NETW410
Lab 4: Connecting Point A to Point B

Lab Report

1. How should an Internet connection be made for the current campus? Why did you select this option over the others? AT&T is the carrier providing service to the existing campus as well as the new campus. Examine the offerings for Internet access to select the one that should be used. (10 points)

Since there are multiple locations that require large amounts of bandwidth I would recommend the site connect to the internet through Fiber optics. I recommend fiber because of the high demand for bandwidth with today's technology. Fiber also has a very high tolerance for external interference. AT&T currently offers a high speed fiber network that would fit perfectly in this environment.

2. How should the existing and new campus locations be connected to each other? (10 points)

When connecting the 2 campuses together I would definitely recommend running a private link between the 2. You would typically be ISDN, frame relay or Ethernet, depending on the distance, amount of speed required, and the amount of money you want to spend.

3. Should the two locations share an Internet connection? (10 points)

Since there will be a lot of traffic on the network I would recommend each site connect to the internet separately.

4. Compare the advantages, disadvantages, and cost of fiber optic cable, 5 GHz wireless bridges, and free space optics as a means to interconnect the campus buildings to the IT wing of the Administration Building. (10 points)

Fiber optics is a great choice when a lot of speed is required in a network. Fiber will provide high speed access and it is immune to interference. A draw back with fiber is the cost, fiber is expensive to implement and is very difficult to install.
5GHz wireless gives you excellent connect to the internet because the frequency isn't shared with