This course is designed to provide a full overview of computer networking. We’ll cover everything from the fundamentals of modern networking technologies and protocols to an overview of the cloud to practical applications and network troubleshooting. We’ll wrap up by covering how this information might show up in a job interview and giving you a few tips for troubleshooting on the spot.
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.
● understand cloud computing, everything as a service, and cloud storage.
This course is part of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate Specialization
The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking
Offered By
About this Course
4.7
6,525 ratings
Skills you will gain
Domain Name System (DNS)Ipv4Network ModelTroubleshooting
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
13 hours to complete
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 (Total 47 min), 7 readings, 5 quizzes
15 videos
The TCP/IP Five-Layer Network Model5m
Alex Why Networking1m
Cables4m
Hubs and Switches2m
Routers2m
Servers and Clients2m
Sergio Being A Network Engineer1m
Moving Bits Across the Wire2m
Twisted Pair Cabling and Duplexing1m
Network Ports and Patch Panels2m
Ethernet and MAC Addresses6m
Unicast, Multicast, and Broadcast1m
Dissecting an Ethernet Frame5m
Victor Escobedo: Practical Experience in IT1m
7 readings
Navigating Coursera10m
Program Surveys10m
How to Use Discussion Forums10m
Get to Know Your Classmates10m
The OSI Networking Model10m
Ethernet Over Twisted Pair Technologies10m
Graded Plugin10m
5 practice exercises
TCP/IP6m
Networking Devices6m
The Physical Layer4m
The Data Link Layer6m
Networking Basics32m
Week
22 hours to complete
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 (Total 67 min), 3 readings, 4 quizzes
17 videos
The Network Layer1m
IP Addresses2m
IP Datagrams and Encapsulation6m
IP Address Classes3m
Address Resolution Protocol2m
Sergio Path1m
Subnetting2m
Subnet Masks7m
Basic Binary Math6m
CIDR4m
Basic Routing Concepts8m
Routing Tables3m
Interior Gateway Protocols5m
Exterior Gateway Protocols3m
Non-Routable Address Space3m
Alex Good Story1m
3 readings
Routing Protocol Examples10m
RFCs and Standards10m
Graded Plugin10m
4 practice exercises
The Network Layer4m
Subnetting6m
Routing6m
The Network Layer32m
Week
34 hours to complete
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 (Total 43 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes
10 videos
The Transport Layer3m
Dissection of a TCP Segment5m
TCP Control Flags and the Three-way Handshake5m
TCP Socket States3m
Connection-oriented and Connectionless Protocols4m
Firewalls2m
The Application Layer3m
The Application Layer and the OSI Model2m
All the Layers Working in Unison11m
1 reading
System Ports versus Ephemeral Ports10m
3 practice exercises
The Transport Layer8m
The Application Layer6m
The Transport and Application Layer28m
Week
43 hours to complete
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 (Total 70 min), 2 readings, 6 quizzes
15 videos
Why do we need DNS?4m
The Many Steps of Name Resolution8m
DNS and UDP6m
Sergio IT Great Field1m
Resource Record Types8m
Anatomy of a Domain Name3m
DNS Zones4m
Overview of DHCP4m
DHCP in Action5m
Basics of NAT4m
NAT and the Transport Layer4m
NAT, Non-Routable Address Space and the Limits of IPv43m
Virtual Private Networks4m
Proxy Services4m
2 readings
IPv4 Address Exhaustion10m
Graded Plugin10m
6 practice exercises
Name Resolution6m
Name Resolution in Practice8m
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol6m
Network Address Translation6m
VPNs & Proxies6m
Networking Services32m
Top Reviews
A lot of information, but i feel like i fully understand core networking concepts. A lot of this info has helped me comprehend what will be required for me when I take my Network + certification exam.
I loved this course. When I had issues support was awesome sauce. I really enjoyed the puns this instructor used to keep you from going off in a daze. I really wish I would have found Coursera sooner.
About 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.
About the Google IT Support Professional Certificate Specialization
This five-course certificate, developed by Google, includes innovative curriculum designed to prepare you for an entry-level role in IT support. A job in IT can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a small business or at a global company like Google. If you’ve been tinkering with IT or are new to the field, you’re at the right place. The program is part of Grow with Google, a Google initiative to help create economic opportunities for all Americans. Check out this video to learn more.
Upon completion of the certificate, you can share your information with top employers like Cognizant, GE Digital, H&R Block, Hulu, J.M. Smucker, Infosys, Intel, KForce, MCPc, PNC Bank, RICOH USA, Sprint, TEKSystems, UPMC, Veterans United Home Loans, Walmart and their subsidiaries, and of course, Google.
Through a mix of video lectures, quizzes, and hand-on labs and widgets, the program will introduce you to troubleshooting and customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration and security. Along the way, you’ll hear from Googlers with unique backgrounds whose own foundation in IT support served as a jumping off point for their careers.
By dedicating 8-10 hours a week, you can complete the certificate in about eight months. You can skip through content that you might already know and speed ahead to the graded assessments.
The content in the Google IT Support Professional Certificate is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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