Having completed this module you will be able to:

Define what Local Area Network (LAN) means.

Describe the key devices found on a LAN.
Explain how Hubs, Switches and Routers function.
Describe how Ethernet functions.
Describe the structure and function of IP Addresses.

The key points from this module are:

Data: Units of information that flow across a network.
Node: End devices on a network.
Client: Requests services across a network.
Server: Supplies services across a network.
On a network a Peer can both Request services across a network and supply services
across a network.

Network adapter - used to gain access to the network and access to other devices on
the network.
Types of media:
• Cable
• Wireless
Protocols - name is given to the rules which govern how devices communicate with
each other over networks.

Local Area Network - name is given to a group of computers that are confined to a
small geographic area such as a single building.

A Local Area Network is a group of computers or devices that share a common

communication medium such as cabled and/or wireless connections.
Reasons for using networks
• Can share information
• Can communicate with another person
• Can organize data
Hub -The most basic central connecting device.
Switch -When a host sends data to a switch, the switch can identify the intended
recipient of the data.
Router -A device that enables computers to communicate and allow communication
between two networks such as your home network and the Internet.

Network Interface Card -A network adapter is the hardware device that enables yo to
send and receive data from your computer.
RJ45 patch cable -the most common type of network adapter connection.
Wireless access point -the central connecting device for a wireless network.

Serial data transfer -name is given to the transfer of data one bit at a time.
Broadcast data transfer -Sends data to every other host on the network.
Unicast data transfer -Sends data to a specific host.
Data transfer rate -The maximum bits per second that can be transmitted over a
network.

IP address stands for Internet Protocol address.

Functions of an IP address:
• An IP address uniquely identifies your device.
• An IP address uniquely identifies the associated network your device is on.
• An IP address allows each device to send and receive information.

Every IP address is broken down into two parts by a subnet address:

• Network ID
• Host ID
Example of an IP address: 192.168.1.1

A network topology defines the physical connections of hosts in a computer network.

Types of network topology:
•Star
•Bus
•Ring
Star - Most common type of network topology.
Token Ring network - network that sends data logically in a ring fashion, where a
token goes to each computer, one at a time, and continues on in cycles
In a Token Ring network Multistation Access Unit is the name given to the central
connecting device.

Ethernet is the de facto standard and most widely installed LAN technology.
Computers communicate on Ethernet using frames.
In Ethernet a frame is a data packet residing on Layer 2 of the OSI model.

Types of computing:
• Centralized computing
• Client/Server computing
• Peer-to-Peer networking
• Distributed computing

Having completed this module you will be able to:

List the seven layers of the OSI Model.
Describe the functions of each layer of the OSI Model.
List the four layers of the TCP Model.
Describe the functions of each layer of the TCP Model.
Explain the similarities and differences between the OSI Model and the TCP Model.

The key points from this module are:

The acronym OSI stand for: Open Systems Interconnection
There are 7 layers in the OSI model. Layers of the OSI in their correct sequence
starting with Layer 1 at the bottom.
• Layer 7 - Application layer
• Layer 6 - Presentation layer
• Layer 5 - Session layer
• Layer 4 - Transport layer
• Layer 3 - Network layer
• Layer 2 - Data link layer
• Layer 1 - Physical layer

Functions of the seven layers:

• Layer 7 - Application layer -- Enables users and applications to access network
services
• Layer 6 - Presentation layer -- Translates data into a common format
• Layer 5 - Session layer - Establishes a communication session between devices
• Layer 4 - Transport layer -- Manages message fragmentation and reassembly
• Layer 3 - Network layer -- Manages data routing and creating sub networks
• Layer 2 - Data link layer -- Provides error-free transfer of data frames
• Layer 1 - Physical layer -- Physical network media and signal methods
OSI layers with Protocol Data Units:
• Transport - Segment
• Network - Packet
• Data link - Frame
• Physical - Bits
Physical Layer 1 components:
• Cables
• Jacks
• Hubs

The Media Access Control (MAC) address is defined at Data link layer in the OSI
model.

Network layer translates logical addresses or names to physical addresses.

Routers are devices that work at Layer 3 Network layer.

Layer 4- Transport layer ensures that messages are delivered error-free, in

sequence and with no loss or duplications. In Layer 4 Transport layer the
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) provides a connection-based, reliable, byte-
stream service to programs.
In Layer 4 Transport layer which Port Number 443 is associated with the secure port
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure).

The following layers make up the TCP Model:

• Network Interface layer
• Internet layer
• Transport layer
• Application layer
The Internet layer in the TCP model is equivalent to Network layer in the OSI
model.

