Click here to refer to the instructions for the Unit 4 lab tasks.

Answer the following questions and requirements to write your paper of 3–5 pages. As you answer each question, you must provide support or evidence that will enhance and empirically prove your answers. Academic information technology (IT) articles or real-life IT findings that are not found in journals or other academic sources must be used in supporting your answers. Please use APA style for all cited sources, including your reference page.

The following is a case study about a design company.

You are a senior network administrator for a networking solutions firm. Years ago, you installed a small local area network (LAN) at a design company. It is growing fast and needs your networking solutions firm to upgrade its network. You assigned Liz to the job. That afternoon, while preparing to work on a lab assignment from her class in routing, Liz mentions that she would use a router to increase the performance of the design company’s network because routers are better than bridges. Explain to Liz when and where a router would be the best choice. Under what circumstances would a router not be the best choice? Provide examples to clarify your points.
Another technician, Janis, overhears the discussion as she sits down to examine the lab materials on Liz’s desk. Janis thinks the design company should use a bridge to solve the problem. She reminds you that the design company has a relatively small network and that a router would be more equipment than necessary. The design company’s network is using nonroutable protocols. What do you tell Janis? Provide examples in your explanation and recommendations.
Luke also takes classes in Cisco routing, and he enjoys the hands-on exercises in his class. As he reviews his notes for that night’s class, he is unsure of the concept of routing tables. Explain to Luke what kind of information is kept in a router’s routing table and what it is used for. What 2 methods can be used to build these tables? Provide examples in your explanation to clarify and accentuate your explanation.
As you chat with Janis and Luke, they inquire how best to monitor the routed environment. Discuss your recommendations as to monitoring and managing this type of environment.

Be sure to cite all references using APA style.

For more information on APA, please visit the Library, and click on Citation Resources link.

Please submit your assignment.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your text, Web resources, and all course materials.

Grading Criteria

Project Criteria Exceeds: 90%–100% Very Good: 80%–89% Meets: 70%–79% Needs Improvement: Below 70%

Content 
(75%)

Response covers all topics indicated in the assignment and adds additional content.  Response covers most topics indicated in the assignment.  Response covers many of the topics indicated in the assignment. Response covers none to some of the topics indicated in the assignment.

Effective Communication
(10%)

Demonstrates outstanding or exemplary application of written, visual, or oral skills. Demonstrates outstanding expression of topic, main idea, and purpose. Audience is addressed appropriately. Language clearly and effectively communicates ideas and content relevant to the assignment. Errors in grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are minimal. Organization is clear. Format is consistently appropriate to assignment. Presentation and delivery are confident and persuasive (where applicable). The writing was of collegiate level with no errors in spelling or grammar. Demonstrates very good written, visual, or oral skills. Demonstrates sound expression of topic, main idea, and purpose. Audience is usually addressed appropriately. Language does not interfere with the communication of ideas and content relevant to the assignment. Errors in grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are present, but do not distract from the message. Organization is apparent and mostly clear. Format is appropriate to assignment, but not entirely consistent. The writing was of collegiate level with two or less errors in spelling or grammar. Demonstrates acceptable written, visual, or oral skills. Demonstrates reasonable expression of topic, main idea, and purpose. Sometimes, audience is addressed appropriately. Language does not interfere with the communication of ideas and content relevant to the assignment. Errors in grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are present and may distract from the message. Organization is a bit unclear. Format is inconsistent. The writing was of collegiate level with several errors in spelling or grammar. Demonstrates inadequate or partially proficient application of written, visual, or oral skills. Demonstrates inadequate or partial expression of topic, main idea, and purpose. Audience is often not addressed appropriately. Language often impedes the communication of ideas and content relevant to the assignment. Errors in grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are frequent and often distract from meaning or presentation. Organization is inadequate, confusing, and distracting. The format is inadequate and obscures meaning. The writing was less than collegiate level with numerous errors in spelling or grammar.

Supporting Analysis
(15%)

Analysis exceeds minimum requirements. Sources are used to support analysis, are appropriate, and are properly referenced. Basic analysis provided to support assertions. Sources are cited, appropriate, and properly referenced. Limited analysis provided to support assertions. Some sources are cited, appropriate, and properly referenced. No or inaccurate analysis, no sources are cited when needed, analysis and sources are not appropriate. When sources are used, they are not properly referenced.