Creating a simple and secure network for a small office can be challenging, especially when different departments need their own space on the network. In this project, I built a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) network using Cisco Packet Tracer, and I made sure each department had its own VLAN, wireless access, and automatic IP address assignment.

This project helped me grow my skills in subnetting, VLAN setup, DHCP, and inter-VLAN routing. Below is a clear breakdown of how I built the entire network.

Why I Built This Network

The goal was to design a network that:

Separates departments using VLANs

Allows communication between VLANs when needed

Supports wireless connectivity

Assigns IP addresses automatically through DHCP

Keeps the structure simple, secure, and easy to manage

I used one router, one switch, and wireless access points to build the entire setup.

Step 1: Subnetting the Network

I started with the base network 192.168.1.0/24.

To divide it into smaller parts, I used the subnet mask 255.255.255.192 (/26). This gave me four equal subnets:

192.168.1.0 – 192.168.1.63

192.168.1.64 – 192.168.1.127

192.168.1.128 – 192.168.1.191

The last subnet was reserved for future use

Each subnet was later matched to a VLAN.

Step 2: Creating VLANs

I created three VLANs on the switch:

VLAN 1 – Admin/IT

VLAN 2 – Finance/HR

VLAN 3 – Customer Service/Reception

After creating the VLANs, I assigned switch ports to each one. For example, here is how I assigned ports for Admin/IT:

int range fa0/2-4
switchport mode access
switchport access vlan 1
exit

I repeated this for VLANs 2 and 3.

Step 3: Configuring the Trunk Port

To allow the switch to send traffic for all VLANs to the router, I configured the trunk port:

int fa0/1
switchport mode trunk
exit

This trunk carried tagged traffic for each VLAN.

Step 4: Setting Up the Wireless Access Points

Each department also needed Wi-Fi. I configured each WAP with:

Its own SSID

WPA2-PSK security

AES encryption

This ensured each team had a secure and separate wireless network.

Step 5: Enabling Inter-VLAN Routing

To allow devices in different VLANs to communicate, I used router-on-a-stick by creating sub-interfaces:

int gig0/0.1
encapsulation dot1Q 1
ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.192
exit

I repeated this for VLAN 2 and VLAN 3 with their gateway IPs.

Each sub-interface acted as a default gateway for its VLAN.

Step 6: DHCP Configuration

To make things simple for users, I configured DHCP on the router so each device could get an IP address automatically.

Example for the Admin/IT department:

ip dhcp pool Admin-Dept
network 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.192
default-router 192.168.1.1
dns-server 192.168.1.1
domain-name Admin.com
exit

Each VLAN received its own DHCP pool.

Step 7: Testing the Network

After everything was configured, I tested all departments:

Devices got IP addresses automatically

Wireless connections worked properly

Each VLAN was separated

Inter-VLAN communication worked through the router

Ping tests were successful across all networks

The network was now clean, secure, and fully ready for use.

Conclusion

This SOHO project helped me practice real-world networking skills, from subnetting to VLANs and DHCP. I was able to create a structured and secure network that is easy to manage and suitable for small office environments.