TASMANIAN FARMER

GRAIN STORAGE –
GROUP PROJECT
REPORT
CCE 2060 - Research Methodology and Professional Project Development

Middlesex University
School of Science and Technology

Kawan (M00536588), Stephen (M00568804), Wais (M00558016)

22/01/2018
Contents

Project Initiation Document .................................................................................................................... 2

Project Brief ........................................................................................................................................ 2

The Project Approach (with WBS) ..................................................................................................... 2

Project Team Management Structure (with Four Fields Map) ........................................................... 3

Project Plan (with Gantt Chart) ........................................................................................................... 7

Risk Log .............................................................................................................................................. 9

Communication Plan......................................................................................................................... 10

Design and Topology ............................................................................................................................ 11

Wireless Technology ........................................................................................................................ 12

Wired Technology ............................................................................................................................ 13

Security ............................................................................................................................................. 14

Implementation ..................................................................................................................................... 16

Business Case for Implementing the System .................................................................................... 18

Test Description and Procedures........................................................................................................... 18

Test: DHCP Configuration ............................................................................................................... 18

Test: End-to-End Connectivity ......................................................................................................... 19

Test: Link Establishment .................................................................................................................. 19

Test: Redundancy Configuration ...................................................................................................... 19

Test: Security of Wireless Connections ............................................................................................ 19

Test: WAN Connectivity .................................................................................................................. 20

Results (Anticipated and Actual) .......................................................................................................... 20

Project Review ...................................................................................................................................... 21

References ............................................................................................................................................. 23

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Project Initiation Document

Project Brief
As harvesting season approaches a wheat farmer in Tasmania, Australia, requires the design and
implementation of a communications system to co-ordinate his harvest with the availability of grain
transporters and storage facilities. During this particular harvest the farmer has yielded a bigger crop
than initially expected and consequently lacks enough storage space to house it. This project demands
the need to purchase one additional storage facility, ideally in a location nearby to the other facilities
in Brisbane, Australia, using a mobile wireless device. Furthermore, the remaining space available in
each of the facilities needs to be monitored by a remote system, which the farmer can access.

The farmer already has a system in place at the farm to manage the planting and harvesting of his
crop, using a GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled laptop. However, the farmer will need the
ability to relay information to the drivers of each grain transporter pertaining to the available space in
each storage facility. This will be handled using mobile wireless technology that will facilitate the
communication between farmer and driver, in addition to providing the driver information related to
the grain transporter’s status and route in real time.

The responsibility of planning and designing this communications system, as well as the purchase of
an additional storage facility, will be assumed by a team of three networking students.

The Project Approach (with WBS)

To achieve the project brief the task must be divided into several smaller elements making it more
manageable for those involved, which has been realised through the application of the WBS (Work
Breakdown Structure) model. The task can be broken down into a few core elements, specifically:

• Designing the network

• Implementing the network
• Testing the network
• Security
• Obtain and manage storage space
• Organise transportation routes
• Satisfy health and safety

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Each of these core elements can be further broken down into tasks that an individual team member or
group of members will be able to handle, which can be seen in the WBS below:

Fig. 1.1: WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

Project Team Management Structure (with Four Fields Map)

The members involved with the organisation and operation of this project are as follows:

• Kawan Salih
• Stephen Lloyd
• Wais Saleh

Each member of the project will have to fulfil many responsibilities as the project develops. These
tasks have been divided into four key phases, seen in the Four Fields Map below, which represent the
time during the project’s lifetime each task needs to be completed.

It is also important to monitor the quality of the project as it progresses. Certain criteria must be met
at the end of each phase, represented as gates, before the project can progress to the next phase. Some
of these tasks are placed to maintain a certain standard of quality while others are established to
ensure the safety of operations throughout the projects development.

