Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? This course provides an introduction to TCP/IP protocols and applications. You learn how to configure your workstations to operate on a TCP/IP network. You also learn about TCP/IP protocols by examining TCP/IP packet and protocol traces. Hands-on exercises include the use of a variety of standard TCP/IP-based applications and protocols. What background or experience should I have? You perform the hands-on exercises on a Windows XP or UNIX workstation (your choice!). If you prefer using Windows XP, you should be comfortable navigating around the Windows XP file structure. If you choose UNIX, you should have experience with basic UNIX commands such as ls, cd, mkdir, cp, cat, ps and an understanding of the basics of vi text editor. In addition, a basic knowledge of networks is helpful. If you have used networks, or are involved in configuring, using or maintaining networks, you have the basic background for this course. Who will benefit from this course? This course is of value to network users, administrators, planners and maintenance personnel. Those interested in installing or designing multivendor networks also benefit because we deal with TCP/IP applications and protocols that are implemented on a wide variety of platforms. The course is not geared explicitly towards system programmers, as this is not a course on writing software that uses TCP/IP protocols. However, since we deal with the communications aspects of networks, it benefits system programmers who want to know how TCP/IP networks operate. What kinds of hands-on exercises are involved? During hands-on exercises, you gain practical experience with the following: Ethereal (protocol analysis tool) Telnet Address Resolution: ARP and RARP File Transfer Protocol (FTP) NFS IP, TCP, UDP, HTTP, NFS & FTP packet analysis IP router configuration and troubleshooting ICMP troubleshooting How much time is devoted to each topic? Content Hours Introduction to TCP/IP networks 1.5 Introduction to TCP/IP protocol architecture 2.5 The Internet Protocol 4.0 Internetworking with IP routers 4.5 Transport protocols 3.0 TCP/IP application protocols and services 7.0 Management of TCP/IP networks 2.5 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. How is the classroom set up for the hands-on exercises? The hands-on exercises are done on a 10 BASE-T/100 BASE-T Ethernet network using Cisco routers. Two routers are used to demonstrate router configuration. The class servers consist of a UNIX-based server, and a Windows Server 2003. All servers are running TCP/IP protocols and applications. These class servers are used to demonstrate TCP/IP's interoperability strengths and independence from vendor-specific platforms. Each student workstation can be configured either as Windows XP or UNIX, as desired. The protocol analysis exercises are done using Ethereal. How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? This course complements a wide variety of Learning Tree network courses, including: 364, Switches and Routers: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction provides an introduction to all internetworking concepts 451, Network Configuration and Troubleshooting: Hands-On offers the skills necessary to configure networks and resolve problems using a comprehensive set of tools and techniques 171, Installing and Configuring VMware® Infrastructure 3: Hands-On offers the knowledge to deploy and configure a highly available virtual infrastructure with VMware Infrastructure 3 (VI3) 461, Voice over IP: Hands-On  provides the skills and knowledge needed to successfully integrate voice and fax with existing data (TCP/IP) networks 468, System and Network Security: A Comprehensive Introduction  provides a detailed introduction to analyzing the security risks to your computer and network systems 941, Controlling Network Access: Hands-On takes you from the perimeter of the network to the inside and covers the required and best practices for controlling network access at all levels of the enterprise