.11n LAN will be implemented.

Access Point Management

Apex Designs has decided that thin access points will be used to simplify the management of the wireless LAN. These access points allow the wireless network to be managed from one central location rather than to be configured separately for each access point.

Location of Wireless Devices
Network Performance Impediment Report (overview of floor plan and possible impediments)
The Customer Service Call Center floor plan is has a few obstacles to consider, before implementing a wireless network. The floor plan is broken into two sectors, which is due to the metal filing cabinet located in the center of the floor plan. As a result, this makes it difficult to utilize a single access point to cover both sides of this obstacle. Furthermore, the incorporation of the glass windows, as well as the solid wall structure located next to the conference room would restrict the travel of network’s wireless signals. Even though the cubicles located on both sides of the filing cabinet, as well as the cooking equipment located in the break room are also considered a problem, they only present a low signal blocking challenge, since the cubicle walls’ effect on the wireless signal is limited and the break room is away from the wireless network’s main-point-of-concern. However, the solid wall structure and the metal filing cabinet are both considered high-risk factors, because they require additional networking components to create a working wireless network.
Summary list of possible impediments to wireless performance

• Glass windows (Low) • Electrical equipment in break room (Low) • The walls and cubicles (Low) • Metal filing cabinet (High) • Solid wall structure (High)

Locations of wireless devices are depicted in Appendix I

Wireless Security Policy

List of Security Protections

• Address Filtering • Shared Key Authentication • Disable SSID Broadcasting • Enable WEP or utilize WPA encryption if possible, and utilize network monitoring tools.

Summary of Protections

1. Address Filtering: I chose address filtering, because this feature is designed to prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to the wireless network, which is based on each device’s MAC address. By doing this, only the internal computers that are on the WLAN’s approved MAC list would be able to connect to the wireless network. In-other-words, this tool is useful for preventing outside attempts to the WLAN by restricting their access from the beginning. Even though it may be difficult to manage the approved MAC address list on a large sized network, the overall benefit of using this feature would be substantial enough to employ, since the additional time to maintain the approved MAC IDs could be limited by restricting the use of outside devices from being added, which would essentially limit all computer use to only company owned devices.

2. Shared Key Authorization: This security feature was chosen to provide the WLAN with an additional level of security in an attempt to counter a potential security breach. By employing the Shared Key Authentication protocol, the network would send the user a challenge text in, which the user would be required to respond with the correct answer, before being accepted onto the network. By controlling each computer’s Mac address, as well as requiring each user to undergo the Shared Key Authentication process, the overall level of network security would become stronger, which is due to the dual protection techniques that are being used.

3. Disable SSID Broadcasting: By disabling the SSID broadcast feature on the WLAN, the possibility of someone outside the company gaining the WLAN’s device information would be reduced, since the information would not be openly transmitted for someone to discover. As a result, this would prevent a potential security breach, since one could easily gain access to a wireless device by having the unit’s SSID due to the information that is included within this type of data communication. In-other-words, the less information that is offered about the wireless network, the better-off the WLAN would be, since the more system characteristics that are being presented to an intruder would only assist him or her in an attack.

4. Enable WEP or utilize WPA encryption if possible, and utilize network monitoring tools: In regards to this security selection, the use of WPA or WPA2 should be used instead of WEP or Shared Key Authentication if it is available, since this wireless network protection is more secure than its previous counterparts. However, the equipment being used on the wireless network would have to be compliant to do so. Nevertheless, if this is not available for use, the incorporation of a network monitoring program should be performed, which would allow the network to be monitored for security weaknesses, as well as allow one to be alerted about a potential network attack.

Possible Network Vulnerabilities

1. Address Filtering: It is difficult to manage large numbers of MAC addresses, MAC address can be accessed in plain text, and an intruder can falsify the MAC address on his or her device to gain access to the network.

2. Shared Key Authentication: An intruder could break the default key by using a dictionary attack, stealing the challenge text, or by encrypting the text through a mathematical system.

3. Disabling the SSID broadcast: This feature should be disabled, because if it is not the SSID could be obtained by stealing it or by viewing it in plain text that would enable one to use the brute force attack to gain access to the network.

4. Enable WEP or utilize WPA encryption if possible, and utilize network monitoring tools: The use of WEP can be problematic due to the intruder’s ability to break the key code, which could be caused by a weak WEP key, by viewing the key in plain text due to a collision, or caused by the weak key generating capabilities of the RC4 generating platform.

References:

ADVANTECH. (2013). 5-Port Network Switch. Retrieved from https://gridconnect.com/5-port-industrial-switch.html?gdftrk=gdfV25227_a_7c1592_a_7c6907_a_7c218&utm_source=google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term={keyword}&utm_campaign=%2FUI%2FProduct+Listing+Ads+General+All&mm_campaign=477cea803cb14c83d8a99b6c7d0cd349&keyword={keyword}&mkwid={ifsearch:s}{ifcontent:c}t3X4DDFr_d{device}|pcrid|18638691793&gclid=CPW2sdW74LkCFcg1QgodwRUA8w Cisco-Linksys. (2013). Access Points. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WAP54G-Wireless-G-Access-Point/dp/B00007KDVJ CablewholeSale. (2013). 1000 Foot Cat. 6 Cables. Retrieved from
http://www.cablewholesale.com/products/network-phone/cat-6-cable-bulk/product-10x8-622nh.php?utm_source=GoogleShopping&utm_medium=organic&zmam=54972865&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=10X8-622NH&gclid=CIu_vue84LkCFUFxQgodNnAA3g