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Fig. 1.2: Four Fields Map – Early Planning Phase and Gate #1

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Fig. 1.3: Four Fields Map – Detailed Planning Phase and Gate #2

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Fig. 1.4: Four Fields Map – Day of the Event and Gate #3

Fig. 1.5: Four Fields Map – Event Review

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Project Plan (with Gantt Chart)
Now that the tasks required to complete the project have been identified it is necessary to plot a
timeline of its expected progression. Inserting the tasks into a Gantt Chart, which can be seen below,
allows a duration to be assigned to each task. It is important to see what tasks must be completed
before a given task can begin, so the assigned team members are aware of what perquisites must be
achieved before they can begin a given task. By assigning each task a duration it is possible to see
how long a given string of tasks will take to complete, allowing a critical path to be seen.

Fig. 1.6: Gantt Chart

Task Name Start Date End Date Duration

Draft network design 22/05/2018 25/05/2018 3
Research wireless device 26/05/2018 28/05/2018 2
Research intermediary devices 29/05/2018 31/05/2018 2
Research database solutions 01/06/2018 03/06/2018 2
Research service provider 04/06/2018 06/06/2018 2
Research alternatives to Packet Tracer 07/06/2018 09/06/2018 2
Research Security measures 10/06/2018 12/06/2018 2
Establish standards for safe driving 13/06/2018 15/06/2018 2

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Service grain transporters 16/06/2018 18/06/2018 2
Inform drivers about safe driving standards 19/06/2018 21/06/2018 2
Identify sources of local traffic updates 22/06/2018 24/06/2018 2
Contact local environment authority 25/06/2018 27/06/2018 2
Meet with Health and Safety 28/06/2018 30/06/2018 2
Get the cost of the cell phone with 4G service 01/07/2018 03/07/2018 2
Cost of database 04/07/2018 06/07/2018 2
Purchase DCE and DTE devices 07/07/2018 10/07/2018 3
Make sure Install electronic locks is in place 11/07/2018 15/07/2018 4
Meeting with driver for health and safety reason 16/07/2018 19/07/2018 3
Arrange cell phone with 4G service 20/07/2018 24/07/2018 4
Purchase storage 25/07/2018 27/07/2018 2
Configure DCE and DTE devices 28/07/2018 30/07/2018 2
Battery life expectancy of mobile devices 31/07/2018 02/08/2018 2
Finalise network design 03/08/2018 05/08/2018 2
Simulate network design 06/08/2018 11/08/2018 5
Alternatives to Packet Tracer 12/08/2018 15/08/2018 3
Test network connectivity 16/08/2018 21/08/2018 5
Enable GPS tracking 22/08/2018 24/08/2018 2
Contact selected Internet service provider 25/08/2018 27/08/2018 2
Meeting with government official 28/08/2018 31/08/2018 3
Test wireless device 01/09/2018 03/09/2018 2
All the cell phone device tested and operate well 04/09/2018 06/09/2018 2
Check the Internet connection 07/09/2018 09/09/2018 2
Check router configurations 10/09/2018 12/09/2018 2
Test security locks and CCTV 13/09/2018 15/09/2018 2
Test database 16/09/2018 18/09/2018 2
The GPS tracking operate well 19/09/2018 21/09/2018 2
Interview with security engineers 22/09/2018 23/09/2018 1
Interview with interview with network engineer 24/09/2018 25/09/2018 1
Interview with drivers 26/09/2018 27/09/2018 1
Interview with wheat farmers 28/09/2018 29/09/2018 1
Interview with health and safety 30/09/2018 01/10/2018 1
Interview with ISP 02/10/2018 03/10/2018 1

Table 1.7: Gantt Chart tasks

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Risk Log
The project brief specifies that an additional storage facility must be purchased urgently due to the
unexpected crop size yielded from this year’s harvest. However, at such short notice it may be
impossible to find and purchase a facility in close proximity to the other storage facilities owned by
the farmer. Therefore, to mitigate the chances of being unable to find a suitable facility the search
must be broadened to include areas outside of Brisbane. While this may not be ideal it will allow the
farmer to store the excess crop instead of having it destroyed.

Each of the grain transporters will have to travel to Brisbane from Tasmania to deliver the crop to the
storage facility. To minimise the risk of travelling such a long distance each of the drivers must be
trained in the safe operation of heavy load vehicles for an extended duration. For example, drivers
should be educated on how long they can drive before they must take a break. This will help mitigate
potential road accidents and ensure the safety of the driver.

