Networks and Telecommunications Course

Lesson 1 • Network Types and Topologies

Classifies LANs, WANs, MANs, and PANs and maps common physical and logical topologies. Students match topology choices to real deployment scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Core Networking Concepts and Terminology

Defines nodes, links, bandwidth, latency, and throughput as foundational terms. Precise vocabulary enables accurate analysis throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • History and Evolution of Telecommunications

Traces telegraphy through modern broadband to show how each era shaped current standards. Provides historical context for understanding design trade-offs.

Lesson 4 • Transmission Media and Signal Types

Compares guided media (copper, fibre) and unguided media (radio, microwave) by bandwidth and attenuation. Grounds hardware selection decisions in physical constraints.

Lesson 1 • Wireless LAN Standards and Operation

Covers 802.11 amendments, CSMA/CA, and BSS/ESS architectures for wireless LANs. Wireless is now a primary access medium requiring dedicated Layer 2 knowledge.

Lesson 2 • Ethernet Standards and Media Access

Compares CSMA/CD, half-duplex, and full-duplex Ethernet across speed generations. Understanding access control explains collision domains and switch design.

Lesson 3 • MAC Addressing and Frame Delivery

Details 48-bit MAC address format, unicast, multicast, and broadcast delivery. MAC addressing is the mechanism that identifies devices on a shared segment.

Lesson 4 • Framing and Error Detection Mechanisms

Explains how frames delimit data and how checksums detect transmission errors. Error detection is the first line of defence in reliable data delivery.

Lesson 1 • IPv6 Addressing and Transition

Introduces 128-bit addressing, notation rules, and address types unique to IPv6. Transition mechanisms prepare students for dual-stack enterprise environments.

Lesson 2 • IP Packet Structure and Fragmentation

Dissects IPv4 and IPv6 header fields and explains MTU-driven fragmentation. Header knowledge is prerequisite for understanding routing and QoS decisions.

Lesson 3 • Routing Concepts and Static Routing

Defines routing tables, longest-prefix matching, and static route configuration. Static routing establishes the logic that dynamic protocols automate.

Lesson 4 • IPv4 Addressing and Subnetting

Explains dotted-decimal notation, address classes, and CIDR subnetting arithmetic. Subnetting is the most critical hands-on skill for network engineers.

Lesson 1 • Border Gateway Protocol Fundamentals

Introduces BGP as the inter-domain routing protocol governing internet routing. BGP path attributes and policy control are essential for WAN and ISP roles.

Lesson 2 • Route Redistribution and Policy Routing

Explains redistributing routes between protocols and using policy-based routing for traffic engineering. These techniques integrate multi-protocol enterprise environments.

Lesson 3 • Link-State Routing Protocols

Covers OSPF LSA flooding, SPF calculation, and area design for scalability. Link-state protocols dominate enterprise and service-provider core networks.

Lesson 4 • Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol

Details EIGRP's DUAL algorithm, feasible successors, and rapid convergence. EIGRP's hybrid nature offers advantages in Cisco-centric enterprise environments.

Lesson 1 • Email, File Transfer, and Remote Access Protocols

Surveys SMTP, IMAP, FTP, SFTP, SSH, and Telnet for enterprise service delivery. Protocol selection directly affects security posture and operational efficiency.

Lesson 2 • TCP Operation and Reliability Mechanisms

Details the three-way handshake, sequence numbers, acknowledgments, and flow control. TCP reliability mechanisms are the basis for diagnosing slow or dropped connections.

Lesson 3 • UDP and Real-Time Communication

Contrasts UDP's connectionless model with TCP and identifies use cases requiring low latency. Understanding UDP is essential for VoIP, streaming, and DNS analysis.

Lesson 4 • HTTP, HTTPS, and Web Communication

Covers HTTP request/response cycles, status codes, and TLS-secured HTTPS. Web protocol knowledge is foundational for application delivery and security analysis.

Lesson 1 • MPLS Architecture and Traffic Engineering

Explains label switching, LSPs, and VPN services delivered over MPLS provider networks. MPLS is the dominant enterprise WAN transport for QoS-sensitive traffic.

Lesson 2 • Broadband and Internet WAN Options

Compares cable, fibre, and fixed wireless broadband for enterprise internet connectivity. Cost and SLA trade-offs guide WAN design for distributed organisations.

Lesson 3 • Service Provider Core Technologies

Introduces carrier Ethernet, optical transport, and peering architectures used in provider cores. Understanding provider infrastructure aids in SLA negotiation and fault escalation.

Lesson 4 • Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN)

Covers SD-WAN overlay architecture, centralised policy control, and transport independence. SD-WAN is rapidly replacing traditional MPLS for cost and agility reasons.

Lesson 1 • Firewalls and Access Control Lists

Explains stateless ACLs, stateful firewalls, and next-generation firewall capabilities. Packet filtering is the primary enforcement point for network security policy.

Lesson 2 • Network Threat Landscape

Categorises reconnaissance, DoS, man-in-the-middle, and malware threats targeting networks. Threat awareness drives the selection of appropriate countermeasures.

Lesson 3 • Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems

Distinguishes IDS and IPS deployment modes and signature vs. anomaly detection. IDS/IPS provides visibility and automated response to in-flight attacks.

Lesson 4 • Network Authentication and AAA

Implements RADIUS, TACACS+, and 802.1X for centralised authentication, authorisation, and accounting. AAA frameworks enforce identity-based access across all network devices.

Lesson 1 • Quality of Service Design and Implementation

Applies DiffServ marking, queuing, and policing to prioritise latency-sensitive traffic. QoS is compulsory for converged networks carrying voice, video, and data.

Lesson 2 • Network Monitoring Tools and Techniques

Covers NetFlow, syslog, RMON, and packet capture for traffic visibility and anomaly detection. Continuous monitoring enables proactive fault identification before user impact.

Lesson 3 • Network Management Frameworks and SNMP

Explains FCAPS, SNMP versions, MIBs, and trap-based alerting for device management. Structured management frameworks reduce mean time to repair across large networks.

Lesson 4 • Structured Troubleshooting Methodology

Applies top-down, bottom-up, and divide-and-conquer models to isolate network faults. A repeatable methodology reduces diagnostic time and prevents recurring issues.