Networks will need special protocols to handle Quality of Service traffic. The network will need to handle voice and video applications well. As already mentioned, it will need to operate at high speeds, from the desktop, through the LAN and the backbone and out to the Internet. The network will also need to use traffic prioritization and bandwidth reservation protocols such as RSVP and QoS because isochronous services need predictable and constant transmission rates. Network security is becoming increasingly important.
Computer security is much in the news, and network security is a very important subset of that.
The network is the pathway which hackers exploit to find vulnerable and poorly protected computers. While good network security can never replace the need for proper attention to workstation security procedures, the network should be set up to make inappropriate access as difficult as possible. There should be restrictions as to who can use certain items of network equipment, monitoring of network activity, the segmentation of the network into administrative pieces each governed by certain security policies, intrusion alarms, firewalls, secure SNMP and authentication. ONO are in the process of hiring a network security officer who will address these and other issues. There will be a strong demand for high speed remote access to the campus's networks.