Network Infrastructure Course

Lesson 1 • Network Standards and Governing Bodies

Introduces IEEE, IETF, and ISO standards that define interoperability. Explains how RFCs and standards documents guide implementation decisions.

Lesson 2 • Core Networking Concepts and Terminology

Establishes shared vocabulary for nodes, links, protocols, and data units. Provides the conceptual baseline required for every subsequent topic.

Lesson 3 • Network Topologies and Physical Layout

Examines bus, star, ring, mesh, and hybrid topologies. Connects physical layout choices to performance, fault tolerance, and cost trade-offs.

Lesson 4 • The OSI and TCP/IP Reference Models

Maps the seven OSI layers and the four TCP/IP layers to real protocol behaviour. Enables systematic troubleshooting by layer.

Lesson 1 • Subnet Masks and CIDR Notation

Teaches prefix-length notation and subnet mask arithmetic. Students calculate network and host boundaries for any given prefix.

Lesson 2 • IPv6 Addressing and Transition

Covers 128-bit IPv6 format, address types, and stateless autoconfiguration. Explains dual-stack and tunnelling strategies for IPv4-to-IPv6 migration.

Lesson 3 • Subnetting Design and Practice

Applies CIDR skills to divide address space into subnets meeting specific host requirements. Reinforces calculation speed and accuracy through structured exercises.

Lesson 4 • Address Management and Planning

Introduces DHCP operation, IP address management (IPAM) tools, and documentation practices. Connects address planning to scalable network growth.

Lesson 1 • Spanning Tree Protocol and Variants

Details STP, RSTP, and MSTP loop-prevention mechanisms and port states. Students tune STP to achieve fast convergence in redundant topologies.

Lesson 2 • VLANs and Trunking Protocols

Covers VLAN creation, port assignment, and 802.1Q trunk configuration. Demonstrates how VLANs segment broadcast domains and improve security.

Lesson 3 • Switch Operation and MAC Learning

Explains how switches build MAC address tables, forward frames, and handle unknown unicasts. Links switch behaviour to network performance and security.

Lesson 4 • Link Aggregation and High Availability

Introduces EtherChannel and LACP for bandwidth aggregation and redundancy. Connects link aggregation design to uptime requirements in enterprise LANs.

Lesson 1 • Distance-Vector Routing Protocols

Examines RIP and EIGRP metric calculation, update mechanisms, and convergence behaviour. Contrasts distance-vector limitations with link-state approaches.

Lesson 2 • Router Architecture and Packet Forwarding

Covers routing table structure, longest-prefix matching, and administrative distance. Establishes how routers select paths before protocol-specific topics are introduced.

Lesson 3 • Link-State Routing with OSPF

Covers OSPF LSA types, area design, DR/BDR election, and route summarisation. Students configure single-area and multi-area OSPF deployments.

Lesson 4 • Static and Default Routing

Teaches static route configuration, floating static routes, and default gateway setup. Provides a controlled routing baseline before dynamic protocols are added.

Lesson 1 • Leased Lines and Serial Connectivity

Covers T1/E1 framing, HDLC, and PPP encapsulation for point-to-point links. Explains authentication options and link quality monitoring on serial interfaces.

Lesson 2 • SD-WAN Principles and Deployment

Introduces SD-WAN overlay architecture, centralized control, and application-aware routing. Positions SD-WAN as a modern alternative to traditional MPLS-only designs.

Lesson 3 • Broadband and Internet WAN Options

Compares DSL, cable, fiber broadband, and 4G/5G cellular for WAN access. Evaluates each option against reliability, throughput, and cost criteria.

Lesson 4 • MPLS Architecture and VPN Services

Explains label switching, LSPs, and MPLS Layer 3 VPN operation. Connects MPLS to enterprise site interconnection and traffic engineering use cases.

Lesson 1 • Firewall Technologies and Deployment

Compares stateless, stateful, and next-generation firewall capabilities. Covers DMZ design, zone-based policies, and firewall rule ordering principles.

Lesson 2 • Access Control Lists and Packet Filtering

Teaches standard and extended ACL syntax, placement strategy, and wildcard masking. Demonstrates how ACLs enforce traffic policy at router and switch interfaces.

Lesson 3 • VPN Technologies and Encryption

Covers IPsec tunnel and transport modes, IKE phases, and SSL/TLS VPN operation. Students configure site-to-site and remote-access VPN solutions.

Lesson 4 • Network Access Control and AAA

Introduces 802.1X port authentication, RADIUS, and TACACS+ for centralized AAA. Connects identity-based access to zero-trust network principles.

Lesson 1 • Quality of Service Mechanisms

Introduces QoS classification, marking, queuing, and policing to prioritize critical traffic. Connects QoS design to voice, video, and application performance requirements.

Lesson 2 • SNMP and Network Monitoring Protocols

Covers SNMPv2c and SNMPv3 operation, MIB structure, and trap configuration. Positions SNMP as the foundation for network monitoring and alerting systems.

Lesson 3 • Network Time Protocol and Synchronization

Explains NTP stratum hierarchy, client-server and peer modes, and authentication. Accurate time synchronization underpins logging, certificates, and security correlation.

Lesson 4 • DHCP Server Configuration and Relay

Covers DHCP scope design, option configuration, and relay agent deployment across subnets. Reinforces address management skills introduced in the IP addressing chapter.

Lesson 1 • Troubleshooting Layer 1 and Layer 2 Issues

Diagnoses physical connectivity failures, duplex mismatches, and STP topology changes. Applies switching knowledge from earlier chapters to real fault scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Troubleshooting Layer 3 and Routing Issues

Isolates routing table errors, OSPF adjacency failures, and ACL-induced drops. Builds on routing protocol knowledge to resolve connectivity problems systematically.

Lesson 3 • Change Management and Incident Response

Introduces change control processes, rollback planning, and post-incident review practices. Connects technical skills to operational governance required in enterprise environments.

Lesson 4 • Diagnostic Tools and Commands

Covers ping, traceroute, nslookup, netstat, and packet capture tools for fault isolation. Hands-on use of these tools reinforces the troubleshooting methodologies taught earlier.