About this course: This course is designed to provide a full overview of computer networking. In this course, we’ll cover everything from the fundamentals of modern networking technologies and protocols to practical applications and network troubleshooting. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: - describe computer networks in terms of a five-layer model. - understand all of the standard protocols involved with TCP/IP communications. - grasp powerful network troubleshooting tools and techniques. - learn network services like DNS and DHCP that help make computer networks run. Except as otherwise noted, the contents on this site are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Who is this class for: This program is intended for beginners who are interested in developing the skills necessary to perform entry-level IT support. No pre-requisite knowledge is required. However, if you do have some familiarity with IT, you can skip through any content that you might already know and speed ahead to the graded assessments.
Created by: Google
| Basic Info | Course 2 of 5 in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate Specialization |
| Level | Beginner |
| Commitment | 8 - 10 hours per week |
| Language | English |
| Hardware Req | You’ll need to complete some of the assessments (e.g., Qwiklabs and plugins) on a desktop or laptop web browser. |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Introduction to Networking
Welcome to the Networking course of the IT Support Professional Certificate! In the first week of this course, we will cover the basics of computer networking. We will learn about the TCP/IP and OSI networking models and how the network layers work together. We'll also cover the basics of networking devices such as cables, hubs and switches, routers, servers and clients. We'll also explore the physical layer and data link layer of our networking model in more detail. By the end of this module, you will know how all the different layers of the network model fit together to create a network.
15 videos, 7 readings, 4 practice quizzes
- Reading: Navigating Coursera
- Reading: Program Surveys
- Reading: How to Use Discussion Forums
- Reading: Get to Know Your Classmates
- Discussion Prompt: Meet and Greet
- Video: The TCP/IP Five-Layer Network Model
- Reading: The OSI Networking Model
- Video: Alex Why Networking
- Practice Quiz: TCP/IP
- Video: Cables
- Video: Hubs and Switches
- Video: Routers
- Video: Servers and Clients
- Video: Sergio Being A Network Engineer
- Discussion Prompt: Setting Up a Network
- Practice Quiz: Networking Devices
- Video: Moving Bits Across the Wire
- Video: Twisted Pair Cabling and Duplexing
- Reading: Ethernet Over Twisted Pair Technologies
- Video: Network Ports and Patch Panels
- Practice Quiz: The Physical Layer
- Video: Ethernet and MAC Addresses
- Video: Unicast, Multicast, and Broadcast
- Video: Dissecting an Ethernet Frame
- Video: Victor Escobedo: Practical Experience in IT
- Practice Quiz: The Data Link Layer
- Reading: Graded Plugin
Graded: Networking Basics
WEEK 2
The Network Layer
In the second week of this course, we'll explore the network layer in more depth. We'll learn about the IP addressing scheme and how subnetting works. We'll explore how encapsulation works and how protocols such as ARP allow different layers of the network to communicate. We'll also cover the basics of routing, routing protocols, and how the Internet works. By the end of this module, you'll be able to describe the IP addressing scheme, understand how subnetting works, perform binary math to describe subnets, and understand how the Internet works.
17 videos, 3 readings, 3 practice quizzes
- Video: The Network Layer
- Video: IP Addresses
- Video: IP Datagrams and Encapsulation
- Video: IP Address Classes
- Video: Address Resolution Protocol
- Discussion Prompt: Looking up IP Addresses
- Video: Sergio Path
- Practice Quiz: The Network Layer
- Video: Subnetting
- Video: Subnet Masks
- Video: Basic Binary Math
- Video: CIDR
- Practice Quiz: Subnetting
- Video: Basic Routing Concepts
- Video: Routing Tables
- Video: Interior Gateway Protocols
- Video: Exterior Gateway Protocols
- Reading: Routing Protocol Examples
- Video: Non-Routable Address Space
- Reading: RFCs and Standards
- Video: Alex Good Story
- Practice Quiz: Routing
- Reading: Graded Plugin
Graded: The Network Layer
WEEK 3
The Transport and Application Layers
In the third week of this course, we'll explore the transport and application layers. By the end of this module, you'll be able to describe TCP ports and sockets, identify the different components of a TCP header, show the difference between connection-oriented and connectionless protocols, and explain how TCP is used to ensure data integrity.
10 videos, 1 reading, 2 practice quizzes
- Video: The Transport Layer
- Video: Dissection of a TCP Segment
- Video: TCP Control Flags and the Three-way Handshake
- Video: TCP Socket States
- Video: Connection-oriented and Connectionless Protocols
- Reading: System Ports versus Ephemeral Ports
- Video: Firewalls
- Practice Quiz: The Transport Layer
- Video: The Application Layer
- Video: The Application Layer and the OSI Model
- Video: All the Layers Working in Unison
- Practice Quiz: The Application Layer
Graded: The Transport and Application Layer
Graded: The Five-Layer Network Model
WEEK 4
Networking Services
In the fourth week of this course, we'll explore networking services. We'll learn about why we need DNS and how it works. We'll also show you why DHCP makes network administration a simpler task. By the end of this module, you'll be able to do describe how DNS and DHCP work, how NAT technologies help keep networks secure, and how VPNs and proxies help users connect and stay secured.
