The document contains seven questions related to networking and information technology. It asks the reader to discuss topics such as protocols of the internet like TCP/IP and DNS, client-server and cloud computing models, network traffic and quality of service, asynchronous transfer mode and gigabit ethernet, voice over IP and power over ethernet, virtual local area networks and mobility, and security policies and plans. It also provides two assignments on data center consolidation and wireless local area networks. The final assignment asks the reader to develop an electronic resource security policy as an IT director for a small growing firm.

1. Question 1
The Internet, TCP/IP, and DNS
Identify and discuss the two primary protocols that form the
foundation of the Internet.
Define and describe the purpose of DNS. Provide an example of
what DNS does.
Identify the protocol DNS relies upon for delivering data to the
appropriate destination.
Discuss two or more reasons why TCP/IP and DNS are
important to the way the Internet functions using information
from this week’s lecture,
Your initial response should be a minimum of 300 words in
length.
Question 2
Client Server and Cloud Computing
Watch the following video: Fry, S. [Databarracks] (2013,
October 22). Changes to computer thinking - Stephen Fry
explains cloud computing [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9LK6EtxzgM
In your own words, define client/server and cloud computing.
Compare and contrast the two technologies, and provide
examples to support your discussion. Identify which of these
technologies is predominant in your organization. Your initial
response should be a minimum of 300 words in length.
Question 3
Network Traffic, QoS, and SLAs
Describe the differences between elastic and inelastic traffic on
a network and provide several examples of each from your own
experience.
Describe quality of service (QoS) and its importance for
managing network traffic.
Compare and discuss the differences between QoS and service
level agreement (SLAs). Your initial response should be a
minimum of 300 words in length.
Question 4

2. ATM and Gigabit Ethernet
Describe the differences between asynchronous transfer mode
(ATM) and Gigabit Ethernet. Determine which you think is the
better choice for a high-speed network. Discuss your
conclusions and support your position with citations from your
research. Your initial response should be a minimum of 300
words in length.
Question 5
VoIP and PoE
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) has become a standard way
to route calls to remote locations for businesses that have
nationwide locations and global operations. Power over Ethernet
(PoE) is also a standard component of today’s business
networks.
Discuss why these two elements are found together in business
networks. Identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages
of the PoE technology. Provide examples to support your
discussion. Your initial response should be a minimum of 300
words in length.
Question 6
VLANs and Mobility
VLANs are a common element in business communications and
mobile connectivity. Identify and discuss the characteristics of
VLANs and why they are important to business operations.
Provide examples to support the characteristics you identified in
your discussion. Your initial response should be a minimum of
300 words in length.
Question 7
Security Policies and Plans
Using information from the course materials and the lecture,
discuss the difference between a security policy and a security
plan.
Assume you are the information technology director of a small
firm and that you are tasked to create a security plan for your
organization. Describe the major points you would include in
your plan, and discuss why they are important to your plan.

3. Your initial response should be a minimum of 500 words in
length.
Assignment 1
Data Center Consolidation
Read the Business Data Communications, 7e - Case Studies
provided as part of the online resources from your text found at:
http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/esm/ecs_stallings_bdc_7/case_
studies_index.html
In at least a two page paper (excluding the title and reference
pages), discuss each element listed below and how it plays a
key part in a successful consolidation.
Bandwidth and high-speed communications
Cloud computing as a consolidation option
Mobile or ‘pod’ datacenters as consolidation options
Provide examples for each of these aspects to support your
discussion.
You must use at least two scholarly source, in addition to the
textbook and be formatted according to APA style guidelines
Assignment 2
WLANs
Assume you are the IT manager for an organization tasked with
evaluating whether or not to deploy internal wireless access for
employees. Write a three to five page paper (excluding the title
and reference pages), discussing the advantages and
disadvantages of deploying a WLAN in an organization.
Compare the benefits and risks of three security methods, then
identify and justify the best approach for securing a WLAN.
You must include a minimum of two scholarly sources, in
addition to the text book, with a minimum of one source from
peer-reviewed sources from the Ashford University Library.
Your paper must be formatted according to APA style
guidelines
Assignment 3
Mobility, CDMA, and GSM
In a paper of at least two pages (excluding the title and
reference pages), discuss a minimum of three mobile web

4. applications that are familiar or that you use regularly. Describe
the differences between CDMA and GSM. Discuss how CDMA
and GSM support the mobile web applications you identified.
Provide examples to support your discussion.
In your paper, you must use at least two scholarly sources, in
addition to the textbook, and be formatted according to APA
style guidelines
Assignment 4
A Walk in the IT Director’s Shoes
The final assignment for this course is a Final Paper. The
purpose of the Final Paper is for you to culminate the learning
achieved in the course.
Focus of the Final Paper
Assume you are an Information Technology Director for a
small, growing firm and are tasked with developing an
electronic resource security policy to deploy within your
organization. The policy needs to protect the organization’s
valuable electronic assets, but be flexible enough to
accommodate employees as they go about executing their jobs
and getting business done. It also needs to address
communication and data security aspects such as remote data
access, smartphone access, and internal electronic
communications such as IM (instant messaging) and email.
**(Note that a policy is different from a plan. Be sure you
address primarily the policy aspects of this task.).
In a minimum five page APA formatted paper (excluding title
and reference pages) using the lecture, supplemental resources,
and your own research, discuss the following elements.
Discuss the differences between ‘implementation’ and
‘policy’, and describe the importance of their separation.
Using information from the course, including the lectures and
weekly reading, develop an outline of your security policy
which addresses the areas identified in the prompt. Be as
specific as possible.
Compare the policy differences between users who work
remotely or use wireless hotspots to users who work on site in a

5. traditional office environment.
Discuss how you would implement your security policy
within the organization, including how employees would be
apprised of the new policies. Be sure to explain which elements
are critical for a successful implementation of your policy
Include a minimum of five sources, one of which may be the
textbook. Of these sources, three must be from the Ashford
Library or from IT industry standard periodicals.
Writing the Final Paper
The Final Paper:
Must be a minimum of five double-spaced pages (excluding
title and reference pages) in length, and formatted according to
APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a title page
Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct
thesis statement.
Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
Include a minimum of five sources which may include the
text. Of these sources, three must be from the Ashford Library
or from IT industry standard periodicals.
Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the
Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate reference page, formatted according
to APA style
Book:
Stallings, W., & Case, T. (2013). Business data
communications: Infrastructure, networking and security (7th
ed.). Upper saddle river, NJ: Prentice hall