By the end of the course, students should be able to demonstrate the following
knowledge and skills:
Topic |
Knowledge Objectives |
Skill Objectives |
Communications |
- Guided transmission media
- Wireless transmission
- Communication satellites
- The public switched telephone network
- The mobile telephone system
- Cable television
|
|
Networks |
- Define and compare different types of networks, including LANS, MANS, WANS, PSTN, PSDN, ISDN, ATM,
intranet, extranet, the Internet
- List advantages and disadvantages of using networks
- Compare client-server and peer-to-peer LANs
|
|
OSI Model |
- Describe the nature and purpose of protocols
- Describe the purpose, protocols and working units of each of the seven
layers
- physical, data link, network, transport,
session, presentation, application
- Describe how data is transferred using the OSI model
|
|
Data Transmission |
- Simplex, half-duplex, duplex operation
- Asynchronous and synchronous schemes
- Serial vs. parallel transmission
- Modems incl. modulation techniques
|
|
LAN Hardware |
- LAN topologies: bus, star, ring
- Network Interface Cards/Adapters
- Hubs/concentrators
-
Network Media: twisted pair, coaxial cable, fibre
optic, wireless
-
Selection Criteria: cost, distance limitations etc.
|
- Install network card
- Prepare network cable
- Connect cable to hub
|
LAN OS and Software |
- Describe the functions and features of LAN software
- Media access control (MAC); polling, contention, token passing,
carrier sense/collision; MAC addresses; Ethernet frames
- High speed networking: FDDI, Switched Ethernet, Fast Ethernet,
Gigabit Ethernet
- ATM
- Compare the networking features of Windows 3.11/9x client,
NT/2000/XP server, Novell Netware and
UNIX/Linux
|
- Access computers and resources on LAN through Network Neighborhood
- Share files and printers
- Configure network control panel to connect a PC to LAN using TCP/IP
- Use Windows NET command
- Configure a Windows peer-to-peer network
|
WANs |
- WAN architecture and topology
- WAN services
- Domain Name System (DNS); Internet addressing
- Repeaters, bridges, routers, gateways
- Public data networks, X.25 packets
|
|
TCP/IP |
- Connection (virtual circuit) vs. connectionless (datagram) protocols
- IP addresses, IP datagram
- Internet routing: routing tables, RIP, OSPF
- TCP connections, TCP segment, sockets, UDP
|
- Use Telnet, FTP, ping, traceroute, netstat, nslookup, ipconfig/winipcfg
- Use NetMeeting
|
Internet |
- Explain how resources can be made available and accessed over the
Internet; explain the relationship between client and server
- Describe common electronic mail protocols
- Describe the components of e-mail and web addresses
|
- Create a free e-mail account?
- Send and receive e-mail
- Read usenet newsgroups
- Browse the web
- Configure Internet Options control panel
- Create a web page using a web editor?
- Create a web page using HTML?
- Create a web site on the Intranet or a free web host?
- Install an e-mail server?
- Install personal web server?
|
Network Performance |
- Describe factors that affect network performance
- Describe tools and techniques to monitor and tune network performance
|
- Use performance monitoring tools
|
Network Security |
- Describe security threats and consequences
- Describe security hardware, software and procedures
- Choose an appropriate password
- E-mail security
- Web security
- Cryptography and public key encryption
- Authentication protocols
|
- Encrypt and decrypt a file
- Password-protect a directory on a web server?
|
Network Management |
|
- Create a network plan
- Make hardware and software purchasing decisions
|