Capstone · Computer Networking (CCNA level)
Capstone: a college campus network
The brief
Design, build, secure and document the network for a college campus in Bhubaneswar: staff, students, a computer lab and switch management on separate VLANs across two switches, a core router doing inter-VLAN routing and DHCP, OSPF to an edge router that runs PAT to the internet provider, an ACL that keeps students out of staff and management subnets, SSH-only management and port security. Plan it in Python first, and hand over a design document with the saved Packet Tracer file.
Why it matters
This is a small version of what a network engineer at a systems integrator builds for colleges, hospitals and offices across India, and what CCNA interviewers ask you to talk through. A working .pkt file and a clear design document are strong portfolio pieces: they show you can plan, configure, verify and explain a complete network, not just single commands.
Skills you practise
- VLSM design
- generating configuration with Python
- VLANs and 802.1Q trunks across two switches
- router-on-a-stick
- DHCP pools
- OSPF with a default route
- PAT
- extended ACLs
- SSH and port security
- network design documents
You need
- Cisco Packet Tracer (free with a Cisco Networking Academy account)
- Devices: R-EDGE and R-CORE (2911 routers), an ISP router (2911) with a web server at 198.51.100.10, SW-CORE and SW-LAB (2960 switches), and PCs for STAFF, STUDENTS and LAB
- Links: ISP G0/0 203.0.113.1/30 to R-EDGE G0/0 203.0.113.2/30; R-EDGE G0/1 to R-CORE G0/1 (the CORE-EDGE /30); R-CORE G0/0 trunk to SW-CORE Gi0/1; SW-CORE Gi0/2 trunk to SW-LAB Gi0/2
What you will have at the end
campus.pkt (a working, secured campus network: two switches, four VLANs, two routers with OSPF, DHCP, PAT, ACL, SSH and port security), campus.py that plans the addresses and generates the router configuration, and design.md: the network design document.
How it is marked (rubric, 100 points)
| Design and IP planThe VLSM plan fits the needs with no overlaps, and the design matches the requirements. | 20 |
|---|---|
| Working networkVLANs, trunks, inter-VLAN routing, DHCP, OSPF with the default route and PAT all work and are verified. | 35 |
| SecurityStudents are kept out of STAFF and MGMT, management is SSH v2 only, and staff ports are locked with port security. | 20 |
| Automationcampus.py plans the addresses and generates correct subinterface configuration. | 10 |
| Documentationdesign.md and the labelled topology let another engineer understand, test and change the network. | 15 |
0/12 steps done
Step 1 of 12
Plan the campus addresses
campus_plan(BASE, NEEDS) gives STUDENTS 10.20.0.0/23, STAFF 10.20.2.0/25, LAB 10.20.2.128/26, MGMT 10.20.2.192/28 and CORE-EDGE 10.20.2.208/30, each with its mask and gateway.
The college has 10.20.0.0/22 (1024 addresses). Place the needs largest first, each in the smallest subnet with enough usable hosts, one after another. Each row is a dict with the name, the VLAN (None for the router link), the network, the dotted mask and the gateway (the first usable address). For the CORE-EDGE link the "gateway" is simply R-CORE's end (.209); R-EDGE takes .210.
Copy the result into the IP plan table in design.md.
Run shows what your code prints. Check runs the step's tests. Ctrl+Enter checks too.