This course aims to help learners discover computer networks through hands-on experience in the Open Networking Lab. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand and configure home networks, work with IP addresses, learn about switching and routing, set up configurations, control traffic, connect devices, and utilize command-line control. The teaching method involves a combination of theoretical sessions, practical exercises, quizzes, and real-world networking scenarios. This course is intended for individuals interested in gaining practical knowledge and skills in computer networking, including beginners and aspiring network professionals.
Discovering computer networks: hands on in the Open Networking Lab
The Open University via OpenLearn
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Overview
Syllabus
- Introduction and guidance
- Introduction and guidance
- What is a badged course?
- How to get a badge
- Acknowledgements
- Week1Week 1: Getting started: home networks and IP addresses
- Introduction
- Session 1: The home network
- 1.1 Devices on a home network
- 1.2 The home gateway and network settings
- 1.3 Packet Tracer Anywhere
- 1.4 Moving data around
- 1.5 Summary of Session 1
- Session 2: IP addressing
- 2.1 Internet Protocol (IP) addressing
- 2.2 Checking the local network
- 2.3 Networks of networks
- 2.4 Public and private addresses
- 2.5 Fixing a host address, and two special addresses
- 2.6 Summary of Session 2
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 1
- Acknowledgements
- Week2Week 2: Moving data: an introduction to switching and routing
- Introduction
- Session 3: An introduction to switching
- 3.1 Switches, routers and ports
- 3.2 Segmentation of data
- 3.3 Switching
- 3.4 Summary of Session 3
- Session 4: An introduction to routing
- 4.1 Revision of IP addresses
- 4.2 Key routing terms
- 4.3 More on routing
- 4.4 Summary of Session 4
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 2
- Acknowledgements
- Week3Week 3: Setting things up: configuration
- Introduction
- Session 5: Dynamic configuration
- 5.1 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
- 5.2 Private addresses
- 5.3 Changing addresses
- 5.4 NAT in detail
- 5.5 NAT and ports
- 5.6 Implications of NAT
- 5.7 Summary of Session 5
- Session 6: Configuring a home gateway
- 6.1 Switching
- 6.2 Remote configuration
- 6.3 DHCP
- 6.4 Wi-Fi
- 6.5 Routing
- 6.6 Domain Name System (DNS)
- 6.7 Review
- 6.8 Summary of Session 6
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 3
- Acknowledgements
- Week4Week 4: Traffic control: destination addresses, route tracing and collision avoidance
- Introduction
- Session 7: Representation of network addresses
- 7.1 Base arithmetic
- 7.2 Converting between number bases
- 7.3 Representation of IP and MAC addresses
- 7.4 Subnet masks and CIDR
- 7.5 Summary of Session 7
- Session 8: Route tracing, collision avoidance and scene setting
- 8.1 Tracing the route
- 8.2 Collision avoidance and multiple access in Wi-Fi
- 8.3 Looking ahead
- 8.4 Summary of Session 8
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 4
- Acknowledgements
- Week5Week 5: Making it happen: connecting devices and command-line control
- Introduction
- Session 9: Real-world networking
- 9.1 Connecting devices
- 9.2 The role of a network professional
- 9.3 Summary of Session 9
- Session 10: The command-line interface
- 10.1 Connecting to a Cisco device
- 10.2 Modes within the Cisco CLI
- 10.3 Configure a hostname
- 10.4 Configure an IPÂ address
- 10.5 Summary of Session 10
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 5
- Acknowledgements
- Week6Week 6: Understanding the network: underlying principles
- Introduction
- Session 11: Network principles
- 11.1 Data transmission
- 11.2 Routers and IP addresses
- 11.3 Configuring a network
- 11.4 Introduction to IPv6
- 11.5 Summary of Session 11
- Session 12: More routing and switching
- 12.1 IP addresses, MAC addresses and the ARP process
- 12.2 How are routing decisions made?
- 12.3 How are switching decisions made?
- 12.4 Summary of Session 12
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 6
- Acknowledgements
- Week7Week 7: How it works: more of the principles that underlie networks
- Introduction
- Session 13: Configuring network interfaces
- 13.1 The command line and operating system
- 13.2 IOS levels and Ethernet
- 13.3 Interfaces, up and down
- 13.4 Configuring devices
- 13.5 The virtual local area network (VLAN)
- 13.6 Summary of Session 13
- Session 14: Routing protocols
- 14.1 Troubleshooting the routing process
- 14.2 Routing with default static routes
- 14.3 Routing with static routes
- 14.4 Putting in the final static routes to make it all work
- 14.5 Routing with dynamic routes
- 14.6 Summary of Session 14
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 7
- Acknowledgements
- Week8Week 8: Final practical considerations: security and complex networks
- Introduction
- Session 15: Security
- 15.1 Securing the console
- 15.2 Remote access with Telnet
- 15.3 Secure shell access
- 15.4 Summary of Session 15
- Session 16: Building a more complex network
- 16.1 Device connections
- 16.2 Adding hostnames and IP addresses
- 16.3 Adding a routing protocol
- 16.4 Testing the configuration
- 16.5 Saving the configuration
- 16.6 Summary of Session 16
- This week’s quiz
- Summary of Week 8
- Tell us what you think
- Acknowledgements