Award in Advanced Networking Technologies

Applications for the November 2021 course are closed. Those who apply will be booked for the courses starting during next year once we establish another full group.

This unit forms part of the Course in MCAST Award in Network Design and Infrastructure. Once a learner complete all the units in this course satisfactorily; that is has obtained a pass mark in the assessment and respected the 80% attendance s/he will achieve an award pegged at MQF Level 4, 12 ECVET Credits.

The goal of this course is to offer an introduction to fundamental networking concepts and technologies. The course will assist in developing the skills necessary to plan and implement small networks across a range of applications.

In this course, both the practical and conceptual skills that build the foundation for understanding basic networking will be explored.

This is a 60 hr guided learning course.  Students need to invest further hours in the course, which will include private study and home assignments.

Lessons are held as indicated on the prospectus and website.

Once the learner establishes strong grounds on networking, the learner takes the next step of exploring the practical side of networking together with further theory consisting of routing protocols and concepts, LAN switching, wireless networks and introduction to wide area Networks

Learning Outcome 1: Identify the features and the roles of various network devices

Unit Content

• Review and classification of various network devices and the role they plat in relation to the OSI model
• Introduction to routing and Packet Forwarding

Learning Outcome 2: Undestand router operations, apply and configure routing protocols and router parameters

Unit Content

• Concept of routing and overview of various routing protocols, touting tables
• Basic router configuration
• Static routing
• Introduction to Dunamic Routing Protocols
• Distance Vector Routing Protocols
• RIP (Routing Information Protocol) version 1-theory and configuration
• RIP v2
• Link State Routing Protocols

Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate understanding of switch operations and capabilities

Unit Content

• Switch operation, switching tables and types for frame forwarding
• Basic switch configuration
• VLANs and VLAN configuration
• VTP ( Virtual Trunking Protocol)
• Inter VLAN Routing

Learning Outcome 4: Design, setup and manage Wireless network according to established standards and protocols

Unit Content

• Fundamentals of wireless networks and Wireless LAN Standards
• Wireless Infrastructure Components
• Wireless Operation
• Planning the Wireless LAN
• Wireless LAN security
• Wireless Security Protocols
• Troubleshooting simple WLAN problems

Learning Outcome 5: Apply access control lists for traffic and security management

Unit Content

• A TCP Conversation
• ACL Operation
• How a standard ACL works
• Numbering and naming ACLs
• ACL wildcard masking
• Extended and Named ACLs

      The following are the suggested pre-requisites and/or entry requirements needed:

      Pre-requisites:

• Completed Level 3 education with computer science component

Entry requirements:

• Functional skills in the English Language

Course participants may be awarded either an MCAST Certificate of Attendance or an MCAST Certificate of Achievement.

MCAST Certificate of Attendance

• An MCAST Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to those candidates who attend at least 80% of the lessons.

MCAST Certificate of Achievement

• An MCAST Certificate of Achievement will be awarded to those candidates who satisfy the 80% attendance criteria and also choose to sit and pass the course assessment/s.

• Students who opt not to sit for the assessment or fail (the assessment/s) will however be awarded the MCAST Certificate of Attendance provided that they fulfill the minimum attendance criteria as stated above

If the student intends to obtain a Certificate of Achievement, she/he is required to sit for an assessment/s. Assessment/s may take various forms such as home assignment, class assignment, practical test and time constrained test. However, the assessment/s is not compulsory and an applicant may choose not to sit for it. 

There are no additional costs or special materials/equipment to bring.