UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIABPMN 6053 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

SEMESTER MARCH 2011

ASSIGNMENT TITLE: A SOHO Network Administration

PREPARED FOR: DR. THI LIP SAM

PREPARED BY: JULIN MARUSID, MATRIC NO:803735PAUL MATHEW, MATRIC NO: 806658

SOHO Network Administration – Definition

SOHO Network generally use a small Ethernet Network switch or hub and cat 5 cabling, or a WIFI wireless network.

(a) Network Interface Card (NIC) is needed in adding an additional computer to the LAN using Ethernet.

NIC connects the device’s circuitry to the cable. The NIC works with programs in each devise to implement the protocols necessary for communication. 

(b) The advantages of using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) for the new computer is when you plug your computer into a LAN (or sign on to a wireless LAN), a program in Windows or other operating system will search that network for a DHCP server.

When the program finds such device, your computer will request a temporary IP address from the DHCP server. The IP address is loaned to you while you are connected to the LAN.

When you disconnect, that IP address becomes available, and the DHCP server will reuse it when needed.

(c) The line between the base station and the modem is not a telephone line. The DSL modem to ISP will be the telephone line. (d) The computers, printers, switches and other devices on a LAN are connected using one or more media. Most connections are made using Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) cable.

(e) The hardware that is needed to add another wireless computer is Bluetooth. Bluetooth is another common wireless protocol. It is designed for transmitting data over short distances, replacing cables.  (f) The computer user in office 2 must enter office 1 to access the printer. What must be done to move the printer to a neutral location between the two offices? The printer needs to use wireless NIC.

(g) By going to http://cnet.com or another site that lists computer hardware, the approximate cost of a wireless printer is $134.99.

It is better to buy a wireless printer server when the distance between office 1 & 2 are in the range with the wireless printer.

However it is better to buy a second printer for office 2 instead of a printer server when the distance between office 1 & 2 is out of the range.

(h) A new computer can be added to the LAN by adding another Ethernet switch. Both the new Ethernet and current Ethernet switches can be connected together to the main switch using optical fibre cables. 

(i) All of the computers in this LAN run Microsoft Windows. A user at computer 1 clicked the LAN icon at the bottom of his screen and the screen shown in Figure 6A-11 (pg. 250) appeared:

(1) Are the IP addresses in the screen internal or public IP addresses? They are internal IP address and public IP address. (2) What computer is located at IP address 192.168.2.19? Computer: BDELL (3) What device is located at IP address 192.168.2.1? DSL Modem. 

The user did not know what device was located at IP address 192.168.2.28, so he opened his browser and typed: http://192.168.2.28. The screen shown in Figure 6A-12 (pg. 250) appeared. (a)Which device on the SOHO LAN has been assigned this IP address? Printer (b)Which device created this display? Ethernet Switch.(c)What is the purpose of this display? To display server status.

Out of curiosity, the user then entered http://192.168.2.1 into his browser. The display shown in Figure 6A-13 (pg.251) resulted.

(a)Which device produced this display? Ethernet Switch

(b)What does “DHCP server enabled” mean? Assigned IP addresses automatically to a computer.

(c)Explain the entries in the DHCP section. The DHCP section lists the computers and other devices that the base station detects on your network.

(d) The base station has two MAC addresses. What two devices inside the base station do you think they refer to? Printer and Computer

(e)What is the MAC address of the printer server? (use data from the last two displays) 0x00c002a5e78a

(f) The network administrator for this SOHO LAN can access a management utility within the base station. She did so and navigated to the display shown in Figure 6A-14.\

(1) Do the data in this display pertain to the Ethernet switch or the router? It displayed router.

(2) This appendix showed the use of DHCP within a LAN. This screen allows the base station to use DHCP to obtain its own public IP address from the IP. What benefits does the ISP accrue by using DHCP? By using DHCP, the ISP will experience less burden in supplying the legitimate Internet address.

(3) When would the network administrator not use DHCP to connect to the ISP?

The network administrator will not use DHCP to connect to the ISP when:

Internet connection type is static - uses a fixed IP address provided by your ISP.

Internet connection type is PPPoE – uses point-to-point Protocol over Ethernet.

Internet connection type is Disabled – do not connect the base station to the internet.

(4) Under what circumstances would someone use a base station and not connect it to the Internet?

When someone wants to operate the computers connected at a single physical site, he will only use a base station and not connect it to the internet.