Network+ Short Course

Presented by Matt Constable

Part of the :
Master of Networking and Systems
Administration
Master of Management (IT)
Overview
• Introduction & Networking Concepts
• Course welcome & introduction.
• Explain the purposes and uses of ports & protocols.
• Explain devices, applications, protocols and services at their appropriate OSI layers.
• Explain the concepts and characteristics of routing and switching.
• Given a scenario, configure the appropriate IP addressing components.
• Compare and contrast the characteristics of network topologies, types and
technologies.
• Given a scenario, implement the appropriate wireless technologies and
configurations.
• Summarize cloud concepts and their purposes.
• Explain the functions of network services.
Introductions
Matt Constable
• 20+ years in the IT industry
• Networking/Security/Wireless/VoIP
• Government, Education, Financial Services, Service Provider, Retail –
Enterprise & Integration.
• [Link], M. Computer Security, various industry certs.
• I don’t have all the answers.
• Everyone brings something to the table!
Class Times
Webinars will run:

• ??
• Will be uploaded within 24 hours.
• Youtube
• Zoom Link
• PDF copy of slides
• Numerous other resources available throughout the course as applicable.
Contact
• Easiest way is via course forums.
• Everyone can share in the Q & A.
Learning Resources
• Various resources on IT Masters Short Course System
• Weekly tasks
• Quizzes
• “Lab” Tasks
• Range of individual and forum activities to help you learn; Please engage!
Study Tips
• Test yourself instead of re‐reading notes – “retrieval practice”.
• Test yourself repeatedly.
• Talk out loud to yourself or a friend.
• Distinctiveness – How what you are is learning different, or the same, to
something else – “compare & contrast”
• Apply to your own experience!
• BEWARE OF FAMILIARITY
• Just because you are “familiar” with something…or have seen it before doesn’t mean
you really *know* it…so practice, practice, practice.
• Read & study extensively!
Week 1 – Networking Concepts
• Explain the purposes and uses of ports & protocols.
• Explain devices, applications, protocols and services at their appropriate
OSI layers.
• Explain the concepts and characteristics of routing and switching.
• Given a scenario, configure the appropriate IP addressing components.
• Compare and contrast the characteristics of network topologies, types and
technologies.
• Given a scenario, implement the appropriate wireless technologies and
configurations.
• Summarize cloud concepts and their purposes.
• Explain the functions of network services.
Networking Concepts
How Networks Are Used
• Network services ‐ the resources a network makes available to its
users
• Includes applications and the data provided by these applications
• Types of applications found on most networks:
• Client‐Server
• File and Print Services
• Communications Services
Client‐Server Applications
• Client computer requests data or a service from a second computer,
called the server
• List of several popular client‐server applications:
• Web service
• Email services
• FTP service
• Telnet service
• Remote Desktop
• Remote applications
Client‐Server Applications
Client‐Server Applications
File and Print Services
• File services ‐ a server’s ability to share data files and disk storage
space
• File server ‐ a computer that provides file services
• Print services ‐ ability to share printers across a network
• With one printer, less time is spent on maintenance and management
Communication Services
• Convergence ‐ using the same network to deliver multiple types of
communications services
• Unified communication (UC) ‐ refers to the centralized management
of multiple network‐based communications
• Three types of communication services:
• Conversational voice ‐ VoIP (Voice over IP)
• Streaming live audio and video
• Streaming stored audio and video
Communication Services
• Voice and video transmissions are delay‐sensitive
• You don’t want to hear or see breaks in transmission
• Voice and video transmission are considered loss‐tolerant
• Network administrators must pay attention to the quality of service
(QoS) a network provides for voice and video
• Bandwidth ‐ the amount of traffic, or data transmission activity, on
the network
Controlling Network Access
• Topology ‐ how parts of a whole work together
• Physical topology ‐ mostly applies to hardware and describes how
computers, other devices, and cables fir together to form the physical
network
• Logical topology ‐ has to do with software and describes how access
to the network is controlled
• How users and programs initially gain access to the network
• Network operating system ‐ controls access to the entire network
