Corporate Network

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Corporate network

A typical corporate network has the following characteristics:

• Many LAN segments with a backbone (for example, one segment on each floor or wing of several buildings).

• More than one network protocol.

• Areas configured with Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).

• Dial-up connections for users who connect from home or while traveling.

• Leased-line connections to branch offices.

• Demand-dial connections to branch offices.

• Internet connections.

The following illustration shows an example of a corporate network.

A corporate network typically uses different types of network media. The different office segments can use 10-megabit-per-second (Mbps) Ethernet or token ring networks, but the backbone network that is used to connect to the different networks and host servers is usually made up of 100-Mbps Ethernet or Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI). Connections to external networks (the Internet) are over leased lines or packet-switched services such as Frame Relay. Connections to branch offices are over either switched media (ISDN or analog modems), dedicated media (leased lines or Frame Relay), or the Internet.

You can also use a tunneling protocol to connect the branch offices to the corporate network over the Internet, as shown by Router 10 and Network G. For more information on this type of configuration, see Branch Office over the Internet.

This corporate network scenario depicts branch office connections that use switched, demand-dial links and dedicated links, as shown in the following table.

Network media for the corporate network

Router	Role	Medium
Router 1	Connects to the backbone	One Ethernet (100 Mbps) or FDDI adapter
	Connects to Network C	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
Router 2	Connects to Network A	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
	Connects to Network C	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
Router 3	Connects to Network B	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
	Connects Network C	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
Router 4	Connects to the backbone	One Ethernet (100 Mbps) or FDDI adapter
	Connects to Network D	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
Router 5	Connects to the backbone	One Ethernet (100 Mbps) or FDDI adapter
	Connects to Router 6	One or more ISDN adapters and/or analog modems
	Connects to Router 7	One Frame Relay adapter
Router 6	Connects to Router 5	One or more ISDN adapters and/or analog modems
	Connects to Network F	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
Router 7	Connects to Router 5	One Frame Relay adapter
	Connects to Network E	One Ethernet (10 Mbps) or token ring adapter
Router 8	Connects to the backbone	One Ethernet (100 Mbps) or FDDI adapter
	Connects to dial-up networking clients	Analog modems and/or ISDN adapters
Router 9	Connects to the backbone	One Ethernet (100 Mbps) or FDDI adapter
	Connects to the Internet	One leased line (56K/T1) or Frame Relay adapter
Router 10	Connects to Network G	One Ethernet (100 Mbps) or FDDI adapter
	Connects to the Internet	One leased line (56K/T1) or Frame Relay adapter

This section covers:

• Planning addresses for the corporate network

• Routing protocols for the corporate network

• Other services for the corporate network

• Configuring the corporate network

• Testing the corporate network

Notes

• The example companies, organizations, products, people and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, person or event is intended or should be inferred.

• Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is not available on Windows XP 64-bit Edition (Itanium) and the 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 family.