In this module, you will learn how computers and other devices connect, communicate, and share data across networks. You will begin by exploring Local Area Networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs), including their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and the factors that can affect network performance such as bandwidth, latency, transmission media, number of users, and error rate.
Next, you will examine how networks can be organised using client-server and peer-to-peer models, and explore the hardware and transmission media used to connect devices, including network interface controllers, switches, wireless access points, routers, copper cables, fibre-optic cables, and wireless connections. You will also learn how devices can be arranged using star and mesh topologies and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each.
You will then explore the internet as a worldwide collection of interconnected networks. You will learn how IP addresses, URLs, the Domain Name Service (DNS), hosting, web servers, and cloud computing allow users and devices to locate and access resources across the internet.
Finally, you will study wired and wireless connections, encryption, IP and MAC addressing, standards, and common communication protocols including TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, POP, IMAP, and SMTP. You will also explore how network communication can be organised into layers using the four-layer TCP/IP model, helping to make complex communication processes easier to manage, develop, and troubleshoot.
Lessons
8
Completed
0/8
Proficiency