• Required by client‐server models
Peer‐to‐Peer Model
• Peer‐to‐peer (P2P) network model ‐ the OS of each computer on the
network is responsible for controlling access to its resources
• No centralized control
• Computers, called nodes or hosts, form a logical group of computers
and users
• May share resources
• May prevent access to resources
• Each computer user has a Windows local account
• Works only on that one computer
Peer‐to‐Peer Model
Peer‐to‐Peer Model
• Advantages
• Simple configuration
• Less expensive
• Compared to other network models
• Disadvantages
• Not scalable
• Not necessarily secure
• Not practical for large installations
Client‐Server Network Model
• Resources are managed by the network operating system (NOS) via a
centralized directory database
• Windows domain ‐ a logical group of computers that a Windows
Server can control
• Active Directory (AD) ‐ the centralized directory database that
contains user account information and security for the entire group of
computers
• Global account (a.k.a. global username or network ID) ‐ a domain‐
level account assigned by the network administrator and is kept in AD
Client‐Server Network Model
• A user can sign on to the network from any computer on the network
and gain access to the resources that AD allows
• This process is managed by Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Clients don’t share their resources directly with each other
• Access is controlled by entries in the centralized domain database
Client‐Server Network Model
Client‐Server Network Model
• The NOS is responsible for:
• Manages client data, resources
• Ensures authorized user access
• Controls user file access
• Restricts user network access
• Dictates computer communication rules
• Supplies application to clients
• Server examples
• Windows Server 2012 R2, Ubuntu Server, or Red Hat Linux
Client‐Server Network Model
• Servers that have a NOS installed require:
• More memory, processing, storage capacity
• Equipped with special hardware
• Provides network management functions
• Advantages relative to peer‐to‐peer networks
• User credential assigned from one place
• Multiple shared resource access centrally controlled
• Central problem monitoring, diagnostics, correction capabilities
• More scalable
Networking Hardware and Physical Topologies
LANs and Their Hardware
• Local area network (LAN) ‐ usually contained in a small space
• Such as an office or building
• Switch ‐ receives incoming data from one of its ports and redirects it
to another port or multiple ports
• Will send the data to its intended destination
• Star topology ‐ all devices connect to one central device (usually a
switch)
• Network interface card (NIC) ‐ a network port used to attach a device
to a network
LANs and Their Hardware
• A LAN can have several switches
• Backbone ‐ a central conduit that connects the segments
(pieces) of a network
• Might use higher transmission speeds and different cabling than
network cables connected to computers
• Three switches daisy‐chained together in a single line is
said to use a bus topology
• However, each switch is connected to computers via a star
topology, making it a star‐bus topology
• A topology that combines topologies is known as a hybrid
topology
LANs and Their Hardware
LANs and Their Hardware
• Router ‐ a device that manages traffic between two or more networks
• Can help find the best path for traffic to get from one network to another
• Routers can be used in small home networks to connect the home
LAN to the Internet
• Industrial‐grade routers can have several network ports, one for each
network it connects to
• Difference between router and switch:
• Router is like a gateway between networks
LANs and Their Hardware
MANs and WANs
• Metropolitan area network (MAN) ‐ a group of connected LANs in the
same geographical area
• Also known as a campus area network (CAN)
• WAN (wide area network) ‐ a group of LANs that spread over a wide
geographical area
• Internet is the largest and most varied WAN
• MANs and WANs often use different transmission methods and
media than LANs
• PAN (personal area network) ‐ smallest network
• A network of personal devices
MANs and WANs
The Seven‐Layer OSI Model
• OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model ‐ a seven‐layer
model developed to categorize the layers of communication
• Developed by ISO in the 1980s
• The layers are numbered in order, starting with Layer 1, the Physical
layer at the bottom
• Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application
The OSI Model
Layer 7: Application Layer
• Application layer ‐ describes the interface between two applications,
on separate computers
• Application layer protocols are used by programs that fall into two
categories:
