Updated in May 2025.
This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. Designed for both beginners and experienced IT professionals, this course takes you on a comprehensive journey through Linux network administration. Starting with the setup of your virtual environment, you’ll learn how to install Linux and CentOS systems on VirtualBox, enabling you to seamlessly run multiple operating systems. From there, the course dives into configuring internet connectivity, understanding key network components, and managing Network Interface Cards (NIC). The next phase equips you with the tools to download and manage files efficiently using core Linux commands like wget, curl, and ping. You’ll delve deep into secure file transfer protocols, mastering the use of SCP, rsync, and essential services like SSH and Telnet, ensuring you can securely transfer and synchronize files between systems. You will also learn how to troubleshoot network issues by tracing network traffic and exploring advanced tools like traceroute. By the end of the course, you’ll be familiar with time synchronization protocols such as NTP and its successor, chronyd. You’ll also gain the skills to diagnose and resolve network issues swiftly, making you an invaluable asset in any Linux-based environment. Whether you're working on servers or networking devices, this course prepares you to handle Linux networks with confidence. This course is designed for system administrators, network engineers, and IT professionals who are looking to build or enhance their skills in Linux network management. Prerequisites include basic knowledge of Linux commands and a working understanding of computer networking.
