In this Specialization, you’ll build practical Google Cloud networking skills across VPCs, DNS, routing, private connectivity, load balancing, security, and performance. You’ll start with core networking concepts, default and user-created networks, subnetworks, firewall rules, VM connectivity, and latency testing. You’ll then configure routes, IPv4 addressing, BYOIP concepts, Cloud DNS, Cloud NAT, Private Google Access, Private Service Connect, and VPC Network Peering.
You’ll apply these skills to network and HTTP(S) load balancers, hybrid traffic management, Cloud CDN, cross-region load balancing, and Cloud Armor. Later labs focus on VPC Flow Logs, BigQuery-based traffic analysis, troubleshooting, performance tuning, and high-throughput VPN testing. This Specialization is designed for learners who want applied experience with Google Cloud networking tools and workflows.
By the end of this Specialization, you will be able to:
Configure VPC networks, subnets, routes, firewall rules, DNS, and private connectivity.
Implement network, HTTP(S), hybrid, and cross-region load balancing with traffic controls.
Analyze and improve network performance using latency tests, flow logs, monitoring, and troubleshooting tools.
Apply Cloud Armor, Cloud CDN, VPN, and peering features to support secure, reliable network designs.
Applied Learning Project
Throughout this Specialization, you’ll apply Google Cloud networking concepts in guided labs that reflect common configuration, connectivity, security, and performance tasks. You’ll create networks, subnetworks, firewall rules, Compute Engine VMs, and VPC peering; use gcloud to test connectivity and latency across zones; and configure routes, Cloud DNS, Cloud NAT, and private access options. You’ll set up network and HTTP(S) load balancers, hybrid traffic controls, Cloud CDN, and cross-region balancing. You’ll also configure a global HTTP load balancer with IPv4/IPv6, stress test it, and use Cloud Armor to denylist traffic. Later labs use VPC Flow Logs and BigQuery to analyze traffic, open-source tools to troubleshoot performance, and iperf to test a high-throughput VPN.