• Provide services to a user, such as a browser and Web server
• Utility programs that provide services to the system, such as SNMP that
monitor and gather information about network traffic
• Payload ‐ data that is passed between applications or utility programs
and the OS
Layer 6: Presentation Layer
• Presentation layer ‐ responsible for reformatting, compressing, and/or
encrypting data in a way that the receiving application can read
• Example:
• An email message can be encrypted at the Presentation layer by the email
client or by the OS
Layer 5: Session Layer
• Session layer ‐ describes how data between applications is synched
and recovered if messages don’t arrive intact at the receiving
application
• The Application, Presentation, and Session layers are intertwined
• Often difficult to distinguish between them
• Most tasks are performed by the OS when an application makes an
API call to the OS
• Application programming interface (API) call is the method an application
uses when it makes a request of the OS
Layer 4: Transport Layer
• Transport layer ‐ responsible for transporting Application layer
payloads from one application to another
• Two main Transport layer protocols are:
• TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) ‐ makes a connection with the end host,
checks whether data was received; called a connection‐oriented protocol
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol) ‐ does not guarantee delivery by first
connecting and checking whether data is received; called a connectionless
protocol
Layer 4: Transport Layer
• Protocols add their own control information in an area at the
beginning of the payload (called a header)
• Encapsulation ‐ process of adding a header to the data inherited from
the layer above
• The Transport layer header addresses the receiving application by a
number called a port number
• If message is too large, TCP divides it into smaller messages called
segments
• In UDP, the message is called a datagram
Layer 3: Network Layer
• Network layer ‐ responsible for moving messages from one node to
another until reaches destination
• IP adds its own Network layer header to the segment or datagram
• The entire Network layer message is called a packet
• IP address ‐ assigned to each node on a network
• Network layer uses it to uniquely identify each host
• IP relies on several routing protocols to find the best route for a
packet to take to reach destination
• ICMP and ARP are examples
Layer 2: Data Link Layer
• Layers 2 and 1 are responsible for interfacing with physical hardware
on the local network
• Protocols at these layers are programmed into firmware of a computer’s NIC
and other hardware
• Type of networking hardware or technology used on a network
determine the Link Layer protocol used
• Ethernet and Wi‐Fi are examples
• The Link layer puts control information in a Link layer header and at
the end of the packet in a trailer
• Entire Link layer is called a frame
Layer 2: Data Link Layer
• MAC (Media Access Control) address ‐ hardware address of the
source and destination NICs
• Also called a physical address, hardware address, or Data Link layer address
• Embedded on every network adapter and are considered short‐range
addresses that can only find nodes on the local network
Layer 1: Physical Layer
• Physical layer ‐ simplest layer and is responsible for sending bits via a
wired or wireless transmission
• Can be transmitted as:
• Wavelengths in the air
• Voltage on a copper wire
• Light (via fiber‐optic cabling)
Protocol Data Unit or PDU
• Protocol data unit (PDU) ‐ the technical name for a group of bits as it
moves from one layer to the next and from one LAN to the next
• Technicians loosely call this group of bits a message or a transmission
Summary of How the Layers Work Together
Summary of How the Layers Work Together
Switches
• Connectivity devices that subdivide a network
• Segments
• Traditional switches
• Operate at Data Link OSI model layer
• Modern switches
• Can operate at Layer 3 or Layer 4
• Switches interpret MAC address information
• Common switch components
• Internal processor, operating system, memory, ports
Switch Installation
• Follow manufacturer’s guidelines
• General steps (assume Cat 5 or better UTP)
• Verify switch placement
• Turn on switch
• Verify lights, self power tests
• Configure (if necessary)
• Connect NIC to a switch port (repeat for all nodes)
• After all nodes connected, turn on nodes
• Connect switch to larger network (optional)
Switch Installation (cont’d.)
Switching Methods
• Difference in switches
• Incoming frames interpretation
• Frame forwarding decisions making
• Four switching modes exist
• Two basic methods discussed
• Cut‐through mode
• Store‐and‐forward mode
Switching Methods (cont’d.)
