Unit 4 - 10%

Task 8 High Value Domestic Network Design

Choose a real house floorplan, build the network in UniFi Design Center, then justify the topology, hardware, media, protocol and security decisions.

Read Task Brief UniFi And Topology Guide

Final Evidence

  • 1. Completed evidence and justification document
  • 2. UniFi Design Center evidence
  • 3. Logical topology
  • 4. Property source record

Syllabus Skills

What Task 8 Assesses

Functions of router, switch, firewall, modem/ONT, NIC, wireless access point and bridge or mesh link where justified.
Communication terms: protocols, digital, analogue and ethernet.
Network types: PAN, LAN and WAN in a domestic network context.
Client-server and peer-to-peer network technologies for cloud services, NAS/media sharing, smart home control and home office use.
Star network topology using a central switch or PoE switch.
Diagrammatic representation of PAN, LAN and WAN topologies.
Transmission media: twisted pair, fibre optic, satellite, cellular and wireless.
Email protocols: POP3, IMAP and SMTP.
Internet security: authentication, encryption and firewalls.
Malware: viruses, worms, trojans and spyware.
Network diagram conventions for PAN and LAN, plus UniFi Design Center floorplan and coverage evidence.

Teaching Sequence

Week 10 UniFi Network Design

Term 3 Week 10

Week 1

High Value Domestic Network Design

Select a real property, build the UniFi design, explain topology and submit the final Task 8 package.

Task Facts

Students choose a real house listing from realestate.com.au with a usable floorplan.
The network is for a high value domestic property, not a small office.
The client wants reliable whole-home internet and Wi-Fi coverage.
The design should support home office work, streaming, gaming, smart home devices and guest access.
Fixed high-demand devices should use wired ethernet where suitable.
UniFi Design Center is used to show floorplan, device placement and coverage evidence.
The written response must also explain the logical topology.
Guest, IoT, camera, home office and family/private network separation should be considered.
Security decisions should protect personal privacy, home office data, cameras and smart home devices.
The real estate floorplan is used only for classroom assessment evidence and must be cited.

Build Order

What To Place And Why

1

Internet/WAN entry

Students need to show that the home LAN connects to a wider network. This stops the design becoming a random set of Wi-Fi icons.

WAN, LAN/WAN diagram conventions, transmission media.

2

Modem or ONT

It shows the connection between the external provider network and the home network.

Network hardware: modem; transmission media: fibre optic, twisted pair, wireless/cellular/satellite where justified.

3

Gateway/router and firewall function

It explains how traffic leaves the home network and how the design protects traffic entering or moving between networks.

Router, firewall, authentication, encryption, internet security.

4

Switch or PoE switch

It forms the centre of the domestic star topology and supports reliable wired links to access points and fixed devices.

Switch, star topology, ethernet, twisted pair, network diagram conventions for LAN.

5

Ethernet cable runs

Wired links are more reliable than wireless for fixed or high-demand devices and make AP coverage stronger because APs have wired backhaul.

Ethernet, twisted pair transmission media, digital communication.

6

Wireless access points

The placement should solve a coverage problem shown by the floorplan and UniFi heatmap.

Wireless access point, LAN, wireless transmission media, network design evidence.

7

Wired fixed devices

This shows students can choose suitable hardware and media for a specific purpose rather than using Wi-Fi for everything.

NIC, ethernet, client devices, transmission media selection.

8

Wireless networks or SSIDs

Separate networks reduce risk by stopping guests or less trusted smart devices from reaching private devices.

Authentication, encryption, firewall controls, privacy and internet security.

9

Optional bridge, mesh, cellular backup or satellite

Students should show judgement. Premium does not mean adding every device; it means selecting the right option for the scenario.

Bridge, wireless, cellular, satellite and media selection.

Study Sections

Start With The Property

The floorplan is the design brief. A strong network design responds to rooms, users, devices and constraints in the selected house.

Use UniFi Evidence Properly

UniFi evidence should prove placement and coverage decisions, not just decorate the submission.

Topology Explains The Network

The floorplan shows where devices sit. The topology explains how they connect.

Hardware And Media Need Reasons

A premium network is not a shopping list. Every device and medium needs a function and a floorplan-based reason.

Segment The Home Thoughtfully

High value home networks often need separation between family, guests, IoT, cameras and home office devices.

Protocols And Malware Still Matter

The design task still assesses communication protocols and malware risks, even though the evidence is practical.

Project Guides

Select The Property

Choose a realestate.com.au floorplan that gives enough design complexity.

Build In UniFi Design Center

Use UniFi Design Center to create floorplan, placement and coverage evidence.

Explain The Topology

Translate the floorplan design into a logical network topology.

Justify Security And Segmentation

Explain protection for guests, IoT, cameras, family devices and home office data.

Assessment Documents

Resource Pack And Attachments

Open resource pack

Task overview

Assessment overview, purpose, conditions and policy notes.

Student task sheet

Student-facing instructions, conditions, evidence and mark allocation.

Domestic network brief

High value domestic network scenario, property source requirements, constraints and client needs.

Network design guide

Step-by-step guide for turning a real floorplan into a justified network design.

UniFi and topology evidence guide

UniFi evidence requirements, logical topology checks and common design errors.

UniFi Design Center guide

Practical guide for preparing the floorplan, placing devices and capturing UniFi evidence.

Justification template

Structured writing template for the final network justification.

Marking key

Detailed 40-mark analytical marking key for the network design project.

Final submission LMS instructions

Student-facing final LMS upload instructions.
Student task sheet docx Student task sheet pdf Case study brief docx Case study brief pdf Network design guide docx Network design guide pdf UniFi and topology evidence guide docx UniFi and topology evidence guide pdf UniFi Design Center guide docx UniFi Design Center guide pdf Justification template docx Justification template pdf Marking key docx Marking key pdf Marking rubric docx Marking rubric pdf Marking sheet docx Marking sheet pdf Submission checklist docx Submission checklist pdf Final submission LMS instructions docx Final submission LMS instructions pdf Complete student package docx Complete student package pdf