COMP 604 will cover essential telecommunication and networking technologies, with a focus on practical network design, implementation, and management in the real enterprise world. You will be exposed to network media, network architectures, network protocols, and network standards, as well as network components including hubs, switches, routers, NICs (network interface controllers), and cables available in the present market. You will learn techniques to design and implement enterprise-wide computer networks with Windows 2008 and Unix-type operating systems. You will also learn about network management and network applications for enterprise.
After completing this course, you should be able to explain important terminologies and concepts of telecommunication and computer networks, design computer networks to meet the specific needs of a given enterprise, support network applications, implement enterprise-wide computer networks with appropriate hardware and software components, and manage enterprise-wide computer networks for good performance and security.
To succeed in the course, you must expect to invest considerable time in performing the required tasks. Giving as well as receiving help and advice from others with the assignments and the projects can help you learn the skills this course is designed to convey.
Dean, T. (2013). Network+ guide to networks (6th ed.). Cengage.
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The course consists of nine units that cover foundational information, some of which may already be familiar to you, and a final unit for your group research. The foundational information is covered in the first five weeks; the remaining eight weeks are devoted to the group research.
For each of the first nine units, study questions are provided to lead you through the process of reading the designated course materials. These questions set the goals for your reading, and should therefore be reviewed before doing the readings. You may wish to collect these into a unit notes document for later review and reference.
If you have, or are willing to purchase, additional networking devices and tools, you are encouraged to apply some of the practical exercises with those resources as well. Review questions, when provided, are required exercises.
To perform the learning activities in the course, you need a PC-compatible computer with a Pentium 3 CPU or above, at least 256 MB RAM, at least 8 GB HD with Windows XP or later installed. You must also have an appropriate Internet connection. Cable or ADSL is recommended. Make a note of the particulars of your connection, including any information available regarding the type, speed or other details pertaining to your connection.
Teaching and learning practical computer networking is better done with appropriate experiments in labs. Because you may not have access to suitable facilities for this, it is recommended that you purchase or borrow the following equipment to set up a basic lab for yourself:
Contact your professor with any questions about the course, or post your question to the General Forum.
Updated December 22 2023 by FST Course Production Staff