Rapid Freight Network Solution (Term Paper Sample)

Rapid Freight network solution
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Introduction
With Rapid Freight experiencing technological network problems as a result of expansion and rapid growth, there is need to come up with a solution to help the company remain competitive. In this paper, I will identify five major requirements, analyze them and propose a solution to help the company come up with a converged network solution. Moreover, I will explain how the suggested solution as a whole meets the identified needs of Rapid Freight.
Requirements
The first requirement for Rapid Freight is to offer increased bandwidth between the main data center and all its 47 offices in the United States. To achieve this, the company will need to upgrade its current network to Gigabit Ethernet. This will help improve the overall internet access speed. Compared to the current web-based technology used by the company, Gigabit Ethernet offers increased bandwidth resulting in superior performance and elimination of bottlenecks. Moreover, Gigabit Ethernet brings about full-duplex capacity that increases the effective bandwidth, low ownership and acquisition costs and the ability to transfer large volumes of data across a network quickly and efficiently (Pacchiano, 2006).
Gigabit Ethernet also provides high-bandwidth file sharing as well as increasing the productivity of employees by speeding the process of accessing databases and messaging applications. Additionally, the proposed Gigabit Ethernet is compatible to the existing network therefore eliminating the need to make new wiring. It also leverages networking standards in order to achieve increased efficiency from a network and also adds network management so as to centrally manage large network environments (Pacchiano, 2006).
The second requirement for Rapid Freight is to ensure that there is self-coordination in the 4-8 locations in the three metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, Chicago and Baltimore. In order to achieve this goal, the company can implement WIMAX 802.16a technologies. This is important because it would bring about high speed communication between offices in the same metropolitan. WIMAX 802.16a has a data transmission rate of up to 70 Mbs (megabits per second) for 30 miles (FRC Corp.). According to Rapid Freight Company, the WIMAX 802.16a standard for 2-11 GHz is a wireless metropolitan area network technology that will offer broadband wireless connectivity to portable, in transit, fixed and nomadic devices (White, 2011). Other than being the perfect technology for metropolitan area networks, WIMAX basically makes it possible for users to get broadband connectivity without necessitating a direct line of sight with the base station. Additionally, it offers total data rates of up to 280 Mbs per base station. This bandwidth is enough to support many businesses with T1/E1-type of connectivity and numerous homes with DSL-type connectivity with one base station simultaneously. Regarding connecting the three metropolitans of Baltimore, Chicago and Los Angeles, the company can implement a satellite microwave connection (FRC Corp.). The main reason why this type of connection is appropriate is because of the large distance between the three cities, hence the inefficiency of laying ground cables to connect the three metropolitans. Satellite microwave signals move from a ground station on the ground to a satellite and then back to another ground station therefore attaining greater distances (White, 2011).
The other requirement for Rapid freight is the need to have a safe and reliable network to put up with the expected growth and any other eventuality. This particular requirement is met by effecting satellite microwave, Gigabit Ethernet and WIMAX technologies as mentioned above. For example, using WIMAX 802.16 creates a capacity scalable system that makes it easy to add new sectors as well as offering a flexible channel bandwidth (FRC Corp.). This means that even if the company makes new acquisitions in the future, it will not be required to buy new software and hardware, or require a new wireless technology. If the company makes new acquisitions, the acquired network only needs to be added to the WIMAX network already in existence in the metropolitan area, after which the satellite microwave that is already in existence will connect that particular metropolitan to the national network of the company.
The fourth requirement for Rapid Freight involves a company that does not want to spend more on telephone than it already spends. With this in mind, the main goal is to upgrade the existing services while at the same time guarding against escalating costs from the current ISDN service provider. For telephone services, the company can shift to VoIP telephony services. Voice over the internet protocol (VoIP) involves making telephone calls over the internet. Based on the fact that Rapid Freight will have a fully operational internet network in place, there is no need to buy new telephone hardware. The company can use its existing internet infrastructure to make phone calls therefore lowering its monthly telephone bill. According to data released by the telecommunication industry, it is estimated that business entities cut down th...