ROUTING AND SWITCHING TECHNOLOGIES (ITT532) SEMESTER OCT2025 – MAC2026
CASE STUDY
OPTIMIZING INNOVATECH NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
GROUP PROJECT (20%)
OBE: P3
Course Outcome:
Solve issues in switching concepts and technologies.
Objectives
By the end of this project, students should be able to:
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Understand the implementation of switching technologies in an educational enterprise
network.
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Apply VLAN, Inter-VLAN routing, EtherChannel, DHCPv4, DHCPv6, and STP in a real-world
scenario.
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Design a scalable, reliable, and secure campus network topology using switching concepts.
Background
Innovatech College is a growing higher learning institution offering programs in IT, Business, and
Multimedia. With an increasing number of students and online services, the college’s existing network
infrastructure can no longer support the demand for performance and reliability.
Currently, all users share a single broadcast domain, leading to congestion, IP conflicts, and occasional
connection failures. The management has requested a complete network redesign to improve
efficiency, security, and scalability across three main buildings: Administration Block, Academic Block,
and Student Centre.
Current Network Issues
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All users share a single broadcast domain (no VLAN separation)
Frequent IP conflicts and high network congestion
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No redundancy or load balancing mechanisms
Manual IP assignment causing management difficulties
Limited support for IPv6 deployment
Objectives
Your group is tasked to redesign the campus network using VLAN, Inter-VLAN Routing, Spanning Tree
Protocol (STP), EtherChannel, and both DHCPv4 and DHCPv6. The design should address
performance, manageability, and reliability concerns while maintaining scalability for future
expansion.
Design Requirement
Your proposed network redesign must include the following components:
1. VLAN segmentation for different user groups (e.g., Admin, Lecturers, Students, Servers).
2. Inter-VLAN Routing using a Layer 3 switch or router-on-a-stick approach.
3. Implementation of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) — theoretical explanation only.
4. EtherChannel between switches to enhance bandwidth and redundancy.
5. Centralized DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 configuration for automatic IP address assignment.
Suggested Network Topology Description (You may propose your own)
The redesigned network should follow a hierarchical structure:
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One (1) Core Switch located in the Server Room (Administration Block)
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Three (3) Distribution Switches located in each building (Administration, Academic, Student
Centre)
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Multiple Access Switches connecting to end devices (staff PCs, lecturer terminals, student
labs)
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A central router providing Internet connectivity
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A DHCP Server and File Server located in the Server VLAN
This structure promotes modular design, simplifies troubleshooting, and supports future network
expansion.
Deliverable
Each group must submit the following deliverables:
1. A written report explaining the proposed network design, based on the design requirement
you proposed to upgrade. Include IPv4 and IPv6 design as well.
2. A network simulation file on Packet Tracer.
3. Screenshots of connectivity tests, such as:
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Successful ping between VLANs
o
DHCP address assignment verification
4. Configuration snippets (Light Version) — include short, relevant examples only, such as:
VLAN
vlan 10
name Admin
vlan 20
name Lecturer
vlan 30
name Student
Submission
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Work in groups of 2-3 students.
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Ensure that your network simulation is functioning and properly labelled.
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Marks will be awarded for clarity, creativity, and accuracy of design.
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Deadline: 7th December 2025
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Submission Method: Upload via UFuture
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Late Submission: Not accepted