Cisco Network Design Solutions for Small-Medium Businesses

Chapter 3. Network Infrastructure Requirements for Effective Solutions Implementation

In Chapter 2, “SMB Networking Environments and Solutions Design Considerations,” I introduced the idea of the network infrastructure as a common utility. This chapter considers the building blocks of that infrastructure, some of the industry standards and protocols that govern it, and the acceptable best practices to make the network utility an effective tool in facilitating solutions that are discussed in the subsequent chapters.

Just as no one can force a homeowner to fix leaky faucets or running toilets, no one can force a small-medium business (SMB) to install and administer networks properly. Therefore, SMBs can have network cables running all over the ...