UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, MARDAN

Department of Computer Software Engineering

Assignment # 1: Complex Engineering Problem/ Activity (Design Project-Problem Based
Learning (PBL))

Subject Name: SE-405 Computer Communication & Networks

Semester: Spring 2025 (4th) Marks: 100
Assigned on: 11-02-2025 Submission Due Date: 11-05-2025

Target CLO-2, PLO-2: Engineering Knowledge, Taxonomy Level: C-4 (Design)

Note:
i. Student are required to carry out and submit this assignment on individual basis.
ii. Assignment will be evaluated at the end of semester based on the rubrics provided at the
end of this assignment.
iii. Students are expected to come up with alternative designs and use of technologies which
shall be well justified in the report.
iv. Students’ learning will be assessed in a viva/short presentation in the last class.

Question: Assuming that we have five sites of an organization, which are required to be connected
with one another. In each site, we have 1000 employees with a potential to grow working in various
departments (Admin, HR, Finance). The organization provides some essential services to its
employees which include email and web services. Students are required to design and implement
a fully functional internetwork in Cisco Packet Tracer that simulates real-world Internet-like
capabilities. The project should focus on scalability and efficiency while implementing core
networking principles. Following are the requirements of design and implementation.

1. Network Design & Addressing

i. Requirement: Implement a 3-tier hierarchical topology (Core, Distribution, Access)
at each site.
Learning outcome: Students shall be able to understand the concept of access
switches, distribution switches and core switches and justify why they are needed at an
enterprise level network/data center). Alternatively, students shall report why this best
practice is not being followed by many small organizations. For learning purposes,
students are advised to visit the vendor websites (e.g., https://cisco.com,
https://e.huawei.com/en/products/switches) to get an idea of these switches and their
capabilities.

ii. Requirement: Devise/propose proper IPv4 addressing scheme (with subnetting, if

required) to all the devices in the internetwork.
Learning outcome: Students will be able to understand the IP V4 classes (A, B, C)
and what are the capabilities of these addresses. Students will also understand and
justify which class will be assigned at these multiple sites. Students will also understand

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 the concept of sub-netting and why it is being used in networks. If sub-netting is being
used, students shall justify its usage. The proposed IP scheme will then be implemented
using DHCP (Refer to S. No. 3 (i).

iii. Requirement: Create multiple Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) on each site for
network segmentation.
Learning Outcome: Students will incorporate and justify the use of VLAs, i.e.,
segmenting the LAN based on the layer-2.

2. Routing & Switching Implementation

i. Requirements: Configure dynamic routing protocols (OSPF, IGRP, RIP etc.).
Learning Outcome: Students will configure routers from command line/router
IOS for appropriate routing protocol (OSPF, IGRP, RIP etc.) and justify the
selection of routing protocol for this system.
ii. Requirements: Implement/configure Inter-VLAN Routing using command line of
router IOS.
Learning Outcome: Students will learn the need of inter-VLAN routing and then
understand its implementation.
iii. Requirements: Apply redundancy mechanisms (Spanning Tree Protocol, if
required).
Learning Outcome: Students will understand the concept of Spanning Tree
Protocol (STP) and its algorithm and why it is required. Students will apply STP,
if required to avoid loops and ensure redundant paths.

3. Essential Network Services

i. Requirements: Setup DHCP, DNS, FTP/TFTP, email, and Web Services (HTTP).
Learning Outcome: Students will understand the concept of servers’ configuration
for DHCP, DNS, FTP, SMTP, POP3 and HTTP by implementing/configuring these
services at appropriate sites of the organization.
ii. Requirements: Setup and configure SSH/ Telnet for remote access of switches and
routers.
Learning Outcome: Students will learn about the concepts of remote log-in to the
switches and routers for their configuration. Students will also learn why SSH is
preferred over Telnet for remote log-in.

4. Submission Guidelines
i. Packet Tracer File (.pkt) – Fully configured internetwork.
ii. Technical Report (15-20 Pages, .pdf or .docx) including:
a. Introduction & Design Goals
b. Network Diagram in MS Visio)- Outcome: Students will learn the design tool,
MS Visio.
c. Addressing & Sub-netting Plan
d. Routing and Switching Configurations- Outcome: Students will have hands on
experience of the IOS CLI.

