You are designing the network for a new office of three hundred people. How do you plan for redundancy, growth and wireless coverage?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests network design & capacity planning. Plans redundancy, addressing, growth, wireless coverage and bandwidth based on real requirements.
• Strong answers: Requirements gathering, addressing plan, redundant core and uplinks, wireless site survey, room to grow, security segments, monitoring and documentation.
• Likely follow-up: What would you cut first if the budget was halved?

Another way it may be asked: A new office is opening for about three hundred staff. Walk me through how you would plan its network.

A structure to follow: Answer, explain, example, limits

1. Step 1

   Answer

   Give your direct answer in the first sentence so the interviewer knows where you are going.

2. Step 2

   Explain

   Say how it works or why you would do it that way, in plain words before jargon.

3. Step 3

   Example

   Anchor it in something you have actually done or seen, with the detail that shows hands-on experience.

4. Step 4

   Limits

   Say when your approach would not be the right one. It shows judgement.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Reciting a definition without showing you have applied it.
• Using terms you cannot explain if asked a level deeper.
• Claiming experience beyond what you can discuss in detail.

How to practise it

Say the answer in 90 seconds, then answer the follow-up as if it were a new question.

Related questions

• Explain what happens on the network, step by step, when someone types a website address into their browser and presses enter.
• What is a VLAN, and why would an office separate its traffic into different VLANs?
• A user says they cannot reach the internet, but their coworker sitting next to them can. How would you troubleshoot it?
• When would you choose OSPF versus BGP, and what problems have you seen with either in practice?
• How would you set up firewall rules and segmentation for a network with guest wireless, office staff and payment terminals?

Browse all questions