ASSIGNMENT: The Touchstone Tasks in this course will help you prepare for the final Touchstone, which you will submit at the end of Unit 4. A Touchstone is a project that demonstrates your comprehension of the course material. It will help you refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. For your reference, there is more information about Touchstones in the student guide.
There are a total of five Touchstone Tasks throughout the course:
- Touchstone Task 1: Planning a Network Infrastructure
- Touchstone Task 2.1: Planning Network Printer Connectivity
- Touchstone Task 2.2: Planning IP Address Assignments
- Touchstone Task 3: Planning a Wireless Infrastructure
- Touchstone Task 4: Planning Network Security Measures
While you will not receive a grade or feedback on this Touchstone Task submission, doing the work now will help you complete your final project. Completing this exercise at this point of the course ensures that you are ready to move on. Further, these Touchstone Tasks build throughout the next Units and form the foundation of the presentation for your final project.
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course.
A. Directions
Step 1: Review Final Touchstone
Review the final Touchstone to learn more about the overall assignment and see how you will be graded. Return to this page to continue your Touchstone Task.
Step 2: Review Greenfield Properties Scenario
Review the scenario and client requirements about Greenfield Properties. You will use this information to answer questions related to network physical requirements.
Step 3: Answer Questions
Based on the information provided by the client, answer the questions in the Touchstone Task 1 Template in 2-4 sentences each. Be sure to explain your answers in detail.
HINTAs you review the scenario and respond to the questions, consider what the client is trying to accomplish and what they have shared about their expectations. Use these perspectives to shape your response to the questions.
Step 4: Upload Completed Questions
Select the submit button at the top of this page and follow the instructions to upload the template with your completed question responses. You will use these answers as a reference when completing the final Touchstone at the end of Unit 4.
Name:
Date:
Touchstone Task 1: Planning a Network
Review the scenario and client expectations about Greenfield Properties.
Based on the information provided by the client, answer the following questions in 2-4 sentences each. Be sure to explain your answers in detail.
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How many employees will the new company have, and how many total devices, including PCs, tablets, and smartphones? (Ref: Touchstone Scenario) |
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What network architecture will be used: client/server or peer-to-peer? Why? (Ref: Types of Networks ) |
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When on-site employees access the network, will it be a PAN, LAN, or WAN? Why? (Ref: Types of Networks ) |
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What type(s) of cable should be used to connect the in-house hosts to the switch or router? (Ref: Coaxial & Twisted Pair Cables ) |
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Describe the types of servers that will be needed in order to meet the company’s networking goals. (Ref: Network Operating Systems ) |
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Do you think the servers should be on-premises, cloud-based, or a hybrid? Why? |
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What operating system(s) should be used on the servers? Why? (Ref: Network Operating Systems ) |
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Will multiple servers be virtualized on a single physical server? Why or why not? (Ref: Network Operating Systems |
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If you chose Microsoft Server software, which edition will you select, and why? (Ref: Network Operating Systems ) |
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If you choose Linux, which distro(s) will you select, and why? (Ref: Network Operating Systems ) |