Question

Network for a small business (Coffee Shop)

Describe your network project. I need an overview of your proposed network design including the purpose of the network and the organizational objectives for the network. These objectives may include email, Internet access, POS, accounting system, scheduling, etc. Must be at least 100 words. (connect to 3 computers for customers, have wifi, connect to the register computer cashier)

Describe the physical and logical topology or topologies of your network: bus, star, ring, mesh or hybrid. Justify your selection.

Describe the protocols and services projected to be used on your network.

Answer 1

Router Firewall Internet Modem Phone Switch WiFi Workstation Laptop Computer Smartphone Printer Accountant Manager

Network Architecture for Coffee Shop

Purpose: To provide a well connected setup between communicating entities of a coffee shop.

Objective:

• To have a well connected environment for coffee shop
• It provides internet access to the customers and executives working in the shop
• Provides synchronization between communicating parties if they are working on same objects. E.g. Two waiters are taking order from same table and this order items are saved in some software present on two diff machines.
• Provides shop manager centralized access to resources.
• Provides shop owner essential details remotely
• Access email systems via internet
• Coffee shop may also provide internet access to the customer via wifi.

Topology: Topology being used here is hybrid, as it contains both bus and mesh topology. Entities connected via bus topology are accountant, multiple cashiers, and the managers taking order.      

            Mesh topology used to connect entities on bus topology, shop owner, customers, printer and other resources together.

Overview:

Components used in this network are:

• Switch: Device that connects other devices together
• Modem: Provides interfacing between the telephone line and the computer by providing modulation-demodulation.
• Firewall: Provides security wall between the network and the internet.
• Wifi: Provides internet connectivity wirelessly to the devices
• End points: Desktop PC, mobile phones, laptop

This network is connected to internet via router/ modem and internally internet access is provided in two ways, wifi and wired through switch. To provide synchronous access between the coffee shop executives such as cashier, accountant, manager who work on some common data these are connected through bus topology. Customers can connect to the network through wifi which in turn is connected to firewall and accessing internet through it. There is a centralized workstation which has all the data related to inventory, orders, items available in the shop. This can also be used to monitor cctv in the coffe shop. Internal mail access can also be provided through this workstation; from this all the users of network can download and access their emails. Network also provides access to the centralized printer which provides flexibility to the users to give print command directly from their system to the printer.