One of the risks with having the drivers travel such a long distance is that the wireless mobile devices
used to communicate with the wheat farmer may run out of power, which will prohibit
communication. This could potentially endanger the driver because they will be unable to identify the
route they must travel until they have restored connectivity. There are a few solutions that can be
implemented to avoid this issue. Firstly, purchasing a wireless mobile device with an extended battery
life will help although this could potentially not be sufficient. Therefore, the second solution is more
preferable and that is to equip each driver with car charger that will allow the device to be charged by
the car through the cigarette lighter. This will ensure the driver remains in constant communication
with the farmer for updates regarding the storage facilities and travel.

In the event that the wheat farmer becomes incapacitated the communications system will breakdown.
Drivers will no longer receive updates pertaining to the storage facilities and will be left directionless
if their original destination is unable to accept their transport. To ensure these updates persist even in
this potential scenario each of the farmhands should be trained in the operation of the wireless mobile
device located at the farm. This will allow a substitute to communicate with the drivers providing
them with directions to a storage facility that has not yet reached capacity. An additional solution
would be to provide each driver with a backup destination in the event their original storage facility is
full. This will help mitigate the possibility that the driver is unable to offload the grain they are
transporting.

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Communication Plan
Throughout the project’s lifecycle each of the key stakeholders must be informed about specific
information regarding the design and operation of the wireless network. The key stakeholders for this
project are represented in the diagram below in relation to their power and interest in the project:

High Government Wheat Farmer

ISP Network Engineers
Power
Storage Facility Sellers
Farmhands
Low Drivers

Low Interest High

Fig. 1.8: Project Stakeholder Map

One of the key elements of this project is the purchase and dispatch of the wireless mobile devices
that will be used by the drivers of the grain transporters to facilitate communication. Firstly, the
network engineers must be informed of their arrival by the wheat farmer, by phone or email, allowing
them to configure them accordingly. Once this task has been accomplished then each of the drivers
will need to be trained in their operation by the engineering staff. Ideally a group meeting will be held
to minimise the amount of time needed for training.

Early on in the project an additional storage facility will need to be purchased. This will require the
wheat farmer to contact the storage facility sellers in Brisbane using a wireless mobile device. Once a
potential facility has been found the farmer will need to arrange an onsite tour with the owner to carry
out an environmental assessment of the facility. A government official must be present to perform the
assessment meaning the farmer will have to organise a date and time with a representative.

After the communications system has been implemented the farmer must remain in constant contact
with both the storage facilities and each of the drivers. The farmer will be able to remotely access the
systems at each of the facilities to ascertain their available capacity. This information will then be
relayed to each of the drivers through their wireless mobile devices, allowing them to reroute to a
different facility when a given facility has reached capacity.

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In the event that the wheat farmer is unable to manage communications with the drivers one of the
available farmhands will need to complete this task. Therefore, once the system has been
implemented and proven to operate correctly then each of the farmhand must attend a training
exercise. The purpose will be to educate them on the operation of the wireless mobile device located
at the farm which is used to relay information to the drivers of the grain transporters. This exercise
will be held face-to-face at the farm with the networking engineers present to answer any queries.

Design and Topology

The project specification was to design a network that enables the wheat farmer to connect to each of
the storage facilities in Brisbane as well as the drivers of the grain transporters from a wireless laptop
at the farm in Tasmania. From this the network topology can be broken down into three LANs,
reflecting each of the areas previously mentioned. To determine what devices would be needed to
create this network, as well as identifying the stakeholders affected by the project, a brainstorm of
ideas was drafted which can be seen in Fig 2.1.

Fig 2.1: Brainstorm of network design aspects

For both the wheat farmer and the grain transporters to connect to this network it is necessary to
incorporate wireless technology, and in the case of the grain transporters this connection will need to
be made through cell towers using a 3G/4G signal due to their roaming nature. Whereas each of the
storage facilities, old and new, will be able to connect to the network using wired technology.

After local connectivity has been achieved it will be necessary to interconnect all three LANs using
WAN technology through an ISP’s network. This will be achieved through the configuration of
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Virtual Circuits using Frame Relay allowing the routers of one area to forward traffic to another along
an explicitly specified route. Below in Fig 2.2, is one of the network designs that the engineering team
has developed.

