Build a Network Diagram Lab Identify Your Key Network Components

Learning objective: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the essential components of a network’s infrastructure, including devices, connections, and protocols.

Scenario

For this lab, you’ll create a network diagram for a hypothetical small business called “General Co.” Let’s take a look at their network setup:

General Co. has a main office with about 50 employees. They have a simple but typical small business network:

• Internet connection: They have a cable modem provided by their ISP, which is connected to a router.

• Firewall: A hardware firewall is connected to the router, providing security for the internal network.

• Switches: Two 24-port switches are connected to the firewall. These switches provide connectivity to the various devices on the network.

• Servers: General Co. has two servers. One is a file server running Windows Server, used for storing and sharing files. The other is a Linux server running a custom web application for their customers.

• Wi-Fi: A wireless access point is connected to one of the switches, providing Wi-Fi coverage for the office.

• End-user devices: The office has a mix of Windows and Mac laptops and desktops, all connected to the switches. There are also a few network printers.

• VPN: Some employees need to access the network remotely. They do this through a VPN server running on a dedicated appliance connected to the firewall.

• Cloud services: General Co. uses Microsoft 365 for email and office applications and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host its website.

Your task in this lab will be to create a network diagram that accurately represents General Co.’s network setup.

But before we start diagramming, let’s break down this network description and identify the key components. This will give us a clear checklist of what needs to be included in our diagram.

Exercise

1. Review the description of General Co.’s network setup above.

2. On a piece of paper or in a text document, list all the distinct components mentioned. For example, your list might start with:

   • Cable modem
   • Router
   • Firewall
   • …and so on.

3. For each component, note down the important details provided. For example:

   • Cable modem: Provided by ISP and connected to the router.
   • Router: Connected to cable modem and firewall.
   • Firewall: Hardware firewall connected to the router. It provides security for the network.
   • …and so on.

4. Next, identify the types of connections mentioned in the network description. In this case, we have:

   • Ethernet (implied by the wired connections between devices).
   • Wi-Fi (provided by the wireless access point).
   • VPN (used for remote access).

5. Finally, note down the protocols and services mentioned:

   • Windows Server (running on the file server).
   • Linux (running on the web application server).
   • Microsoft 365 (for email and office applications).
   • AWS (for website hosting).

6. Review your list. Have you captured all the essential components, connections, and services of General Co.’s network? If you’re unsure about anything, refer back to the network description.

By the end of this exercise, you should have a comprehensive list of the key elements you’ll need to include in your network diagram. This list will serve as a helpful reference as you build your diagram in the next exercise.

In the meantime, take a moment to reflect on General Co.’s network setup. Can you envision how these various components might be physically and logically arranged? How might data flow through this network, from the internet to the end-user devices and back again? Keep these questions in mind as we move forward.

In the next exercise, you’ll start translating this network inventory into a visual diagram using draw.io. Get ready to put your diagramming skills to the test!