• Cut‐through mode
• Switch reads frame’s header
• Forwarding decision made before receiving entire packet
• Uses frame header: first 14 bytes contains destination MAC address
• Cannot verify data integrity using frame check sequence
• Can detect erroneously shortened packets (runts)
• Runt detected: wait for integrity check
Switching Methods (cont’d.)
• Cut‐through mode (cont’d.)
• Cannot detect corrupt packets
• Advantage: speed
• Disadvantage
• Data buffering (switch flooded with traffic)
• Best use
• Small workgroups needing speed
• Low number of devices
Switching Methods (cont’d.)
• Store‐and‐forward mode
• Switch reads entire data frame into memory
• Checks for accuracy before transmitting information
• Transmit data more accurately than cut‐through mode
• Slower than cut‐through mode
• Best uses
• Larger LAN environments; mixed environments
• Can transfer data between segments running different transmission speeds
VLANs and Trunking
• VLANs (virtual local area networks)
• Logically separate networks within networks
• Groups ports into broadcast domain
• Broadcast domain
• Port combination making a Layer 2 segment
• Ports rely on Layer 2 device to forward broadcast frames
• Collision domain
• Ports in same broadcast domain
• Do not share single channel
VLANs and Trunking (cont’d.)
• Advantage of VLANs
• Flexible
• Ports from multiple switches or segments
• Use any end node type
• Reasons for using VLAN
• Separating user groups
• Isolating connections
• Identifying priority device groups
• Grouping legacy protocol devices
• Separating large network into smaller subnets
VLANs and Trunking (cont’d.)
• Switch typically preconfigured
• One default VLAN
• Cannot be deleted or renamed
• Create additional VLANs
• Indicate to which VLAN each port belongs
• Additional specifications
• Security parameters, filtering instructions, port performance requirements, network
addressing and management options
• Maintain VLAN using switch software
VLANs and Trunking (cont’d.)
• Potential problem
• Cutting off group from rest of network
• Correct by using router or Layer 3 switch
• Trunking
• Switch’s interface carries traffic of multiple VLANs
• Trunk
• Single physical connection between switches
• VLAN data separation
• Frame contains VLAN identifier in header
VLANs and Trunking (cont’d.)
STP (Spanning Tree Protocol)
• IEEE standard 802.1D
• Operates in Data Link layer
• Prevents traffic loops
• Calculating paths avoiding potential loops
• Artificially blocking links completing loop
• Three steps
• Select root bridge based on Bridge ID
• Examine possible paths between network bridge and root bridge
• Disables links not part of shortest path
STP (cont’d.)
• History
• Introduced in 1980s
• Original STP too slow
• RSTP (Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol)
• Newer version
• IEEE’s 802.1w standard
• Cisco and Extreme Networks
• Proprietary versions
• No enabling or configuration needed
• Included in switch operating software
Content and Multilayer Switches
• Layer 3 switch (routing switch)
• Interprets Layer 3 data
• Layer 4 switch
• Interprets Layer 4 data
• Content switch (application switch)
• Interprets Layer 4 through Layer 7 data
• Advantages
• Advanced filtering
• Keeping statistics
• Security functions
Content and Multilayer Switches (cont’d.)
• Distinguishing between Layer 3 and Layer 4 switch
• Manufacturer dependent
• Higher‐layer switches
• Cost more than Layer 2 switches
• Used in network backbone
Routers
• Multiport connectivity device
• Directs data between network nodes
• Integrates LANs and WANs
• Different transmission speeds, protocols
• Operate at Network layer (Layer 3)
• Directs data from one segment or network to another
• Logical addressing
• Protocol dependent
• Slower than switches and bridges
• Need to interpret Layers 3 and higher information
Routers (cont’d.)
• Traditional stand‐alone LAN routers
• Being replaced by Layer 3 routing switches
• New niche
• Specialized applications
• Linking large Internet nodes
• Completing digitized telephone calls
Router Characteristics and Functions
• Intelligence
• Tracks node location
• Determine shortest, fastest path between two nodes
• Connects dissimilar network types
• Large LANs and WANs
• Routers indispensable
• Router components
• Internal processor, operating system, memory, input and output jacks,
management control interface
Router Characteristics and Functions (cont’d.)
