OPNET based Analysis of Star Topology in Small Internetworks

Internetworking-the communication between two or more networks-encompasses every aspect of connecting computers together. Internetworks have grown to support vastly disparate end-system communication requirements. An internetwork requires many protocols and features to permit scalability and manageability without constant manual intervention. Large internetworks can consist of the following three distinct components: Campus networks, which consist of locally connected users in a building or group of buildings.Wide-area networks (WANs), which connect campuses together Remote connections, which link branch offices and single users (mobile users and/or telecommuters) to a local campus or the Internet Designing an internetwork can be a challenging task. An internetwork that consists of only 50 meshed routing nodes can pose complex problems that lead to unpredictable results. Attempting to optimize internetworks that feature thousands of nodes can pose even more complex problems. Despite improvements in equipment performance and media capabilities, internetwork design is becoming more difficult. The trend is toward increasingly complex environments involving multiple media, multiple protocols, and interconnection to networks outside any single organization’s dominion of control. Carefully designing internetworks can reduce the hardships associated with growth as a networking environment evolves.