I. General Information
1. Course Title:
Connecting Networks (CCNA-IV)
2. Course Prefix & Number:
COMP 2131
3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:
Credits: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Lab Hours: 0
4. Course Description:
This course is the fourth of four courses designed to prepare students for Cisco CCNA certification. This course discusses the WAN technologies and network services required by converged applications in a complex network. The course enables students to understand the selection criteria of network devices and WAN technologies to meet network requirements. Students learn how to configure and troubleshoot network devices and resolve common issues with data link protocols. Students will also develop the knowledge and skills needed to implement virtual private network (VPN) operations in a complex network. Career Preparation: The studies in this course will help students prepare for careers in Networking such as CCNA, CCNP, Network Administrator, Network Engineer, Systems Analyst, LAN Administrator, WAN Administrator and Systems Engineer. Certification Preparation: Optional. Cisco CCNA.
5. Placement Tests Required:
| Accuplacer (specify test): |
No placement tests required |
Score: |
|
6. Prerequisite Courses:
COMP 2131 - Connecting Networks (CCNA-IV)
All Course(s) from the following...
| Course Code | Course Title | Credits |
| COMP 2130 | Scaling Networks (CCNA-III) | 3 cr. |
8. Prerequisite (Entry) Skills:
Students are expected to know how to use a current Windows operating system including navigation, saving files, file management/hierarchy structure, compression, extraction, installation of programs, setting up user accounts, and administrative operating system tasks. Students without this experience should take COMP 1109 Introduction to Operating Systems either before they take this course or concurrently.
9. Co-requisite Courses:
COMP 2131 - Connecting Networks (CCNA-IV)
There are no corequisites for this course.
II. Transfer and Articulation
1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:
Inver Hills Community College, ITC2540 Connecting Networks, 3 Credits
Alexandria Technical and Community College, CVNP2622 Cisco4, 4 Credits
3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:
- Military Experience
- Written
- Demonstration
- Portfolio
III. Course Purpose
1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):
Computer Network Administration - Cisco, A.A.S. Degree
Computer Network Administration - CyberSecurity, A.A.S. Degree
IV. Learning Outcomes
1. College-Wide Outcomes
| College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies |
Students will be able to: |
| Analyze and follow a sequence of operations |
Follow lab instructions to perform the necessary tasks to complete a network setup. |
| Utilize appropriate technology |
Use computers, current OSs and networking utilities and hardware to configure, diagnose, troubleshoot, and install network components using current microcomputer hardware and OSs. |
2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of
the course:
- Understand and describe different WAN technologies and their benefits;
- Understand and describe the operations and benefits of virtual private networks (VPNs) and tunneling;
- Understand, configure, and troubleshoot serial connections;
- Understand, configure, and troubleshoot broadband connections;
- Understand, configure, and troubleshoot tunneling operations;
- Understand, configure, and troubleshoot Network Address Translation (NAT) operations;
- Monitor and troubleshoot network operations using syslog, SNMP, and NetFlow;
- Understand and describe network architectures like borderless networks and data centers and virtualization; and
- Understand and describe collaboration technology and solutions.
V. Topical Outline
Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.
1. Lecture Sessions
- Hierarchical Network Designs
- Hierarchical Network Design Overview
- Cisco Enterprise Architecture
- Cisco Enterprise Architecture Model
- Evolving Network Architectures
- Emerging Network Architectures
- Connecting the WAN
- WAN Technologies Overview
- WAN Operations
- Selecting a WAN Technology
- Private WAN Infrastructures
- Public WAN Infrastructure
- Selecting WAN Services
- Point-to-Point Connections
- Serial Point-to-Point Overview
- HDLC Encapsulation
- PPP Operation
- Configure PPP
- Troubleshoot WAN Connectivity
- Frame Relay
- Introduction to Frame Relay
- Frame Relay Operation
- Advanced Frame Relay Concepts
- Configure Frame Relay
- Troubleshoot Connectivity
- Troubleshoot Frame Relay
- Network Address Translation for IPv4
- NAT Operation
- Benefits of NAT
- Configuring NAT
- Troubleshooting NAT
- Broadband Solutions
- Teleworking
- Comparing Broadband Solutions
- Broadband Wireless
- Configuring xDSL Connectivity
- Securing Site-to-Site Connectivity
- VPNs
- Site-to-Site GRE Tunnels
- IPsec
- Monitoring the Network
- Troubleshooting the Network
- Network Documentation
- Troubleshooting Process
- Troubleshooting IP Connectivity
- Components of Troubleshooting End-to-End Connectivity