Need some help from UPS IT dept.

[PTer4Ever]

I am currently enrolled in a Networking class at college. We have a project to do where we contact various businesses and ask the IT department a few questions about their network. I tried to talk to someone personally after my shift, but I was told that wouldn't be possible?? My supervisor couldn't arrange anything for me, so I thought I would ask here. If anyone could answer the following for me it would be greatly appreciated. I'll post the questions here, but if you would feel more comfortable answering in a PM that's fine too. The answers do not have to be long, just simple ones like Ethernet, 100-base T, etc.

1. Does your network use Ethernet, Token Ring, or both?

2. What's the transmission speed of your network?

3. What type of backbone does your network rely on?

4. What type of wiring does your network use? Is it the same type for the backbone as workstations?

5. Do you use WAN technologies? What topologies is each location arranged in?

6. If money was no object, what type of upgrades would you make to your network?

7. If you only had enough money for one of these upgrades, what would it be?

 

[wwbd]

Don't know all the answers, but here goes some...
1. Does your network use Ethernet, Token Ring, or both? Ethernet

2. What's the transmission speed of your network? Depends upon the building, but usually 100mbs. In the datacenter we do have some Gigabit switches though.

3. What type of backbone does your network rely on? Not sure here, but would believe it to be the Gigabit datacenter speed. Most of the LANs run over the 100mbs connections - all TCP/IP over ethernet, with the occasional wireless entry point (SCS locations mostly).

4. What type of wiring does your network use? Is it the same type for the backbone as workstations? Almost exclusively Cat5 ethernet, except for the fiber optic Gigabit cards & obviously different modeling for wireless.

5. Do you use WAN technologies? What topologies is each location arranged in? Yes, not sure here though. I would imagine it is the standard packet switched WAN topology - but would definitely need this confirmed.

6. If money was no object, what type of upgrades would you make to your network? I personally would like to see upgrades in our wireless infrastructure along with upgrades to our outlying building networks. Aside from that, we could probably use improvements in security - most every company would always like to see their network security improved I am sure.

7. If you only had enough money for one of these upgrades, what would it be? Given todays economic concerns, I would probably use the money on other areas first - virtualization software, software upgrades etc, but if I needed to identify one area, it would probably be wireless deployments.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Deeohem]

2) Don't think there's any extended building which isn't at least 100mbs. on the WAN side of things, it still varies by building. I think all Small Package sites are at least fractional T1. on the SCS side, not really sure. Depending on the site, it's a whole 'nother beastie 3) We use a mix of Copper and Fiber on our LANS. Copper from the switches out, Copper between switches in the same cabinet, and Fiber between cabinets. Though rare, there are a few wireless bridges connecting segments 4) I think we're supposed to use Cat6 on new wiring projects, though there aren't that many of them right now. 5) Well, I know that at a high-enough level, it's VPN. Getting down below IP, Im not really sure. roughly, it's what our vendor supplies. 6) wireless would be nice. mostly on the security side of things. we're VERY strict on wireless simply because it's less secure. VOIP should be examined. examine and redo our network wiring in the package centers. 7) go back and check the wired infrastructure throughout the enterprise. I've seen pictures of instances that convinced me that the wiring guidelines were considered suggestions rather than rules

 

[PTer4Ever]

Thanks for all the help guys.