1. Confirm Client Requirements

3. Confirm Client Requirements A prerequisite to good network design is to discuss the client’s networking needs, as this will enable you to analyse the various issues which the network needs to address.

4. Confirm Client Requirements To do this you will need to arrange several meetings with the client.

5. Confirm Client Requirements Initially these meetings will probably focus on fairly broad managerial type issues, but as you obtain more and more information about the client’s needs you can then arrange meetings to discuss specific issues.

6. Confirm Client Requirements Defining Business Objectives

7. Confirm Client Requirements You should start the analysis process by asking the client some questions about the desired functionality of the network, such as:

9. What business applications does the client need to support?

10. Does the client simply want to have shared access to word processing files, or do they have multi-user databases to support?

12. Is the client planning to incorporate EFTPOS operations into the network?

13. What is the estimated size of the network; how many users will the network service?

14. How important is network security?

16. Confirm Client Requirements As you create the plan, consider which parts you can do now and which can be addressed later, taking care of critical business functions first.

17. Confirm Client Requirements The following points address some of the issues that should be included in the network plan:

18. Confirm Client Requirements 1. Sizing the network It is important to have a clear idea of the network’s expected size, taking in to consideration the number of users and the level of use.

19. Confirm Client Requirements 1. Sizing the network Plan for future growth by building in extra capacity from the beginning.

20. Confirm Client Requirements 1. Sizing the network Consider what capacity the client may need in two or three years and how an increase in the number of users will affect data storage needs.

21. Confirm Client Requirements 1. Sizing the network A good network should be designed to grow easily with the careful addition of existing technology.

22. Confirm Client Requirements 2. Follow a standard approach It is important that you plan and build the network using standard industry-proven components.

23. Confirm Client Requirements 2. Follow a standard approach As business relationships change, the network may need to interconnect with others.

24. Confirm Client Requirements 2. Follow a standard approach It is therefore wise to design a network that is not likely to pose compatibility problems.

25. Confirm Client Requirements 2. Follow a standard approach If you are designing a network for an independent branch of a larger organisations, obtain copies of current network operations and use these as your standard.

26. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity What types of external connections will the network need? Is Internet access necessary?

27. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity If so, will a dial-up connection suffice, or will you need a fill-time dedicated link?

28. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity Will the client require remote access for their staff?

29. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity One of the most challenging aspects of designing a network involves setting up links to external networks.

30. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity Not only are these the most technically complex tasks of implementing a network, but they also carry significant costs, that the client needs to be aware of from the very beginning.

31. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity Many organisations maintain a ‘web presence’ via the development of an Internet home page, allowing them to showcase their goods and services to the general public.

32. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity However, there is much more to the Internet than simply creating a home page.

33. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity It is important to make the client aware of the various Internet services available as well as the technical issues surrounding the implementation of those services.

34. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity You need to make sure that the client is well informed about the potential security issues involved in connecting their network to the Web.

35. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity The first question you should ask the client is what level of Internet access they require: do they want the use the Internet to promote their own business or to access information?

36. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity If the organisation simply wants to set up a home page to provide client information, then they may choose to contract an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and a web designer to maintain their web presence, with little if any interruption to internal network services.

37. Confirm Client Requirements 3. Connectivity If the organisation decides that they would like their staff to have Internet access, to be able to send emails and browse the web, then the task becomes more difficult, and more costly.

38. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security While the network operating system is responsible for maintain the overall security of the network, especially in terms of user access and authentication, the type of network hardware used can also have an impact on security.

39. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security Consider the following hardware-related security risks:

40. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security The nature of wireless networking means that a potential hacker does not need to have physical access to the network.

41. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security Establishing a permanent Internet connection via ADSL potentially makes the network accessible to anybody connected to the Web.

42. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security The risk may be minor, but it is important to make the client aware that a risk exists

43. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security Of course there are also a number of hardware solutions that can be implemented to help minimize risk and improve security.

46. Confirm Client Requirements 4. Security For example, a video store is going to have limited security requirements whereas a legal firm is going to have significant security requirements.

47. Confirm Client Requirements 5. Interoperability This refers to the hardware’s ability to communicate and interact with different hardware and operating systems.

48. Confirm Client Requirements 5. Interoperability When recommending new hardware you need to consider what type of hardware is already in use and make sure that the new component is compatible.

49. Confirm Client Requirements 5. Interoperability You should also consider what standards exist within the industry: if most other industries in this organisation use XYZ, and you advise the client to use ABC then you need to make sure that the two systems are compatible.

50. Confirm Client Requirements 6. Ease of use The hardware needs to be easy to use, especially for the end user.

51. Confirm Client Requirements 6. Ease of use In situations where the client requires ongoing administration access to the system, then the recommended hardware should come with an easy-to-use configuration interface, as well as good quality documentation.

52. Confirm Client Requirements 7. Software compatibility You need to know what software the client intends to run, both now and in the near future.

53. Confirm Client Requirements 7. Software compatibility Advising the client on a particular piece of hardware, only find that it does not support the client’s operating system or application software is embarrassing and can be extremely expensive.

54. Confirm Client Requirements 8. Warranty Most manufacturers offer some level of warranty on their hardware, but these can vary greatly not only from manufacturer to manufacturer but also from item to item.

55. Confirm Client Requirements 8. Warranty For example, some manufacturers have a ‘return to base warranty’ which means that if a hardware component fails, it needs to be couriered back to the manufacturer for inspection and repairs or replacement, and this can take several weeks.

56. Confirm Client Requirements 9. Cost Most clients will tell you that the most important requirement they have is cost and they are right.

57. Confirm Client Requirements 9. Cost However what many people fail to realize is that the cheapest option is not always the best, and what the client really needs is not the cheapest but the best value for money.

58. Confirm Client Requirements 9. Cost As an IT professional advising a client on network hardware it is your responsibility to ensure that the hardware you recommend offers the best value for money possible.

59. Confirm Client Requirements 10. Existing Infrastructure If a network already exists, then it is important to consider the existing infrastructure as it may limit what options are available. In order to do this you will need to meet with other technical staff as well as gain access to any existing network documentation.

61. Will the new hardware be compatible with the existing hardware?

63. Will the new hardware enable any new functions to be undertaken (for example, video conferencing)?

64. How many users will benefit from the installation of the new hardware?