Fig 2.2: Network design sketch

Wireless Technology
The function that this network must fulfil necessitates the use of wireless technology. Each of the
grain transporters will be equipped with a wireless hand-held device, specifically a tablet, that will
facilitate communications between the driver and wheat farmer. The tablets will support a 3G/4G
service that will allow them to connect to cell towers along the route between Tasmania and Brisbane,
which will be linked to the CO (Central Office) Server of the Cell Service Provider using coaxial
cables. Tablets have been explicitly chosen in favour of smart phones for their ease of readability
while the driver is operating the grain transporter. Boasting a bigger screen allows the driver to more
easily read the information regarding traffic updates and facility updates that are received from the
wheat farmer.

Similarly, the wheat farmer will also be equipped with a wireless device however in this instance a
laptop will be used as per the specification of the project brief. This device will enable the wheat
farmer to communicate will all parts of the network allowing them to access the database servers to
retrieve customer information as well as storage facility updates, which can be forwarded onto

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specific grain transporters. Being a wireless device will require the installation of Wireless APs
(Access Points) around the farm, otherwise these communications cannot occur.

3G/4G services will be used on the project because it offers the best performance, currently, in terms
of transfer rates for wireless communications. Furthermore, 3G/4G services are readily available
almost everywhere making it an easily accessible communications technology for the project’s
purposes. Ideally WI-MAX technology, which is a broadband wireless data communications
technology based on IEE 802.16, would be used in favour of 3G/4G signals because it offers faster
transmission speeds and can be used over very long distances. However, in terms of cost it is
relatively expensive and at this present time WI-MAX is still emerging and is not as easily accessible
when compared to 3G/4G services and for that reason it will not be incorporated into the network’s
design.

Even though the laptop will connect to the network wirelessly, via one of several Wireless APs, the
APs themselves will connect to a switch using an Ethernet interface. This will allow wireless network
traffic, from the laptop, to propagate through the rest of the wired network. To ensure that only
authorised personnel, meaning the wheat farmer, can access the network from this site each of the
Wireless APs will be configured with WPA authentication. Only through entry of the corresponding
password will access to the network be granted thereby securing sensitive data, specifically customer
information.

Each of the wireless hosts, meaning the tablets and laptop, will retrieve IP addressing information
from their default gateway through DHCP configuration. The nature of wireless devices means they
are likely to move between subnets, therefore, a static IP address will not be consistent when the
device moves to a different subnet. For this reason, dynamic IP address assignment will be used to
maintain connectivity to the network regardless of the subnet that any given wireless device is moved
to.

Wired Technology
The interconnection of networks will primarily be handled using wired technology. Routers will act as
the default gateway for each LAN, which will work in pairs to create a Virtual Router. This will help
to limit the effect of device failure at this point in the network because host devices on any given LAN
will continue to forward traffic to the Virtual Router address, which will be assumed by the standby
router if the primary router should fail. Designing the network for redundancy in this manner helps to
avoid a single point of failure thus allowing network communications to persist.

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Each of the routers will establish a connection to the ISP’s WAN using a serial interface which will be
configured for Frame Relay encapsulation. This is a WAN technology that creates a Virtual Circuit
from one WAN interface to another making it possible to propagate routing information and updates
from one LAN to another. The routers will be configured for dynamic routing, specifically OSPF,
which will allow them to circulate directly connected network information across the Virtual Circuit
thereby allowing the routing to their local networks from other OSPF enabled routers. Configuring
each of the routers in this fashion makes it possible for the wheat farmer to retrieve information from
the storage facilities and forward it to each of the drivers where necessary, using the ISP’s WAN to
facilitate those communications.

PCs will be installed at each of the storage facilities, old and new, to monitor the facility’s status
which will connect to a local switch using an Ethernet interface. A switch will be used to group
several storage facilities in close proximity and connect them to the default gateway, where the router
will forward traffic across the WAN where necessary. Similar, to the wireless hosts these wired hosts
will retrieve their IP addressing information dynamically from their default gateway, which will have
a pool of addresses configured that can be used for assignment through DHCP. The reason for this
decision is to reduce the amount of overhead when configuring IP address information for hosts at
each of the site locations, especially as more storage facilities are added to the network.

