Course Syllabus

This information is lists the topics that will be covered. The information here provides a detailed description of the subjects that the site covers.


A road-map provides an easy way to access the on-line information about general topics.

The course will cover the following terms and concepts.

The content is divided into:

Important Information

Module Video Resource
0 Introduction

  • [ video ] A Quick Tour of Part 1

1 [ video ] The Origins of the Ethernet LAN
1.1 [ video ] Thick Ethernet (10B5)
[ video ] The 10B5 Cable
The Physical Medium:
{1.2} Additional Material not assessed:
{[ video ] Thin Ethernet (10B2)}
{[ video ] Introduction to 10B2 Cable}
2

[ video ] Link Layer Ethernet Frames

2.1 [ video ] Addressing (Multicast and Broadcast)
2.2 [ video ] A Shared Physical Medium
[ video ] More About Ethernet CSMA/CD
2.3 [ video ] Medium Access Control (CSMA/CD)
2.3
  • [ video ] Introduction to Transceivers

3 [ video ] Ethernet Transmission and the Physical Layer

  • 10 Mbps Ethernet Transmission
3.1 [ video] Sending Frames
3.2 [ video ] Receiving Bits and Bytes

3.3 [ video ] Frame Reception MAC Frame:
{3.x} More About 10 Mbps Ethernet Additional Material not assessed:
  • {Wireless Ethernet (WiFi)}
  • {Wireless Access using CSMA/CA}
  • {The "Hidden Node" Problem in Wireless Ethernet}
  • {User Priority}
4 [ video ] Connecting LAN Segments

  • Collision Domains
4.1 [ video ] Repeaters Part 1
4.2 [ video ] Repeaters Part 2
  • Repeaters Participation in CSMA/CD
4.3 [ video ] Fibre Cable Segments (10BF)
{4.4} Additional Material,not assessed:
{[ video ] Connecting LAN Segments}
  • {The 5-4-3 Repeater Rule}
4.5 [ video ] Unshielded Twisted Pair (e.g. 10BT)
[ video ] Installing UTP Cable
5 [ video ] Bridges and Switches

Broadcast Domains:
  • Bridges and Switches
  • Operation at the Link Layer
  • Operation of a Bridge
  • Packet Forwarding to Interface Ports
  • Buffers inside network devices with an Internal Queues of Frames
5.1 [ video ] Forwarding using Address Tables Forwarding:
  • Forwarding to an Output Port (Observing destination address)
  • Flooding of Broadcast, Multicast and Unknown Destination Addresses
  • Filtering of a Specified Destination Address
5.2 [ video ] Dynamic Learning of Address Table Entries Learning:
  • Source Address
  • Learning Local Addresses (Observing the source address in promiscuous mode)
  • Aging of Address Table Entries
5.3 Advanced Topic:
The Spanning Tree Algorithm
[ video ] The Spanning Tree Algorithm
The Spanning Tree Algorithm:
5.4 [ video ] Hardware Tables and Managed Switches
  • {Filtering And Security:}
  • {Over-riding the Normal Learning of Local Addresses}
  • {Network DeviceManagement}
  • {Tracking Usage and Protecting from Mis-usage}
6 [ video ] Faster Ethernet

6.1 [ video ] Fast Ethernet (100BT/100BF)
6.2 [ video ] Fast Ethernet Part 2
  • Interference
  • Use of Scrambler for Energy Dispersal
  • Eye Diagrams
6.3 Additional Material, not assessed:
[ video ] {Industrial Ethernet}
Additional Material, not assessed:
  • {LANs in Other Environments}

6.4 Additional Material, not assessed:
[ video ] Virtual LANs (VLANs)
Managed Switches and VLANs:
6.5 [ video ] Gigabit Ethernet (GBE)
6.6 [ video ] 10 GB Ethernet and Faster
6.x Additional Material, not assessed:
More About Ethernet Networks
  • [ video ] Power over Ethernet

  • {Power over Ethernet (PoE)}
  • {Examples of using Ethernet in an Enterprise, and VLANs}
  • {Examples of using Ethernet in a Data Centre}
Revision of Topics in Module A
  • Format of Exam
A The Upper Layers
A.1 TCP/IP Reference Model
A.2 [ video ] IP Encapsulation for Ethernet
A.3 (see A.1) Internet Addresses
  • IP Network Address
  • IP Source Address of Sender
  • IP Destination Address of Remote Destination
A.4 [ video ] The Domain Name Service (DNS)
A.5 Address Resolution Protocol
  • [ video ] The ARP Protocol
  • [ video ] The ARP Cache
A.6 Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
[ video ] DHCP
B IP Routers
B.1 The Internet Control Message Protocol
[ video ] ICMP
B.2 [ video ] IP Forwarding and the Default Route
B.3 Advanced Topic: Routing and Traceroute
C Transport Protocols and Applications
C.1 [ video ] User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
C.2 [ video ] Transport Ports
C.3 [ video ] IP Packet Decodes
C.4 [ video ] IPv6
C.5 Advanced Topic: TCP
  • [ video ] Transmission Control Protocol
  • [ video ] Throughput and Utilisation
  • slides TCP Congestion Control

Tutorial Questions for each Module


Copies of Presentations:

Tutorial resources:

See also:



Gorry Fairhurst - Date: 01/16/2023