Designing a Secure Multi-Site Computer Network

Context

This project was part of the SAÉ "Multi-site Network" and aimed to design a complete network infrastructure for two fictitious e-commerce companies: UC Exchange and ABC Conseil. The goal was to build a network distributed across several sites, ensuring efficient and secure interconnection between them. Setting up such an architecture involved key aspects such as local network (LAN) administration, VLAN configuration, high availability management, and the integration of various network services (DNS, Web, Mail, Active Directory). The interconnection between sites was based on an MPLS-VPN infrastructure, ensuring smooth and secure communication between the different company branches.
Through this project, we were able to experiment with key technologies and protocols used in large-scale network infrastructures, taking into account security and fault tolerance constraints.

Skills Developed

• Development of a structured addressing plan to optimize network organization.
• Implementation of VLANs and inter-VLAN routing to segment and manage network traffic.
• Configuration of the VRRP protocol to ensure redundancy and high availability.
• Implementation of MSTP to prevent loops and ensure network resilience.
• Deployment and management of network services such as DNS, Web, Mail, and Active Directory.
• Configuration of MPLS-VPN interconnection using BGP, RIP, and OSPF.
• Implementation of NAT and PAT mechanisms to control access to public services.
• Application of security rules via firewalls and network filtering strategies.
• Management of fault tolerance and link redundancy to ensure network stability.
• Planning and organization of deployment while respecting technical and operational constraints.

This project allowed us to gain a concrete and in-depth approach to managing multi-site networks, applying solutions adapted to connectivity and security challenges in a professional environment.