Finally, two database servers will be incorporated into the network, one as a primary and the other as
a backup, which will store customer information. These will be located at two different locations in
the event that one portion of the network becomes inaccessible thereby maintaining access to this
information. Both servers will be connected to a switch, similar to the wired host devices at each of
the storage facilities, using an Ethernet interface. However, these devices will have a static IP address
assignment because it is necessary to always know the logical location of the server in order to
retrieve the customer information.

Security
Computer network security is based on two simple goals. Firstly, to ensure that there is no
unauthorised access to the network and secondly to permit access for authorised individuals thus
allowing them access to resources. Authentication is a process used to recognise an individual,
normally through a username and password. In security systems, authentication is different from
authorisation, which is the process of giving individuals access to the system based on their identity
whereas authentication only ensures that the person is who they are claiming to be.

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There are several different types of authentication protocol that can be configured, the two protocols
listed below will be examined and one will be chosen for implementation in the project:

• Password Authentication Protocol (PAP)

• Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP)

PAP is the oldest authentication protocol around and it is used for PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol). The
user sends their username and password and the server responds with an ACK (Acknowledgment),
providing the credentials match with its own, signifying authentication. However, PAP is a relatively
weak authentication protocol and it is the most vulnerable to attack as the credentials are sent as
plaintext over the network, meaning it is not encrypted and can be read by anyone. It is very important
that data is not sent over the network insecurely because it can be easily intercepted by unauthorised
users thereby compromising customer information, as well as other sensitive data, and will therefore
not be implemented.

A more secure alternative to PAP is CHAP which is an authentication method used by PPP servers for
validating the identity of a remote client. CHAP verifies client identity by using a three-way
handshake. It is important for the business to keep all its data secure to protect both their customers
and the business itself. CHAP will be chosen as the authentication protocol across the WAN as it is
more secure when compared to PAP and can provide better protection for sensitive data.

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) was developed to succeed DES (Data Encryption Standard) as
it was becoming more and more vulnerable to attack. It was developed to protect sensitive
government information which was later adopted by the US government for protecting classified
information and encrypting sensitive data. It is necessary to configure AES on wireless devices to
protect wireless communications sent across the farm in Tasmania because it is very important for the
business to comply with General Data Protection Regulation when handling customer information.

WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access II) is a security standard which was developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance
using the IEEE 802.11i standard as a method of securing wireless communications. The encryption
technique used by WPA2 is AES which uses a 128-bit long key for encrypting data. WPA2 has many
advantages over WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) as it is immune to many types of security threats
such as man-in-the-middle attacks, weak keys, brute force and authentication forging. The biggest
benefit to using WPA2 is that it can give provide enhanced security when sending communications
between wireless network devices protecting sensitive data from hackers as it is harder to hack WPA2
compared to WEP, thereby proving a great advantage to the business.

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Implementation
The network design will be implemented using network simulation software, options including Packet
Tracer and GNS3. The chosen software package should realistically simulate network traffic and
allow manual configuration of devices. GNS3 provides a more realistic experience when simulating
topology designs because it supports multiple IOS versions for each of the devices, meaning
additional device features can be configured. However, the drawback to this is that the IOS files must
be obtained individually, which is a non-issue for Packet Tracer. While it only supports the standard
IOS versions for each of the devices they do come pre-installed with the Packet Tracer software
making it easier to operate. For this reason, and the network engineering staff’s familiarity with the
software package thus reducing the development time required, Packet Tracer will be used to
implement the network design for the wheat farmer.

The implementation of the network using Packet Tracer can be seen in Fig. 2.3 below. Each of the
subnets are clearly highlighted along with the address space used for each one. In addition, all of the
devices are labelled in a fashion that makes it easy to identify the part of the network they belong too.