• Multiprotocol routers
• Multiple slots
• Accommodate multiple network interfaces
• Inexpensive routers
• Home, small office use
Router Characteristics and Functions (cont’d.)
• Router capabilities
• Connect dissimilar networks
• Interpret Layer 3 addressing
• Determine best data path
• Reroute traffic
Router Characteristics and Functions (cont’d.)
• Optional router functions
• Filter broadcast transmissions
• Enable custom segregation, security
• Support simultaneous connectivity
• Provide fault tolerance
• Monitor network traffic
• Diagnose problems and trigger alarms
Router Characteristics and Functions (cont’d.)
• Interior router
• Directs data between nodes on a LAN
• Exterior router
• Directs data between nodes external to a LAN
• Border routers
• Connect autonomous LAN with a WAN
• Routing tables
• Identify which routers serve which hosts
Router Characteristics and Functions (cont’d.)
• Static routing
• Router configured to use specific path between nodes
• Dynamic routing
• Automatically calculates best path between nodes
• Installation
• Simple for small office or home office LANs
• Web‐based configuration
• Challenging for sizable networks
Routing Protocols
• Best path
• Most efficient route from one node to another
• Dependent on:
• Hops between nodes
• Current network activity
• Unavailable link
• Network transmission speed
• Topology
• Determined by routing protocol
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• Routing metric factors
• Number of hops
• Throughput on potential path
• Delay on a potential path
• Load (traffic)
• Maximum transmission unit (MTU)
• Cost
• Reliability of potential path
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• Router convergence time
• Time router takes to recognize best path
• Change or network outage event
• Distinguishing feature
• Overhead; burden on network to support routing protocol
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• Distance‐vector routing protocols
• Determine best route based on distance to destination
• Factors
• Hops, latency, network traffic conditions
• RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
• Only factors in number of hops between nodes
• Limits 15 hops
• Type of IGP (Interior Gateway Protocol)
• Can only route within internal network
• Slower and less secure than other routing protocols
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• RIPv2 (Routing Information Protocol Version 2)
• Generates less broadcast traffic, more secure
• Cannot exceed 15 hops
• Less commonly used
• BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
• Communicates using BGP‐specific messages
• Many factors determine best paths
• Configurable to follow policies
• Type of EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol)
• Most complex (choice for Internet traffic)
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• Link‐state routing protocol
• Routers share information
• Each router independently maps network, determines best path
• OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
• Interior or border router use
• No hop limit
• Complex algorithm for determining best paths
• Each OSPF router
• Maintains database containing other routers’ links
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• IS‐IS (Intermediate System to Intermediate System)
• Codified by ISO
• Interior routers only
• Supports two Layer 3 protocols
• IP
• ISO‐specific protocol
• Less common than OSPF
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
• Hybrid
• Link‐state and distance‐vector characteristics
• EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)
• Most popular
• Cisco network routers only
• EIGRP benefits
• Fast convergence time, low network overhead
• Easier to configure and less CPU‐intensive than OSPF
• Supports multiple protocols
• Accommodates very large, heterogeneous networks
Routing Protocols (cont’d.)
Gateways and Other Multifunction Devices
• Gateway
• Combination of networking hardware and software
• Connects two systems using different formatting, communications protocols,
architecture
• Repackages information
• Resides on servers, microcomputers, connectivity devices, mainframes
• Popular gateways
• E‐mail gateway, Internet gateway, LAN gateway, voice/data gateway, firewall
Cloud Computing
• Internet frequently pictured as a cloud
• Cloud computing
• Flexible provision of data storage, applications, and services
• To multiple clients over a network
• Cloud computing distinguishing features
• Self‐service and on‐demand
• Elastic
• Supports multiple platforms
• Resource pooling and consolidation
• Metered service
Example of cloud computing
Cloud Computing (cont’d.)
• Can provide virtual desktops
• Operating environments hosted virtually
• Different physical computer than one user interacts with
• NaaS (Network as a Service)
• Service provider offers customers complete set of
networking services
• Types of delivery
• Public cloud
• Private cloud
Questions?