Digital Networks Essentials

Every business today depends on connectivity, and now there is increasing demand for engineers who can design, develop and manage data networks – and keep them secure as well. This applied computer science MOOC will give you the hands-on know-how to master the network technologies used every day to communicate and access information via the web and phones. You’ll learn the vocabulary, concepts and mechanisms common to all digital networks, and explore the TCP, UDP and IP protocols that support all online communications. You’ll also see how a global network is organized and how its components work together, and understand the importance of standards and protocols. This course is designed for students or professionals with a background in science or computing. Practical coursework is carried out in a Unix virtual environment that can be installed on any modern computer. Sign up now and sharpen up your network knowledge!

• How to analyze the properties of a service and determine its network needs
• The essentials of network architectures, mechanisms (flow control, error and loss correction, delay management, etc.), protocol stacks and more
• All about the IP, TCP and UDP Internet protocols and their properties (quality of service, congestion management, etc.)
• The right way to develop an addressing plan for an organization, choose an appropriate routing algorithm and configure the routing
• How to use a network analyzer (Wireshark, in this case)
• Reading and interpreting the contents of a frame captured on a network
• How to read and understand a data or telecom network standard

• You must know the components of a computer (CPU, peripherals, etc.) and the basic structure of digital data (bits, bytes, etc.).
• You must be thoroughly competent in basic algebra.