Fig 2.3: Network implementation in Packet Tracer

Located in the network are two databases, a primary and a backup, which are used to store customer
data. The database to be implemented has been designed, using Microsoft Access, to keep track of
customer orders which will automatically adjust the amount of produce left available in the storage
facilities. In addition, the database will store information about each customer such as contact details
and their credit balance with the wheat farmer. Below, in Fig. 2.4 – 2.7, shows the implementation of

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the database which highlights the relationships between each of the tables and the information that is
stored in the Customer, Orders, and Stock tables respectively.

Fig. 2.4: Database – Table relationships

Fig. 2.5: Database – Customer table

Fig. 2.6: Database – Orders table

Fig. 2.7: Database – Stock table

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Business Case for Implementing the System
Using this new system on the farm will have a big impact on the business and will help the it to grow
faster. For example, the driver will have access to a GPS system which will save time, fuel and money
because the new system will provide each driver with a destination that will be able to hold their
payload guaranteed. This will mitigate the chances of a driver arriving at a storage facility and then
having to be redirected to another because it was unable to hold the produce being delivered. In terms
of driver performance, they will be able to find a more efficient route to their destination saving the
wheat farmer money in travel expenses because of this new system.

Implementing a wireless network at the farm that can communicate with each of the storage facilities
will help to improve the business because the wheat farmer can provide real-time information to
potential customers regarding how much produce is available and at which location. This will make
for a much faster service and a better experience for customers. In terms of performance this new
system will enable employees to serve their customers much faster because this system will allow the
employee to search and save customer data such as their name, bank account details, credit balance.

The implementation of this network will enable the wheat farmer to better monitor the status of each
individual storage facility in terms of how much product is stored at each one. This will be very
advantageous in terms of managing the businesses supply chains because the wheat farmer will be
able to determine exactly how much product is left available for sale. Using the network to retrieve
this information in real time will allow the wheat farmer to inform their clients whether there is
product available and at which locations thus promoting a better customer experience.

Test Description and Procedures

Before the network goes live it is necessary to carry out a testing phase to ensure that each element
works as intended. This will involve checking both the configuration of devices and their connection
status to other parts of the network.

Test: DHCP Configuration

Each of the host devices (i.e. Laptops, PCs, and Tablets) will be configured to automatically receive
IP addressing information from their default gateway using DHCP. To test this aspect of the network
design each host should be able to ping their default gateway by sending an ICMP Echo message. If a
response is not received then either the default gateway has not been configured correctly, meaning
there is an error in the DHCP pool configuration, or the host has been set to a static address
assignment in place of DHCP.

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Test: End-to-End Connectivity
The goal of this project was to create a wireless network that allows the wheat farmer to co-ordinate
the transportation of his crop with the grain transporters and the availability of storage facilities.
Therefore, it is very important that communication across each section of the network is achieved
which can be tested by sending an ICMP Echo message from a host on one subnet to another host
located on a different subnet. This test will only be deemed successful if communication is possible
between each subnet, in either direction, otherwise the wheat farmer will be incapable of co-
ordinating the harvest efficiently.

Test: Link Establishment

To achieve network connectivity, it is essential that each link is operating correctly. This can be
verified by examining the port status of each device on either end of any given link. Both ends of a
link need to have the port enabled and configured with an IP address to achieve link establishment.
Checking both elements will indicate whether link establishment has been achieved, or not.

Test: Redundancy Configuration

Each of the subnets have been designed with redundancy measures to minimise the effect that a
failing device has on network communication. Specifically, all subnets have two routers that can
facilitate network communication over the WAN thus eliminating a single point of failure. It is
possible to test these redundancy configurations by simulating a device failure and verifying the
subnets ability to communicate with the rest of the network. The routers are designed to work in pairs
using a Virtual Router address meaning when the primary router fails any host on the effected subnet
should use the secondary router, also known as a standby router, to access the other parts of the
network. Therefore, if the test is successful hosts on the tested subnet should remain connected to the
other parts of the private network.

Test: Security of Wireless Connections

Each of the Wireless APs on the farm have been configured with WPA2 authentication to prevent
unauthorised access to the network. To test this security measure the laptop will attempt to access the
network via each of the Wireless APs without the appropriate password. If access is denied in this
situation then the test has proven successful, otherwise the WPA2 configuration will need to be
examined on each of the faulty devices. This will typically mean that WPA2 has not been enabled on
the Wireless AP which allows network access without authentication.

