Configure and document a small branch office network

What is going on

Harbourline Accountants is opening a second office with six staff, two printers and a meeting room. The firewall, a 24 port switch and two wireless access points are on the bench in Richmond and the installation is booked for Tuesday. Jordan Blake will install on site but needs the configuration completed and tested beforehand: an address plan, a staff wireless network and a separate guest network, firewall rules for the connection back to the main office, and the monitoring agents. Because it is a new site the work must go through the normal change process, and a site document must be started from the template before the visit.

Your brief

Design and configure the branch network on the bench, test it, submit the change request, and start the client site documentation so that any engineer can support the office after installation.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the Client Site Network Documentation Template and the Change Management Policy and list what must be recorded and approved before the installation.
• Prepare an address plan for the branch with separate ranges for staff devices, printers, guest wireless and management, and record it in a draft site document.
• Configure the firewall with the internet connection details, the site to site link to the main office and rules that allow only the required services, recording each rule and its reason.
• Configure the switch and the two access points with the staff and guest wireless networks, ensuring guests cannot reach the office network, and set management passwords stored in the vault.
• Test the configuration on the bench, including connectivity between ranges, guest isolation, and the monitoring agent check in, and record the results.
• Complete the Change Request Form for the installation with risk, test plan, rollback plan and the client agreed window, and enter it in the Change Request Register.
• Add the new devices to the IT Asset Register and complete the site document sections you can before the visit, noting what Jordan must confirm on site.
• Check the Field Work and Client Site Safety Procedure and prepare a short brief for Jordan on the site tasks and any ladder or ceiling work required.

What someone in this role would produce

• Address plan and draft site document
• Configuration record with firewall rules and reasons
• Bench test results
• Completed change request
• Asset register entries