Introduction

To obtain optimum performance within a network, it is absolutely essential to plan the network beforehand. This applies to both the initial installation as well as its expansion. Rashly installed networks can not only cause poor network performance, they even can lead to a loss of data since restrictions given by the standard are possibly not kept. At first glance, designing a network causes additional costs, but it will later reduce maintenance expenditures during operation.

The following sections shall explain some principle methods for determining a suitable network structure and give some hints how to find out the network utilization and performance.