Understanding Networking Fundamentals

New IT professionals who want to learn the basics of a structured, layered approach to networking, including the fundamentals of network hardware and components, network protocols, IP addressing and subnetting, and various tools used in network monitoring and troubleshooting. Ideal candidates include: Entry-level and newly hired technical professionals, including PC support, help desk, and networking professionals; Sales and marketing professionals looking to increase their ability to communicate with technical professionals and increase sales; Technical professionals looking to strengthen core skill before pursuing advanced topics and certifications.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Basics of layered network protocols and compare the two primary reference models: OSI and TCP/IP
• Inspect a structured cabling system, including the proper use and installation of UTP and fiber optic cables
• Configure a workstation to connect to a network
• Ethernet operations and the use of VLANs by examining the configuration and operation of switches on a network
• Spanning Tree operation as a method of eliminating broadcast storms on a switched network
• Configure a Wi-Fi router for operation on a SOHO network, including security, SSID, and Wi-Fi channel
• Various IP addressing considerations, including binary to decimal conversion, dotted decimal notation, classful vs. classless addressing, private vs. public addresses, and the use of network masking
• Create a subnet for a small network, selecting the correct masks for various situations to accommodate the current number of hosts in each subnet and to also allow for future growth
• Operation of various TCP/IP protocols on a network, including connectionless and connection-oriented communications using UDP and TCP, translation between private and public addresses using NAT, and support protocols such as ARP, DNS, and DHCP
• Router configurations to determine the function of various routing protocols, including RIP, IGRP, and OSPF, within and between networks
• Various WAN technologies, including circuit switched solutions such as leased lines and packet switched solutions such as Carrier Ethernet, and determine the best WAN connectivity solution for a given corporate network
• Use a protocol analyzer to capture and view network traffic, including e-mail, instant message exchanges, and web transactions
• Basic network security implementations by testing the impact a router that has been configured as a firewall has on the flow of traffic through a network
• Research the suitability of popular anti-malware suites for mitigating network security threats
• Research Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions to support BYOD deployments
  

Course Content

• Introduction to Networking
• Network Standards
• Physical Network Connections
• Ethernet LANs
• Ethernet Switching
• Wireless LANs
• IP Addressing
• IPv4 Subnetting
• TCP and UDP
• Support and Management Protocols
• Routing
• Wide Area Networks
• Communications Protocols
• Web Protocols
• Network Security
• Emerging Networking Technologies

Labs

• Lab 1: Connect and Configure a Workstation
• Lab 2: Protocol Analysis with Wireshark
• Lab 3: Examine Current Switch Configurations
• Lab:4 Examine Spanning Tree
• Lab 5: Configure a Wi-Fi Router
• Lab 6: IPv4 Addressing Considerations
• Lab 7: Create a Subnet Plan for a Small Network
• Lab 8: Examine Support Protocols
• Lab 9: Examine Router Configurations
• Lab 10: Recognize Application of Different WAN Technologies
• Lab 11: Examine an E-Mail Message with Wireshark
• Lab 12: Examine an Instant Message Exchange with Wireshark
• Lab 13: Examine a Web Transaction with Wireshark
• Lab 14: Test Firewall
• Lab 15: Research Anti-Malware
• Lab 16: Research MDM Software
  

 There is no prerequisite for attending this course.