The key points from this module are:

Twisted-pair cable - the most commonly used cable type in local area networks
Twisted pair cable contains eight wires grouped into four twisted pairs, typically
blue, orange, green and brown.
Twisted wires in twisted-pair cable help reduce
• Reduces crosstalk
• Reduces interference
Twisted-pair cables are categorised according to
• The frequency at which they transmit signals
• Their data transfer rate
Cable speed and the cable type:
• Category 3 (Cat-3) 10Mbps
• Category 5 (Cat-5) 100Mpbs
• Category 5e (Cate-5e) 100Mbps and 1000 Mbps+
• Category 6 (Cat-6) 1000Mbps+

Types of patch cables:

• Straight through cable
• Crossover cable

Straight through cable: Connect a computer to a central connecting device like a

hub.
Crossover cable: Directly connects similar devices without the use of a hub.

Medium dependent interface (MDI) - Type of Ethernet port connection that uses
twisted pair cabling
Instead of using crossover cables to connect computers devices such as switches are
equipped with MDI-X ports which take care of the cross.
Tools you will need when making the connections between patch panels and RJ45 jacks
• Cutting tools
• Wire stripper
• Punch down tool
• Continuity tester

Attenuation - name given to the quantity of information reaching the receiver as

compared to the transmitted quantity of information.
According to IEEE 802.3 standard twisted-pair cables can be run 100 meters length
before the signal degrades to a point that it cannot be interpreted by the
destination host.
Interference - name is given to anything that disrupts or modifies a signal that is
traveling along a wire.
The following can cause interference in a cable:
• Electric lights
• Electric outlets
• Motors
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) - Disturbance that affect electrical circuits,
devices and cables.
Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) - Disturbance from AM/FM transmissions and cell
phone towers.
Crosstalk - name is given to when the signal that is transmitted on one copper wire
or pair of wires creates an undesired effect on another wire or pair of wires.

For twisted-pair cabling crosstalk is broken into the following categories:

Near end crosstalk (NEXT)
Far end crosstalk (FEXT)

Shielded Twisted-Pair cables: cables that have an aluminum shield inside the
plastic jacket that surround the pair of wires.
Plenum-rated cables: name is given to cables that have a Teflon coating that makes
them more impervious to fire.
Fiber optic cables: name is given to cables that transmit light (photons) instead
of electricity over glass or plastic fibers.

A wireless network adapter enables connectivity between a desktop computer or

laptop and Wireless access point.
The following are methods used to connect to a wireless network:
• Infrastructure mode
• Ad-hoc mode
Wireless repeater - name is given to a device that is used to extend the coverage
of a wireless network.
IEEE 802.11 standard - the IEEE standard for wireless local area networks (WLAN
Standard).
WEP : Wired Equivalent Privacy
WPA : Wi-Fi Protected Access
TKIP : Temporal Key Integrity Protocol
AES : Advanced Encryption Standard

Having completed this module you will be able to:

Describe the structure of Internet Protocol addresses.
List the IP Ranges and their classes.
Describe the role of Default gateway and DNS server in networking.
Compare and contrast IPv4 versus IPv6 addresses.
Describe the structure of IPv6 addresses.

The key points from this module are:

Internet Protocol resides on the Network layer of the OSI model.
Internet Protocol addresses consist of Four octets (8-bits), each between 0 and
255.
IP Range and the class:
Class A 0-127
Class B 128-191
Class C 192-223
Class D 224 - 239
Class E 240 - 255
127 - the network number used for loopback IP addresses and allows for testing.
In Internet Protocol Class D and Class E are not used by regular hosts.
IP conflict - name is given to when two devices have been assigned the same IP
address.
Public IP addresses: Addresses that are exposed to the Internet.
Private IP addresses: Addresses that are hidden from the Internet and any other
networks.
Static IP addresses: Addresses that are manually assigned to a host.
Dynamic IP addresses: Host automatically obtains the IP address.

The acronym API PA stands for Automatic Private IP Addressing.

For a device to communicate on the Internet the following must be assigned:
• Default gateway
• DNS server
A DNS server is the device that provides name resolution of domain names to IP
addresses.
Network address translation - name is given to a method for translating IPv4
addresses of devices on one network into IPv4 addresses of devices on a different
network.
Subnetting - name is given to the subdivision of your logical IP network into
multiple smaller networks.
IPv6 addresses are represented as 8 groups of 4 hexadecimal digits.
• IPv4 4.3 billion IP addresses
• IPv6 3.4 x 10A38 IP addresses
Types of I Pv6 addresses:
• Unicast address
• Anycast address
• Multicast address
IPv6 addresses are broken down into the following components:
• Site prefix
• Subnet ID
• Interface ID

Having completed this module you will be able to:

Describe the function of basic TCP/IP tools such as command prompt, ipconfig and
ping.
Describe the function of advanced TCP/IP tools such as Netstat, Pathping, Nslookup,
Telnet, NbtStat and Netsh.