15 videos, 2 readings, 5 practice quizzes
- Video: Why do we need DNS?
- Video: The Many Steps of Name Resolution
- Video: DNS and UDP
- Video: Sergio IT Great Field
- Discussion Prompt: Your Personal Website
- Practice Quiz: Name Resolution
- Video: Resource Record Types
- Video: Anatomy of a Domain Name
- Video: DNS Zones
- Practice Quiz: Name Resolution in Practice
- Video: Overview of DHCP
- Video: DHCP in Action
- Practice Quiz: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
- Video: Basics of NAT
- Video: NAT and the Transport Layer
- Video: NAT, Non-Routable Address Space and the Limits of IPv4
- Reading: IPv4 Address Exhaustion
- Practice Quiz: Network Address Translation
- Video: Virtual Private Networks
- Video: Proxy Services
- Discussion Prompt: VPNs: Legal or Illegal?
- Practice Quiz: VPNs & Proxies
- Reading: Graded Plugin
Graded: Networking Services
WEEK 5
Connecting to the Internet
In the fifth week of this course, we'll explore the history of the Internet, how it evolved, and how it works today. We'll understand the different ways to connect to the Internet through cables, wireless and cellar connections, and even fiber connections. By the end of this module, you'll be able to define the components of WANs and outline the basics of wireless and cellular networking.
14 videos, 4 readings, 4 practice quizzes
- Video: Dial-up, Modems and Point-to-Point Protocols
- Practice Quiz: POTS and Dial-up
- Video: What is broadband?
- Video: T-Carrier Technologies
- Video: Digital Subscriber Lines
- Video: Cable Broadband
- Video: Fiber Connections
- Reading: Broadband Protocols
- Practice Quiz: Broadband Internet
- Video: Wide Area Network Technologies
- Reading: WAN Protocols
- Video: Point-to-Point VPNs
- Practice Quiz: WANs
- Video: Introduction to Wireless Networking Technologies
- Reading: Alphabet Soup
- Video: Wireless Network Configurations
- Video: Wireless Channels
- Video: Wireless Security
- Video: Cellular Networking
- Discussion Prompt: Your Daily Connection
- Practice Quiz: Wireless Networking
- Reading: Graded Plugin
Graded: Connecting to the Internet
WEEK 6
Troubleshooting and the Future of Networking
Congratulations, you've made it to the final week in the course! In the last week of this course, we'll explore the future of computer networking. We'll also cover the practical aspects of troubleshooting a network using popular operating systems. By the end of this module, you'll be able to detect and fix a lot of common network connectivity problems using tools available in Microsoft Windows, MacOS, and Linux operating systems.
17 videos, 3 readings, 4 practice quizzes
- Video: Ping: Internet Control Message Protocol
- Video: Traceroute
- Video: Testing Port Connectivity
- Reading: Testing Port Connectivity
- Practice Quiz: Verifying Connectivity
- Video: Name Resolution Tools
- Video: Public DNS Servers
- Video: DNS Registration and Expiration
- Video: Hosts Files
- Practice Quiz: Digging into DNS
- Video: What is The Cloud?
- Video: Everything as a Service
- Video: Cloud Storage
- Discussion Prompt: Digital Footprints in the Cloud
- Practice Quiz: The Cloud
- Video: IPv6 Addressing and Subnetting
- Video: IPv6 Headers
- Video: IPv6 and IPv4 Harmony
- Reading: IPv6 and IPv4 Harmony
- Practice Quiz: IPv6
- Reading: Graded Plugin
- Discussion Prompt: Your Learning Journey
- Video: Course Wrap Up
- Video: Alex Career Path
- Video: Congratulations!
Graded: Troubleshooting and the Future of Networking
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
Help from Your Peers
Connect with thousands of other learners and debate ideas, discuss course material, and get help mastering concepts.
Certificates
Earn official recognition for your work, and share your success with friends, colleagues, and employers.
Creators
Google
The IT Support Professional Certificate program is part of Grow with Google, an initiative that draws on Google's 20-year history of building products, platforms, and services that help people and businesses grow. Through programs like these, we aim to help everyone– those who make up the workforce of today and the students who will drive the workforce of tomorrow – access the best of Google’s training and tools to grow their skills, careers, and businesses.
Pricing
| Purchase Course | |
|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Very Satisfied
Great course. Lots of technical terms, rules and numbers to keep straight. But you will have a significantly better understanding of how computers communicate on networks.
The course is good, it is a lot of material but easy to understand.
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Good course getting to know most up to date technology about network communication. Fundamentals to troubleshooting all that matters.