Technicality of the Project
Along with the proposed network design of SJHS is the installation of PFSesnse
server or firewall. “PFSense is an open sourcerouting and firewall software that is based
on the FreeBSD distribution.[8]” The said firewall has a lot features that can help improve
the performance of the network. However, the proponents will only configure some of the
PFSense features which is the DHCP setting, the filtering of unwanted websites, and the
captive portal which directs the users to a webpage that contains a simple instructions and
terms of use with user verification.
The proponents will configure the DHCP settings of the PFSense so that it will be
responsible in leasing IP addresses on the PC. Using DHCP instead of static IP address
can conserve time and energy. Instead of configuring the IP addresses on the computer
manually, the IP addresses can be configured and leased through the PFSense. Conflict of
IP addresses that can result into problems such as internet connection loss can be avoided.
Moreover, through the configuration of the DHCP settings in the PFSense, future
problems can be easily tracked and fixed.
Viewing of prohibited sites and downloading of big files inside the campus are
prohibited not only because of the school’s campus policy but also, it can expose the
computers to virus and malwares from the internet. PFSense can prevent such problems by
blocking such unwanted sites. Through the use of PFSense, the administrator can block or
restrict any unwanted websites from the internet which can help secure the network.
The proposed project focused on the designing a new network for San Jose
School of La Trinidad. In the new design network, a data center and PFSense server is
added.
In the new designed network, there are a data center wherein the main switch,
router and PFSense server are located. The data center will act as the brain of the network
and the place where the most critical processes run. It should have a strategy in place to
periodically audit the data center’s current performance and identify places for
improvement.
