Network Design «BEST – 2024»

A "solid" design anticipates growth. This involves using modular hardware and a structured IP addressing scheme (IPv6 or CIDR) that allows for easy expansion without reconfiguring the entire system.

Implementing Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) at the boundary between the internal network and the internet. 4. Modern Evolution: SD-WAN and Cloud network design

High availability is non-negotiable. Designers use dual-homing (connecting a switch to two upstream devices) and protocols like STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) or LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) to ensure that if one cable or switch fails, the network stays live. A "solid" design anticipates growth

The "interchange." This layer implements policies, routing between VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), and security filtering. It bridges the high-speed core with the user-facing access layer. The "interchange

Using VLANs to isolate sensitive departments (like Finance or R&D) from the rest of the network. This prevents "lateral movement" if one device is compromised.