DESIGN AND SIMULATION OF A SCALABLE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SCHOOL OF COMPUTING, FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC OFFA

Abstract This project will be a design and simulation of an infrastructure network, specific to the School of Computing to improve connectivity, shared resources, and future expansion. Thus, the design proposed is all about creating a solid, stable, and high-performance network which will be able to completely support all sorts of academic and administrative needs like think e-learning platforms, research collaborations, and lab set ups. Using software such as Cisco Packet Tracer, we simulated the scenario of the infrastructure by connecting core networking equipment, wired cabling and Wi-Fi access points and ensured that everything connects both wired and wirelessly. It is designed using a layered topology with modular components in such a way that you can scale up, make things easy to manage and not break the bank in the case of scaling up. We also excavated the major information on VLAN segmentation, clever IP addresses, redundancy configurations and security settings to secure confidential information. The results of the simulating prove that the network achieves the performance goals in terms of throughput, latency, and reliability, and it is scalable to add new technology and user requirements. All in all, this makes it a viable guide in executing a scalable, secure, and robust network implementation in a university environment.