Wireless Network Proposal, Riordan Manufacturing

Wireless Network Proposal, Riordan Manufacturing

University of Phoenix

CIS 319

June 14, 2008

Riordan Enterprises has requested to look into the possibility of adding wireless capabilities to their existing network. The need for wireless is understandable. It enables employees to be productive from anywhere. If they need to travel to a potential customer in Montana, or are at a plastics conference in Hawaii the ability to connect to the Riordan’s intranet is vital. Not only does it allow the employee to continue to stay connected with work, it also allows them to share the intranet and all it has to offer to potential clients, as well as offering those potential clients use of the system for easier ordering and up to date financial and tracking information regarding their purchases. This is why a Virtual Private Network would be a good tool to add to the Riordan tool bag. It will allow the current network to stay intact as well as adding the ability to access the network from anywhere. This adds in the efficiency and productivity of Riordan and its many employees and global locations.

Riordan has four locations spanning the globe. With three locations in the United States and one major location in China the VPN would be able to keep all four locations connected at a speed that would enable them to stay productive, accurate and up to date in many aspects of their business. There are also many options that can include mixing and matching systems to best suite Riordan’s complicated and far stretched needs. This is what makes the VPN best suited for Riordan and their needs. VPN is expandable and can be used from anywhere. Cost is in issue with any change and Riordan has also made it clear that cost, and keeping it down, is important to them. Many different companies that offer VPNS and WIFI cards; it is a matter of finding the one that is compatible with all of Riordan’s needs. It is important that we research what each company is capable of giving Riordan, the cost and the ability to keep their current WAN network intact. One place we will need to start is Riordan’s current utility companies for both internet service and phone service to see if this company or companies is capable of helping us achieve our goal of getting Riordan well on their way to a Virtual Private Network.

It may require great deal of research into the many options and companies that offer VPNs, to find the right fit for Riordan. It is important when making this kind of a change that the information we find is accurate and will work around what Riordan has already tried so hard to create. Our goal is to come in and as seamlessly as possible add a Virtual Private Network to their company.

Further investigation found that in order to set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a few components are necessary. The first component is a concentrator, which will encrypt the data to ensure that data is secure for transmission across the Internet and potentially insecure lines. The concentrator will run about $3,000. Only one is necessary for all four plants to be connected and it can be installed in any location as decided by Riordan.

The next component is software. The software allows any user to connect to the intranet and concentrator from the Internet. The cost of the software license can range from a few thousand dollars to several thousand dollars, depending on the provider and number of users. The last component necessary is a Network Access Server (NAS). This allows for the VPN to connect to the WAN in order to obtain the intranet and its information. The NAS can run approximately $5,000. Also, the cost of training, a group to come in and training the employees as well as a specific team would need to be assembled either from existing employees or new hires in order to maintain the system and ensure that things stayed secure. One of the many benefits of the VPN: it will work with any established network and with almost any geographical configurations. This means that Riordan can keep their current network with little to no change, as well as keep the China plant in the loop and connected.

One of the alternatives to creating our own VPN would be to hire a company to build it and maintain it. Many other large corporations already take advantage of these services to cutback on the resources spent assembling a competent team, for the small fee of $2,200 per month. This is great because the company takes care of all the troubleshooting, problem solving and installation. Also cutback on the need for smaller IT groups trained