The key points from this module are:

The following are regarded as basic TCP/IP tools
• command prompt
• ipconfig
• ping
When using ipconfig which the /all switch can be used to view additional deails
about each adapter.
Ping can only be used to test IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity.
Tracert is used to trace a network path from a sending devie to the receiving
device.
The following are regarded as advanced TCP/IP tools:
• Netstat
• Pathping
• Nslookup
• Telnet
• NbtStat
• Netsh
Netstat tool displays the following information:
• Active TCP connections
• Ethernet statistics
• IP routing table
• IPv4 and IPv6 statistics

NbtStat displays NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) protocol statistics for local and
remote computers.

Having completed this module you will be able to:

Describe Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
Describe the function of Remote Desktop Services.
Describe Routing and Remote Access Service and IPSec.
Describe Domain Name Service and WINS.

The key points from this module are:

The acronym DHCP stands for what Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a client/server protocol that enables
configured client computers to obtain IP addresses automatically.
DHCP uses port numbers Port 67 and Port 68.
IP addresses obtained using DHCP may contain the following information:
• Subnet masks.
• Gateway addresses.
• DNS server addresses.
The DHCP server provides the following benefits:
• Reliable IP addresses configuration.
• Reduced network administration.

The key points from this module are:

The acronym DHCP stands for what Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a client/server protocol that enables
configured client computers to obtain IP addresses automatically.
DHCP uses port numbers Port 67 and Port 68.
IP addresses obtained using DHCP may contain the following information:
• Subnet masks.
• Gateway addresses.
• DNS server addresses.
The DHCP server provides the following benefits:
• Reliable IP addresses configuration.
• Reduced network administration.

Remote Desktop Services enables Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

Thin-client computers and Personal computers can connect to servers running Remote
Desktop Services.

Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) supports remote user or site-to-site
connectivity by using Virtual private network (VPN)and Dial-up connections.
Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is a protocol within the TCP/IP suite that
encrypts and authenticates IP packets.
IPSec has been defined to work in the following modes:
• Tunnel mode.
• Transport mode.
Authentication Header (AH) protocol and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)
protocol are IPSec protocol types.
Authentication Header (AH) protocol - Data and header need to be protected but
remain readable.
Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) protocol - Only data needs to be protected by
encryption (unreadable).
Domain Name Service (DNS) - Resolves host names to IP addresses
Domain Name Service (DNS) is part of the Application layer of the TCP/IP model.
Domain Name Service (DNS) servers use which inbound Port 53 to accept name
resolution requests.

Windows Internet Name Services (WINS) is a service that resolves NetBIOS names to
IP addresses.
WINS is required for any environment in which users access resources that have
NetBIOS names.

Having completed this module you will be able to:

Describe Routing and its functions.
Describe Interior and Exterior Gateway Protocols.
Describe Wide Area Networking Technologies.

Routing is the process of managing the flow of data between network segments and
between hosts or routers.

The following are types of routing:

• Static routing - A path that is manually configured and remains constant
throughout the router’s operation.
• Dynamic routing - A path that is generated dynamically by using special routing
protocols.

The following are the conceptual parts of dynamic routing:

• Routing protocol.
• Routing algorithm.

Common Dynamic Routing protocols:

• Distance Vector routing - Routing Information Protocol (RIP).
• Link State routing - Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).

Examples of Interior Gateway Protocols (IGPs):

• Routing Information Protocol (RIP).
• Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).

Routing Information Protocols calculates the direction that packets should be

forwarded to and the distance from the destination.

Interior Gateway Protocols - Routing protocols that were designed for use within
Autonomous Systems.

Exterior Gateway Protocols - Routing protocols that were designed for use between
Autonomous Systems.
Example of an Exterior Gateway Protocol - Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
Examples of Wide Area Network (WAN) technologies:
• Packet Switching - Devices transport packets via shared links.
• Leased line - Dedicated point-to-point connection.
• Circuit Switching - Dedicated circuit path is created between end points (dial
up).
• Cell Relay - Similar to packet switching but uses fixed packet lengths.

Examples of Packet Switching services:

• X.25.
• Frame Relay.
Telecommunication companies have thousands of shared circuits from which to select
a path to transmit data packets. The entire circuit set is known as a Virtual
circuit.
In data transmission there could be several Packet Switch Exchanges stops along the
path. These stops are also known as Hops.

