Network Configuration and Troubleshooting

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Course Overview

Today's rapidly evolving networks demand constant access to critical data from its users. The knowledge required to maintain a complex network is essential to maximise availability.

In this course, you gain the skills necessary to configure networks and resolve problems related to cables, wireless connections, protocols and applications. You learn to configure, maintain and troubleshoot networks using a comprehensive set of tools and techniques.

Audience

This course is valuable for anyone involved in designing, configuring, installing or maintaining a network. Networking experience at the level of Course 450, " Introduction to Networking ", or equivalent knowledge, is assumed.

Skills Gained

• Configure, maintain and troubleshoot multiple network configurations
• Select and maintain your cabling infrastructure
• Configure and test network adapters for optimum LAN performance
• Install a switched network with VLANs
• Access and secure your wireless network
• Manage IP address assignments and subnetting
• Identify and resolve application layer issues using protocol analysis

Course Outline

Networking Overview

Fundamentals of a network

• Types of networks
• Hardware and software

Applying the OSI model to troubleshooting

• The 7-layer model
• Executing a troubleshooting methodology
• Employing fault isolation at each layer

Connecting the Physical Layer

Distinguishing media terminology

• Twisted pair
• Fibre
• Wireless
• EIA/TIA standards

Cabling and port configuration

• Strategies for successful configuration
• Validating wiremap with cable scanner
• Identifying common cable problems
• MDI/MDI-X port configuration
• Specifying various fibre types

Building the Data Link Layer

Working with network adapters

• Designating Layer 2 MAC address
• Demystifying access methods: Collision Detection/Avoidance
• Displaying NIC configuration

Assessing LAN topologies

• Logical and physical topologies
• Star
• Hybrid
• Mesh

LAN and WAN standards at Layer 2

• 802 standards
• Wireless
• Fast and Gigabit Ethernet
• xDSL
• Cable modem
• Frame Relay
• ATM

Interfacing with the network

• Testing speed mismatch issues
• Connecting half and full duplex for compatibility

Switching at the Data Link Layer

Analysing protocols

• Differentiating between Ethernet and 802.3 frame formats
• Choosing a hardware or software analyser
• Capturing and filtering traffic with Ethereal

Solving network congestion

• Deploying switches
• Interpreting Layer 2 traffic
• Upgrading to a switch

Implementing VLANs

• Defining the VLAN
• Interconnecting VLANs across switches
• Port tagging with 802.1Q

Wireless Networking

Traversing the wireless topology

• Network types and standards
• Selecting infrastructure or ad hoc mode
• IBSS
• BSS
• ESS

Building the wireless network

• Setting up the access point
• Configuring the SSID on a client
• Securing the wireless traffic

Integrating the Network and Transport Layers

The role of TCP/IP

• The TCP/IP protocol suite
• OSI model vs. TCP/IP model

Configuring IP addresses

• Characterising NetID and HostID
• Public vs. private addresses
• Allocating addresses with DHCP
• Managing addresses with ifconfig/ipconfig
• Resolving address conflicts

Enabling the routing function

• Subnetting and the adjacency test
• Interpreting a routing table

Investigating protocol headers

• TCP
• UDP
• IP
• ARP
• ICMP
• Identifying common protocol issues

Troubleshooting the Application Layer

Managing OS functions

• File
• Print
• Messaging
• Database

Fine-tuning network services

• DNS
• Web services
• Debugging name resolution with nslookup

Managing Your Network

• Identifying network management components using SNMP
• Querying the MIB for device status

Network Configuration and Troubleshooting / 451