Network planning worksheet

You can use this network planning worksheet to supplement your network planning research.

The following tables provide you with a basis to start thinking about your own system environment. For example, before referring to these scenarios, you need to plan for system availability, performance, and capability.

System worksheet	Company answer
Record the system model.
Record the operating system version.
Understand and document the logical partitioning environment.
Determine the client that is needed to connect to the system.
Record the type of communication adapter installed. See Network communications for more information about Ethernet, token ring, and others.
Record the communication resource name.
Record the IP address for the system.
Record the subnet mask for the system.
Record the gateway address.
Record the host name and domain name.
Record the IP address for the Domain Name System (DNS).

Network worksheet	Company answer
Establish clear network goals.
Who are the users and what are their requirements?
What applications support those requirements?
What performance is expected from those applications?
What protocol is required? Keep interoperability in mind. Most networks use TCP/IP; however, other alternatives are available. See Network communications for more information.
Do some applications require higher priority than others?
Are the applications sensitive to delay or packet loss?
What applications have specific security needs? Security planning should be integrated with network planning. See Planning your security strategy for a resource on planning network security.
Will this network grow in the future and how quickly? Make sure to consider security in your basic network architecture.
What technologies should be used for the LAN?
What other devices are connected to the network?
Draw a picture of your network.