Uni Project - Inter-City Connections

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Colinspocket

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#103224 1-Jun-2012 15:50

Hi Geekzone, I'm putting this topic here because it's not so much a serious question, just a discussion topic really. If it's better off somewhere else I apologize and please move it.

I'm doing a data communications paper at Auckland Uni (Infosys 339 if anyone else here is in it!) And our final project is to provide a solution for an Auckland company wanting to expand to both a retail site in Auckland and an office site in Wellington. One of the requirements is that we have to determine the type of connection between these sites, based on technologies that actually exist in NZ.

We're using IT-Guru's Opnet to test our networks for a variety of things so this is where we're modelling the network.

So my question is, what kind of real world connections could we expect to use for a medium sized company to connect two sites, one between Auckland and Welly, and from the HQ in Auckland to the retail site also in Auckland. The connections will be used for mildly heavy FTP and database work (servers at Auckland HQ), and each city will have its own HTTP proxy servers.

I've been doing some research but I though, who better to ask than Geekzone?

Any ideas are appreciated! I also have no idea if I've provided enough information so I'll add to if need be.

sbiddle

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#634253 1-Jun-2012 15:56

VDSL2, fibre or wireless.

Colinspocket

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#634550 2-Jun-2012 11:04

Thanks sbiddle, something like fibre definitely looks like the way to go.

What I'm also wondering is how to maintain the network over the WAN, so I'm looking at doing something like setting up a VPN between each site and the HQ, but will that mean that internet can only enter the network at one site? I'm wanting both the Auckland HQ and the Wellington office to both have a Point of Presence to the internet via their HTTP proxy servers.

Other models we've worked on model connections between cities using a PPP DS1 link between routers. We'd think of using a Fibre link instead (assuming it will be available), and maybe even switch from Ethernet to ATM or MPLS leaving each site (if we can figure out how to model this!). Not too sure if this would relate to a real world model however.

sbiddle

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#634586 2-Jun-2012 13:07

Why is fibre "the way to go"?

Routing all internet traffic via a single point has pros and cons, you obviously need to decide what model suits you best.

Colinspocket

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#634596 2-Jun-2012 13:26

Just as in the way to go for our model. If we're having a big fibre rollout in the country I think our lecturer will be happy enough for us to link the sites with fibre instead of a T1 link etc.

Ok so I'm guessing the VPN idea won't work, as the requirements specify each city has it's own HTTP proxy server, which will act as a PoP. If a VPN won't allow this we'll have to shelve that idea.

sbiddle

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#634603 2-Jun-2012 13:44

T1 links's don't exist in NZ do you can't use them. Fibre is an option, but not the only option because cost obviously has to be a factor in any model and fibre can easily cost you way more than wireless or copper. I'm also not sure why you're even thinking about things such as ATM which is by all means a legacy product that you wouldn't even contemplate using in the real world thesed days.

A VPN will work fine. The problem is clearly nobody is going to do your work for you, and there are many different ways of configuring the setup you want depending on whether you want layer 2 or layer 3 connectivity. Clearly a HTTP proxy server complicates things, I'm not quite sure why you feel there is a need for this.

Colinspocket

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#634620 2-Jun-2012 14:14

I'm not expecting anyone to do any work for me, I posted this in the off topic forum and clearly stated I intended this to be a discussion. I'm not asking anyone to do anything, I'm simply here to get ideas and learn.

That's the whole point, studying, involving learning. These technologies are all things we've studied hence why I'm trying to include them, but obviously I'm still learning so that's why I'd be thinking about all possible ideas/technologies. I've been greatly appreciating your feedback and it's helping a lot, and as you can see I'm modifying all my ideas based on the info you've provided.

As I stated the project requirements stipulate that each city has it's own HTTP proxy server.

I'd like to think that Geekzone's a place I can come to and discuss things like this and put forward my ideas and get some helpful feedback and suggestions, and come out the other end more knowledgable. It's a huge and complicated industry and I'd like to think that everybody in it is learning new things every day, so there's really no reason to bring anyone down because they're not 110% knowledgable in networking.

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sbiddle

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#634634 2-Jun-2012 14:29

The setup itself is very straight forward, but how you design this would depend entirely on the scalability and bandwidth requirements. A simple multisite WAN deployment with Mikrotik hardware would cost ~$800 for hardware to deliver a VDSL2 connection and full layer 2 bridge between both sites with a HTTP proxy at both ends and internet traffic routed directly from each site. Setup would be less than 15 minutes.

On the other hand if you have alarge number of devices you'll probably just want L3 rather than L2 to avoid issues with ARP traffic.

Colinspocket

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#634679 2-Jun-2012 16:14

This sounds exactly like what we're looking for, just on a large-ish scale. Doing some research it seems like setting up a VPN or PPP(might have scale of PPP wrong) on a VDSL2 (or fiber if we can justify the cost) line between them would be ideal. Would just have to figure out bringing the internet into each site.

Yes I would imagine subnetting each site would be ideal due to the number of hosts.

ED: Looks like the internet would just be a gateway thing? Static routing through the VPN and everything else through the proxy? I'm going to be up all night getting this model right!

ED ED: Split-tunneling!