PAPER NO. 12 DATA COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER NETWORKS – PRACTICAL
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
This paper is intended to equip the candidate with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable him/her to set up, configure and maintain computer networks.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
A candidate who passes this paper should be able to:
- Use data communication and computer networking devices
- Setup, configure and test a LAN
- Implement security and audit policies in a networking environment
- Backup and restore network data
- Set up and test routers
- Configure and test various protocols in a computer network
- Monitor and troubleshoot a network
- Design internet of things (IoT) – based applications
CONTENT
Data communication concepts
- Overview of data communication concepts
- Data terminology
- Data transmission technologies
- OSI (open system interconnection) models and layer protocols
- TCI/IP model and layer protocols
- Types of networks
- Network topologies
- Roles of network personnel
Networking components
- Hardware
- Software
- Bounded media
- Server/clients
- Wireless media
Data signal analysis
- Overview of data signal analysis
- Analogue and digital signals
- Modulation and demodulation
- Transmission modes
- Data and line encoding
- Viewing data signal characteristics using oscilloscope, spectrum analyser and level tracers
- Sampling ASCII and EBCDIC coding techniques using binary and hexadecimal mathematics
- Nyquist Shannon theory
Routing and switching
- Overview of switching and routing
- Types of switches
- Switching techniques
- Router components
- Router interfaces and protocols
- IPv4 and IPv6 configuration
Setting up a LAN
- Setting up Wireless LAN
- Connecting to WLAN
- Preparation of networking cables
- Testing connectivity
- Connecting LAN to the Internet
- Configuring TCP/IP and other protocols
- Setting up static and dynamic addressing
- Testing TCP/IP and other protocols configurations
- Configuring a domain name service (DNS)
- Domain controllers setup
Administering user accounts
- Local user accounts
- Domain user accounts
- Built in user accounts
Configuring network printers and other resources
- Adding and sharing a local printer
- Adding and sharing a network printer
- Downloading printer drivers
- Setting up a printer pool
- Setting up priorities between printers
- Administering network printers
- Managing other network resources; Files, Ports, Drives
Implementing security and audit policies
- Setting up security controls
- Configuring password policy
- Configuring account lock out policy
- Planning for audit policy
- Using audit policy
- Using event viewer
- Auditing access to files and folders
- Auditing access to printers and other network resources
Data backup and restoration
- Planning backup
- Backing up data
- Restoring data
Monitoring network resources
- Monitoring access to network resources
- Monitoring communication among network devices
- Monitoring utilisation of network resources
- Monitoring network users
Network troubleshooting
- Identifying network faults
- Physical methods of troubleshooting
- Using software tools to troubleshoot
- Fixing network faults
- Protocols and utilities commands
Internet of things (IoT)
- Overview of IoT
- Elements of IoT
- Radio-frequency identification (RFID)
- Sensor network
- Localization of IoT
- Big data
- Cloud computing
- Business ecosystem, scenarios and model
- IoT application areas and solutions
Emerging issues and trends