Cisco Networking Basics

Course 1: Internet Connection: How to Get Online?
- Welcome to the first of five courses in the Cisco Networking Basics Specialization. This course is developed by the Cisco Networking Academy. Cisco Networking Academy is an IT skills and career building program that connects millions of students, educators, and employers worldwide. Cisco partners with learning institutions worldwide to deliver technical training and problem-solving experiences to individuals studying networking, security, and IoT technologies. We've helped more than 6 million people prepare for IT careers since 1997. Have you ever wondered how you are able to open a web page from a server that is located in another country or how you are able to send documents and videos to the intended recipient without it going to the wrong device? In this course, you will be introduced to the fundamentals concepts of computer networking. More importantly, by the end of this course, you will understand how data travels in your home network. At the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Explain how data networks work. 2. Define basic data networking terms. 3. Explain what is needed for devices to have network connectivity or Internet access. 4. Use the Cisco Packet Tracer simulation and modeling tool to build and test a small data network. 5. Identify the devices and component on your home network. 6. Build a simple peer-to-peer network.

Course 2: Network Protocols and Architecture
- Welcome to the second of five courses in the Cisco Networking Basics Specialization. Have ever wondered how devices on computer networks truly communicate? There are specific protocols or rules and standards that every device must follow to access the Internet and to communicate over a network. In this course, you will examine the principles of network communication, how networks are designed and what specifically is being sent and received by different devices when we send pictures, text messages, video or any other data across the network. What exactly is sent and how is it sent are the questions that will be answered in this course. At the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Explain how protocols and standards benefit a global internetwork. 2. Describe how the Ethernet Protocol transmits data within a LAN. 3. Explain IPv4 addressing and the role subnet masks. 4. Use Cisco Packet Tracer to connect hosts to a wireless router in a LAN. 5. Use a protocol analyzer or "packet sniffer" to open and examine a data packet that has been transmitted across a network. 6. Examine a Windows computer to locate the physical or MAC address used send and receive data.

Course 3: Data Communications and Network Services
- Welcome to the third of five courses in the Cisco Networking Basics Specialization. Now that you know the basics of what an network is and how the devices on a network communicate with each other, it is time to explore the network further. In this course, you will learn the benefits and limitations of the IPv4 addressing system and why NAT and IPv6 were implemented to address the limitations. You will also explore common network services and protocols such as email, web services, instant messaging, DNS, HTTP, HTML, SMTP, Telnet, and SSH. At the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Describe the role of network services including DHCP and DNS. 2. Use Cisco Packet Tracer to configure a router to perform DHCP services for a LAN. 3. Explain use of IPv4 private addresses with NAT. 4. Compare TCP and UDP protocol operations for efficiency and reliability. 5. Describe the network services and applications for file transfer, web access, email, remote access and instant messaging. 6. Observe how web requests are processed by the web client and the server. 7. Use various tools to verify network operations.

Course 4: Home Networking Basics
- Welcome to the fourth of five courses in the Cisco Networking Basics Specialization. In the first three courses of this specialization, you were focused on understanding how computer networks work and how to access the network. Now that you have a firm grasp of that, you can dive deeper into how do you actually build and secure a home network that includes lots of wireless devices. Wireless requires different configurations than a wired network. Both wireless and wired networks are susceptible to security threats and attacks. You will work through the different types of threats and attacks that typically occur and understand the different software tools that can be used to mitigate those security threats. At the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Build and secure a home wireless network. 2. Connect and configure a home wireless router in order to provide a secure connection to the Internet. 3. Describe different methods of connecting devices to a home network, including wired and wireless connections. 4. Explain how Wi-Fi communication is implemented in a small LAN environment. 5. Explain the inherent risks associated with wireless network connectivity. 6. Implement the best practices for securing wireless network access, including methods for secure authentication and encryption. 7. Describe common types of network security threats and attacks. 8. Explain how software tools can mitigate network security threats.

Course 5: Introduction to Cisco Networking
- Welcome to the fifth and final course in the Cisco Networking Basics Specialization. In the first four courses of this specialization, you were focused on understanding how computer networks work and how to access the network. Now that you have a firm grasp of how to build and secure a wireless home network, you will be introduced to the basics of adding Cisco routers and switches to networks that are typically deployed in small to medium sized businesses. You will perform the basic setup and configuration steps needed to get switches and routers connected in a small network. You will also learn how to configure the router and the switch for remote access. You will use two different types of simulation tools to practice configuration steps. After completing required configuration tasks, you will use various show commands to verify configurations and use the ping command to verify basic connectivity between devices. Expect lots of opportunities for practicing Cisco device configuration. This course requires the use of Cisco Packet Tracer to simulate the network environment. You will need to download and use Cisco Packet Tracer throughout the course. At the end of this course, you will be able to: 1. Describe the features and functions of various Cisco devices installed in a typical simple computer network. 2. Use the Packet Tracer simulation software to practice configuration tasks using the command line interface. 3. Connect and configure a Cisco switch and small business router in order to provide network connectivity in a small LAN environment. 4. Use a structured troubleshooting strategy to identify and fix network connectivity issues. 5. Enter and view the results of common Cisco CLI commands. 6. Use best practices to secure Cisco networking devices from unauthorized access. 7. Use command line utilities to test and verify network connectivity. 8. Use common network utilities to test connectivity between network attached devices. 9. Explain issues that can cause Internet connectivity problems. 10. Describe how to report problems and assist in troubleshooting connections with an ISP help desk.