Network Course

Lesson 1 • Binary, Hexadecimal, and Addressing Basics

Provides the mathematical foundation for IP and MAC addressing. Fluency in number conversion is required for subnetting in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • Network Topologies and Media Types

Covers physical and logical arrangements of network devices and the media that carry signals. Students evaluate topology trade-offs for given scenarios.

Lesson 3 • The OSI and TCP/IP Models

Introduces layered communication models as frameworks for understanding protocols. Students map real traffic to specific layers.

Lesson 1 • Layer 2 Devices: Bridges and Switches

Details MAC address learning, forwarding tables, and collision domain segmentation. Students trace a frame through a switch's decision process.

Lesson 2 • Layer 1 Devices: Hubs and Repeaters

Explains signal regeneration and broadcast behavior at the physical layer. Establishes why Layer 1 devices are insufficient for modern networks.

Lesson 3 • Firewalls, Access Points, and Other Appliances

Surveys security and connectivity appliances that complement routers and switches. Students place each device correctly in a network diagram.

Lesson 1 • Subnetting Practice and Design

Applies subnet math to real design problems requiring multiple subnets. Students allocate address space efficiently using VLSM.

Lesson 2 • Subnet Mask Math and CIDR

Teaches binary AND operations to derive network addresses and introduces prefix-length notation. Students calculate usable host counts per subnet.

Lesson 3 • IPv4 Address Classes and Structure

Breaks down the 32-bit address into network and host portions. Students classify addresses and identify public vs. private ranges.

Lesson 1 • TCP vs. UDP: Transport Layer Protocols

Contrasts connection-oriented and connectionless transport, including handshake, flow control, and error recovery. Students choose the right protocol for given applications.

Lesson 2 • DHCP: Dynamic Address Assignment

Covers the DORA process, lease lifecycle, and scope configuration. Students configure a basic DHCP scope and identify common lease failures.

Lesson 3 • DNS: Domain Name System

Explains hierarchical name resolution from root servers to authoritative zones. Students interpret DNS query flows and common record types.

Lesson 1 • Link-State Routing Protocols

Covers LSA flooding, SPF calculation, and OSPF area design. Students configure single-area OSPF and verify neighbor adjacencies.

Lesson 2 • Static Routing Configuration

Teaches manual route entry syntax, next-hop selection, and default routes. Students build a fully routed lab topology using only static routes.

Lesson 3 • Path Selection and Route Redistribution

Examines how routers choose among competing routes and how routes are shared between protocols. Students implement basic redistribution between two routing domains.

Lesson 1 • Trunk Links and Inter-VLAN Routing

Explains 802.1Q tagging, native VLANs, and router-on-a-stick configuration. Students enable inter-VLAN communication across a trunk link.

Lesson 2 • EtherChannel and Link Aggregation

Teaches bundling multiple physical links into a single logical channel for bandwidth and redundancy. Students configure LACP-based EtherChannel.

Lesson 3 • Spanning Tree Protocol Deep Dive

Covers STP port states, root bridge election, and path cost calculation. Students manipulate STP to control traffic paths in a redundant topology.

Lesson 1 • Encryption and Secure Protocols

Introduces symmetric and asymmetric encryption, PKI basics, and TLS handshake. Students identify where encryption is applied in common network services.

Lesson 2 • Common Network Threats and Attack Vectors

Catalogs reconnaissance, spoofing, DoS, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Students map each threat to the OSI layer where it operates.

Lesson 3 • Network Monitoring and Incident Response

Covers syslog, SNMP traps, NetFlow, and IDS/IPS placement. Students configure basic logging and interpret alerts to identify anomalous behavior.

Lesson 1 • Troubleshooting Methodologies

Introduces top-down, bottom-up, and divide-and-conquer approaches. Students select and apply the most efficient method for a given symptom set.

Lesson 2 • Performance Optimization and QoS

Introduces bandwidth management, queuing strategies, and traffic classification. Students configure basic QoS policies to prioritize latency-sensitive traffic.

Lesson 3 • Diagnosing Layer 1 and Layer 2 Issues

Addresses physical connectivity failures, duplex mismatches, and VLAN misconfiguration. Students resolve common switch and cabling faults in lab scenarios.