Information Technology Specialist - Networking (ITS-101)

Differentiate local area networks and wide area networks, and learn how switches enable lan connectivity. Routers link lans to the internet, while intranets and firewalls shape access.

Explore how firewalls govern access in network security zones, using security levels on Cisco devices to control default reach and create explicit rules to grant access to higher trust networks.

Group devices into VLANs on a managed switch to improve security and efficiency. Configure ports by VLAN and verify with Cisco CLI using show VLAN for mapping.

Configure a simple, all-in-one home router for beginners, with a basic firewall and vpn. Connect to the wireless network, then use ipconfig to find the default gateway and begin setup.

Configure a home router by choosing dynamic IP, optionally cloning the MAC, setting a strong SSID and password, and using the dashboard to manage firewall, Wi-Fi frequencies, and connectivity tests.

Explore how a wireless local area network connects devices to the network via a wireless access point and switch, and learn about guest wireless networks and isolation.

Examine WAN technologies such as DSL, cable, satellite, and 3G/4G/5G, plus site-to-site, MPLS, and VPN options, with attention to latency and ISP roles for remote networking.

Explore the IEEE 802.11 wireless protocols, from 802.11ac/ax to dual-band setups, across 2.4 and 5 ghz, including ssid naming and guest network isolation for security.

Explain why wireless security matters and compare WPA, WPA2, and WPA3, noting WEP is legacy and should be avoided. Highlight WPA3 improvements: SAE, larger keys, brute-force protection, and 802.1X.

Examine wired and wireless topologies, from physical and logical topologies to star, ring, bus, and mesh designs, and review access, distribution, and core layers for efficient networks.

Explore dmz isolation and how 802.1x authenticates devices for network access, with notes on vlan 802.1q trunking and ipsec vpn concepts.

Explore configuring an Asus router with WiFi 6 and understand gigabit speeds by converting megabits to megabytes, while evaluating modes like router, repeater, access point, media bridge, and mesh.

Configure a wireless router to create separate 2.4 gigahertz and 5 gigahertz networks, enable 802.11ax and WPA2, rely on DHCP for automatic IPs, and avoid displaying passwords.

Learn how managed switches use Mac addresses and ARP to map IP addresses to Mac addresses, and observe ARP activity with Wireshark and ping tests.

Explore how switches use mac addresses and mac address tables to forward frames, and compare management methods—console, web interface, and ssh or telnet—for configuring devices.

Explore trunking and access ports, VLAN tagging with 802.1Q, and how switches route or forward traffic between VLANs using layer 2 and layer 3 devices.

Examine speed and duplex on switches, including full and half duplex, and why hubs are obsolete. Understand collision and broadcast domains, mac addresses, arp, routers, and spanning tree.

Explore how the spanning tree protocol (esdp) prevents loops in local networks by blocking redundant paths via a root bridge and root ports, while enabling security and efficiency features.

Identify common network hardware, including wireless cards and wireless USB adapters, switches, home routers with firewalls and access points, NICs, RJ-45 cables, firewalls with built-in switches, and IP cameras.

Discover how routers connect local area networks and act as internet gateways, and how static and dynamic routing use routing tables to choose the path with rip, ospf, and bgp.

Understand routing basics, including gateway of last resort, default routes, static routes, and routing tables. Explore voice over IP, quality of service, police and shaping, and path switching for reliability.

Configure port forwarding to enable internet access to devices in your private network, mapping public IPs and specific ports (e.g., 5000) while considering NAT and security.

Explore copper and fiber cabling, including straight-through and crossover cables, gigabit speeds, category six, EMI considerations, and essential testing tools.

Learn the OSI seven-layer model, used to describe and troubleshoot networks from physical to application. TCP/IP handles addressing, while the OSI model guides understanding of how layers interact.

Explore layer seven, the application layer, and its protocols like HTP, DNS, FTP, TFTP, and SMTP. Summarize layer six translation, compression, and encryption.

Compare tcp and udp, and examine how the transport layer delivers messages with reliability, connection orientation, and port numbers identifying services from http to dns.

Explore how layer 3 uses routing decisions and IP addresses to direct data, while layer 2 relies on MAC addresses and switches, and compare OSI and TCP/IP models.

Learn IPv4 addressing: 32-bit addresses in four octets, subnet masks, and how a default gateway connects networks. Compare ipconfig and ifconfig outputs and note private ranges 10, 172, 192.

Explore IPv6 as the next generation IP address with 128-bit addresses and a simpler header, featuring built-in IPsec, no broadcast, and link-local and unique local addresses.

Discover how dhcp automates ip address assignment, subnet masks, and gateways with lease management. Explore dns name resolution, nat address translation, and ntp time synchronization.

Identify Osai model layers from keywords in the lecture, covering layer 1 physical details, layer 3 routing decisions, and layer 7 protocols like DNS.

Apply a practical troubleshooting framework to diagnose issues, gather logs, replicate problems, plan actions, escalate when needed, implement changes one at a time, and document root cause analysis.

Learn how to test network cabling with cable analyzers, tone generators and probe kits, and time-domain reflectometers to identify faults and verify power over ethernet and fiber links.

Explore eight cross-platform network troubleshooting tools for Windows and Linux, including ping, ipconfig, ip address, traceroute, tracepath, dns lookup, hostname, and arp -a.

Use nmap to scan networks, identify devices, and detect open ports; try Angry IP Scanner on Windows to enumerate alive hosts and their ports.

Learn how to migrate from IPv4 to IPv6, including coexisting IPv4 and IPv6 on the same network interface, tunneling solutions, and essential exam-ready concepts.

set up port forwarding on an orange router to map the public ip to the test laptop's local ip on port 3389 for rdp, then test remote desktop connectivity.

Install Windows server and Windows 10 VMs in VirtualBox by creating new VMs and using dynamic virtual disks. Boot from an ISO for GUI installation, then configure memory and login.

Take a tour of a home rack featuring pfSense firewall on a four-port device, HP Pro Desk for virtual machines, and Prtg monitoring via snmp on an old iPad.