1. Network Architecture

• Linking applications to the network
• Common content-formats
• Establishing logical connections
• End-to-end acknowledgements
• Passing frames between machines
• Linking to the physical network
• OSI model layers
• TCP/IP architecture elements

2. IP-Based Networking

• Building the IP packet
• IP address structure
• IP routing
• Updating the routing tables
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
• TCP flow control
• TCP ports
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
• Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP)
• Private IP networks
• Network Address Translation (NAT)
• Internet elements
• Domain Name System (DNS)
• IPv6

3. Performance and Quality

• Ethernet frame priority - tag field
• Virtual LANs (VLAN)
• IP priority - Diffserv protocol
• Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)
• Service Level Agreements (SLA)
• IPv6 quality of service

4. Secure Networking

• Components of security
• Virtual Private Network (VPN)
• Secure tunnels
• Independent VPNs
• Dependent VPNs
• VPN protocols: IPSec
• Packet encryption
• Public/private keys
• Key management
• Authentication services
• Remote access security
• LAN security
• IEEE secure standards
• Network firewalls
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
• Secure Internet protocols
• IPv6 security

5. Network Management

• Elements of network design
• Determining line throughput
• Calculating response time
• Network utilization impact
• Calculating network reliability
• Components of network management
• Network management tools
• Specialized external monitors
• Network management platforms
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
• Management Information Bases (MIBs)