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Test: WAN Connectivity
A core element of the network design is the interconnection of routers across the ISP’s WAN, which
have been configured using Frame Relay encapsulation. This can be tested by simply sending an
ICMP Echo message to another router. If the ping is successful, then connectivity across the WAN is
functioning correctly. However, if two routers are unable to communicate then this will indicate a
connectivity issue across the Virtual Circuit and can be rectified by examining the DLCI (Data Link
Control Identifier) configurations on both routers and ensure that the relationship have been correctly
established on the cloud device.

Results (Anticipated and Actual)

After performing the tests mentioned previously the results were collated and into Table 2.8 below:

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 Table 2.8: Results of network tests

Even though the testing phase proved very successful with each of the actual results meeting
expectations some of the results showed that there was still room for improvement in the network’s
design. The final series of tests concerning end-to-end connectivity showed that the network was slow
to converge, which resulted in the failure of the first two ICMP Echo messages that were sent in each
test. However, all subsequent messages sent after these two were successful proving that
communication was possible from one end of the network to the other.

Project Review
Overall the project was a success with each of the criteria specified in the project brief being met. By
designing a network that allows the wheat farmer to communicate with the drivers during
transportation of his crop makes it possible to navigate the grain transporters in real time, in response
to changes of available space in any given storage facility. This will ultimately reduce transportation
costs because drivers can be given directions to the nearest available facility with certainty, which
would not be possible without such a communications system. Furthermore, the application of a
communications network will provide the wheat farmer with greater control of their business allowing
them to better manage its operation.
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Even though the project brief was fulfilled there is still room for improvement in its design. Emerging
technologies such as WiMAX would increase the performance of wireless communications
exponentially when compared to the 3G/4G service that was used in the final design. WiMAX
facilitates faster communications boasting a bit rate of 100Mbps, which would reduce the latency in
communications with the drivers of any given grain transporter. This would then allow them to adjust
their route according to the information received from the wheat farmer much earlier than would be
possible with 3G/4G communications. However, as previously stated WiMAX is an emerging
technology meaning it is not readily available everywhere and for that reason the decision was made
to connect the grain transporters using a 3G/4G service.

It was decided early in the project’s lifecycle that Packet Tracer would be used to implement the
network design because the network engineering team were more familiar with its operation, allowing
development time to be significantly reduced. However, prior to the beginning of the next project the
team will undergo training with GNS3 which will allow them to provide a more realistic simulation of
future network designs.

Finally, it was discovered that during the testing phase of the project the network was slow to
converge meaning the first two ICMP Echo messages sent to test end-to-end connectivity would time-
out. The reason for this occurrence is likely due to the amount of processing that each device needed
to initially perform upon reception of the message. This could potentially be avoided by utilising
network devices capable of faster processing meaning the timer for each ICMP Echo message would
not expire before reaching its intended destination. Alternatively, using links capable of faster
transmission speeds, such as GigabitEthernet, would also alleviate this issue.

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References
Maylor, H. (2010) Project Management. 4th edn. Harlow, England: Pearson.

WiMAX & Wi-Fi Comparison (2018) Available at:

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/wimax/wimax_wifi_comparison.htm (Accessed: 18 February 2018).

GNS3 Academy (2018) Available at: http://academy.gns3.com/ (Accessed: 18 February 2018).

Cisco (2017) Cisco Packet Tracer (Version 7.1.0.0222) [Computer Program]. Available at:
https://www.netacad.com/group/offerings/packet-tracer/ (Downloaded: 27 October 2017).

Authentication (2018) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authentication (Accessed: 22 Feb

2018).

Authentication protocol (2018) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authentication_protocol

(Accessed: 22 Feb 2018).

Password Authentication Protocol (2018) Available at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_Authentication_Protocol (Accessed: 22 Feb 2018).

Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (2018) Available at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge-Handshake_Authentication_Protocol (Accessed: 22 Feb
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Advanced Encryption Standard (2018) Available at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard (Accessed: 20 Feb 2018).

Wi-Fi Protected Access (2018) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access

(Accessed: 22 Feb 2018).

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