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Evaluation Criteria (Grading Rubric)
Component Marks Description
Network Topology & 20 Logical & hierarchical
Design structure
IP Addressing & Subnetting 20 Efficient addressing scheme

Routing & Switching 20 Proper implementation of

protocols
Network Services (DNS, 20 Essential services setup
DHCP, FTP, Web)
Technical Report 20 Documentation quality

Detailed Rubrics
Logical & Hierarchical Structure (20 Marks)
Criteria Excellent (18- Good (14-17 Satisfactory Needs
20 Marks) Marks) (10-13 Marks) Improvement (0-9
Marks)
Network Design Clearly follows Uses a Partially Poor structure, flat
3-tier hierarchy structured design structured but topology, excessive
(Core, but lacks full lacks scalability. use of single-layer
Distribution, adherence to Some devices connections. No
Access) with hierarchical best directly hierarchy followed.
optimal traffic practices. Some connected to the
flow. Efficient traffic core, creating
segmentation bottlenecks congestion.
and redundancy. exist.
Scalability & Easily Mostly scalable, Limited Not scalable,
Modularity expandable but expansion scalability, inefficient use of
without major may require addressing and VLANs, poor
reconfiguration. reconfiguration VLAN design modularity, difficult
Proper of multiple not future-proof. to expand.
VLAN/Subnet devices.
planning.
Redundancy & Implements Some Minimal No redundancy,
Fault Tolerance STP, redundancy redundancy, single point of
EtherChannel, mechanisms potential single failure present,
HSRP/VRRP for implemented, points of failure. network collapses on
redundancy. but not fully minor failure.
Multiple paths to optimized.
prevent failure.

Efficient Addressing Scheme (20 Marks)

Criteria Excellent (18- Good (14-17 Satisfactory Needs
20 Marks) Marks) (10-13 Marks) Improvement
(0-9 Marks)
Subnetting & IP Accurate Mostly correct Addressing has Incorrect
Allocation subnetting, no subnetting, some errors, subnetting, severe
wasted IPs, minor IP overlaps or inefficiencies,
efficient use of allocation wasted IPs. wasteful IP
inefficiencies. allocation.

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 Criteria Excellent (18- Good (14-17 Satisfactory Needs
20 Marks) Marks) (10-13 Marks) Improvement
(0-9 Marks)
public/private
IPs.
Routing & All devices Some devices Inconsistent Poor
Addressing configured with misconfigured addressing, configuration,
Consistency correct but functional, multiple devices network devices
gateways, subnet minor routing misconfigured. unable to
masks, no inconsistencies. communicate
conflicts. properly.

Proper Implementation of Protocols (20 Marks)

Criteria Excellent (18- Good (14-17 Satisfactory Needs
20 Marks) Marks) (10-13 Marks) Improvement
(0-9 Marks)
Routing Fully optimized, Implemented Functional but Incorrectly
Protocols correct route properly but inefficient, slow implemented,
(OSPF, RIP) summarization, lacks convergence, network instability
fastest optimizations routing loops due to routing
convergence like possible. issues.
time. summarization.
Switching Proper VLAN VLANs mostly VLAN No VLANs, entire
Technologies segmentation, correct, but misconfigurations, network in a single
(VLANs, STP, STP prevents some spanning switching loops broadcast domain,
EtherChannel) loops. tree possible, prone to
inefficiencies. redundant paths congestion.
not optimized.

Essential Services Setup (20 Marks)

Criteria Excellent (18- Good (14-17 Satisfactory (10- Needs
20 Marks) Marks) 13 Marks) Improvement
(0-9 Marks)
DHCP & DNS DHCP assigns Mostly Manual addressing No DHCP/DNS,
Configuration correct IPs functional but required due to all addressing
dynamically, minor issues misconfiguration, done manually.
DNS resolves with address DNS inconsistent.
hostnames allocation or
properly. DNS resolution.
Web & Email Properly Services work Basic Web and email not
Services configured web but have minor configuration, working or
and email availability intermittent improperly
servers, issues. functionality configured.
functional and issues.
accessible.
FTP, Remote Securely Configured Functional but No FTP or remote
Access Services implemented correctly but not lacks access services
FTP and optimized for encryption/security configured.
SSH/Telnet for security. features.
remote access.

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Documentation Quality (20 Marks)- Not mapped to the CLO
Criteria Excellent (18- Good (14-17 Satisfactory Needs
20 Marks) Marks) (10-13 Marks) Improvement (0-
9 Marks)
Network Clear, well- Mostly correct Diagram No diagram or
Diagram & labeled but some incomplete, incorrect
Topology topology, missing details missing key representation of
includes IP in diagrams. components. network.
addresses,
VLANs, routing
paths.
Configuration Well- Mostly complete Includes basic Poor
Details documented but missing configuration documentation, no
command explanations for but lacks configuration
outputs, step-by- some justification. details provided.
step explanation. configurations.
Problem Solving Lists challenges, Identifies some Some issues No troubleshooting
& provides issues but lacks mentioned, but or problem
Troubleshooting solutions with depth in no solutions identification
logical solutions. provided. included.
reasoning.
Writing Quality Well-structured, Mostly clear, Somewhat Disorganized, poor
& Formatting clear, technical minor organized, lacks writing quality,
language, free of grammatical clarity, several lacks structure.
major errors. issues. grammar issues.