Network

You have been asked by Thrift Towne, a local charity retail organization, to install a network in its downtown office. It currently has four PCs running Windows XP Professional, with the following specifications:

• Pentium III, 500 MHz processor, 256 MB memory, 10 GB hard drive

• Pentium 4, 1 GHz processor, 512 MB memory, 40 GB hard drive

• Pentium 4, 3 GHz processor, 1 GB memory, 120 GB hard drive

• Pentium 4, 3 GHz processor, 2 GB memory, 250 GB hard drive

Thrift Towne’s owners are also concerned about security, because the network will share some confidential information and documents (files) and the workstations will be connected to the internet. Thrift Towne uses mostly volunteers to run its stores, and the volunteers are not technical experts, so they are hoping for a solution that doesn’t require any complex maintenance. In addition, Thrift Towne doesn’t have much money to spend on this project. In short, the owners have asked for a simple, inexpensive solution.

Based on the information given above, prepare a detailed proposal or report for Thrift Towne. You will need to write at least one (1) paragraph when defining and describing each component or point, and include a title/heading/subheading for each of the components you describe. Your proposal/report should answer the following questions:

• What type of network would you recommend and why? Also recommend the suitable topology for this network.

• What kind of additional equipment would Thrift Towne have to purchase to make the solution or network work and explain why they would need that additional equipment?

• What types of cables available and which one is the best?

• What role (or roles) would you assign to each of the four workstations and any other equipment you recommend?

• What type of upgrades, if any, might the workstations require to make your solution work?

• What security measures will have to be put in place to ensure the network and data is secured?

• You need provide a...