Design, Simulation, and Analysis: Smart Dormitory Network Supporting Student Connectivity, Shared Resources, Guest Access, and Network Monitoring

Abstract

The growing dependence on internet connectivity in educational and residential environments has increased the demand for reliable, secure, and manageable network infrastructures. Dormitories, which accommodate multiple users and devices, often experience challenges such as network congestion, unauthorized access, inefficient resource sharing, and limited monitoring capabilities. This study presents the design, simulation, and analysis of a smart dormitory network using Cisco Packet Tracer and a dormitory floor plan as the basis for network deployment. The proposed network architecture aims to provide reliable connectivity for students, secure access to shared resources, controlled guest access, and basic network monitoring.
The network design incorporates Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) to segment student, guest, administrative, and server resources, thereby improving security and traffic management. The simulated network consists of four student client computers, two guest client computers, one server, one network printer, one administrative workstation, one router configured for inter-VLAN routing, and two managed switches. Syslog-based monitoring is implemented to support network administration and event tracking. Simulation testing was conducted to evaluate connectivity, resource accessibility, guest network isolation, and VLAN communication.
Results of the simulation demonstrated successful implementation of VLAN segmentation, secure access to shared resources, effective isolation of guest users from internal network assets, and reliable inter-VLAN communication through router-on-a-stick configuration. Network monitoring capabilities also enabled administrators to observe network events and device activities within the simulated environment. The findings indicate that the proposed smart dormitory network design effectively addresses common networking challenges in dormitory settings while providing a scalable and manageable infrastructure.
This study contributes to a practical network design framework that can serve as a reference for dormitory administrators, network practitioners, and future researchers interested in residential network planning, implementation, and optimization.