The following are examples of X.25 advantages:

• If data fails X.25 automatically recovers and sends it again.
• X.25 allows shared access among multiple users on the LAN.
• X.25 has full error and flow control.
Frame Relay switching is more advanced than X.25 packet switching.
T-Carrier levels found in North America:
Level O-DSO — 64Kbps
Level 1-DS1 — 1.544 Mbps
Level 3 - DS3 — 44.736 Mbps
Level 4 - DS4 —274.176 Mbps

Permanent Virtual Circuits

A permanent virtual circuit is a virtual circuit established for repeated use.
Leased Lines
Leased lines are a connection contract between a provider and a customer.
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a set of communication standards
enabling simultaneous digital transmission of data, fax, voice and video.

ATM
Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is a cell-based switching technology as opposed to
a packet switching technology.

SONET
Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) is a standardized protocol allowing for the
transmissions of signals over optical fiber in North America.
FDDI
Fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) is a standard for transmitting data on
fiber optic cables at a rate of around 100 Mbps.
DSL
Digital subscriber line (DSL) is a family of technologies that provides data
transmissions over local telephone networks.
Broadband Cable
Broadband cable is used for cable Internet and cable television using the cable
television network.
POTS/PSTN
POTS/PSTN stands for plain old telephone system/public switched telephone network.

Upon successful completion of this module you will be able to:

Describe the features and functions of VPN protocol: Point-to-Point Tunneling
Protocol (PPTP)
Describe how Firewalls protect network security.
Describe how the role of a Perimeter network.
List the two types of Packet filtering and their functions.
Describe how an Application-level gateway functions.
Explain the different types of Network security systems.

The key points from this module are:

• The Internet is a worldwide system of connected computer networks.
• Devices that connect to the Internet use the TCP/IP protocol suite.
• The Internet and World Wide Web do not refer to the same thing.
• The World Wide Web is made up of interlinked hypertext documents.
• Currently, the World Wide Web is in stage Web 2.0
Internet - Global, public network.
Intranet - Private, internal network.
In an intranet user authentication is necessary before a person can access the
information in an intranet.
In an extranet user authentication is necessary and it is usually open to the
general public.
Virtual private network - Name given to a connection between two or more computers
or devices that are not on the same private network.
The following are used to ensure that only the proper users and data sessions cross
to a VPN device:
• Data encapsulation.
• Data encryption.
• Example of a popular VPN protocol: Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP).

Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) encapsulates Point-to-Point (PPP) frames

into IP datagrams for transmission over an IP-based network.
• PPTP can be used for remoter access and site-to-site VPN connections.
• PPTP encapsulates PPP frames in IP datagrams from transmission.
• PPTP uses a TCP connection fro tunnel management.
• The payload of the encapsulated PPP frame can be encrypted and/or compressed.
L2TP relies on IPSec in Transport Mode for encryption services.
Encapsulation for L2TP/lPSec packets consists of 2 layers.
Firewall is used to protect a network from malicious attacks and unwanted
intrusions.
Firewalls are the most commonly used security devices in an organization’s
perimeter.
Perimeter network - name is given to a network that keep certain information open
to specific users or to
the public while keeping the rest of an organization's data secret.
Packet filtering - name is given to the process where each packet that passes
through the firewall is inspected and is either accepted or rejected based on a set
of rules.

Types of packet filtering processes:

• Stateless packet inspection
• Stateful packet inspection
Stateless packet inspection - Does not retain memory of packets that have passed
through the firewall.
Stateful packet inspection - Maintains context about active sessions.
NAT filtering - Network Address Translation
NAT filtering can be done in the following ways:
• Using basic endpoint connections
• Matching incoming traffic to the corresponding outbound IP address connection.
• Matching incoming traffic to the corresponding IP address and port.

Application-level gateway - the gateway that supports address and port translation
and checks whether the type of application traffic is allowed.
The Circuit-level gateway works at Session layer of the OSI model.
In a Circuit-level gateway circuit-level filtering inspect Sessions.

Proxy server - name is given to the server that acts as an intermediary between a
LAN and the Internet.
The most common caching proxy is the HTTP proxy which caches web pages from servers
on the Internet for a set amount of time.
Web proxy - caches web pages from servers on the Internet for a set amount of time.
IP proxy - Secures a network by keeping machines behind it anonymous.
Network security systems:
Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) - Detects malicious network activities by
monitoring network traffic.
Network Intrusion Prevention System (NIPS) - Inspects network traffic; Can remove,
detain or redirect malicious traffic.
Perimeter network configurations:
• Back-to-back configuration.
• 3-leg perimeter configuration.