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ICT303A
ICT205A Network Technologies
Course level study pre-requisite: a total of 24 credit points including (15 credit points – ICT101A, ICT102A, ICT103A, DAT101A from level 100 and 9 credit points from level 200 core subjects) prior to enrolling into level 300 core and specalisation subjects.
As the final milestone of the series in the Cisco Networking Academy® CCNAv7 network pathway, this subject introduces students to more advanced topics related to designing, securing, operating, and troubleshooting enterprise networks. Students will explore a range of network systems and architectural components, including WAN technologies, QoS instruments, software-driven networking, virtualisation, and automation.
Through hands-on activities, they will configure and troubleshoot enterprise networks, discovering mechanisms and practices used to identify and safeguard cybersecurity threats. Network management tools, controller-based network structures, and the use of application programming interfaces (APIs) in network automation will also be covered.
a) Explain concepts underpinning enterprise networks, including their inherent architectures, components, and services used in their design, operation, troubleshooting, and security.
b) Demonstrate an integrated knowledge of routing and switching operations in an enterprise network environment, considering their associated protocols and mechanisms.
c) Apply network configuration and troubleshooting in a WAN setting using tools and techniques employed in optimising network transmission and security.
d) Identify common cyber threats immanent to enterprise networks and proffer fit-for-purpose mitigation controls in line with security best practices.
e) Articulate the roles, constituents, and applications of network management, virtualisation, and automation in an enterprise network infrastructure.
| No | Type | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
| 1 | Tutorial Participation This assessment task is an individual effort. It is designed to: (i) assess students’ knowledge and skills in computer networks gained throughout the subject (ii) provide students with timely feedback on their understanding of topic matters (iii) prepare students for the assessments with higher weighting. Each week there will be one or more exercises for students to work on which they will submit on a fortnightly schedule. These exercises will be released in the LMS the week preceding the tutorial session. Exercises will include a mixture of the following activities based on the concepts covered in the weekly schedule and in alignment with the ENSA course within the CCNA certification pathway: (i) practical lab work where students will exercise CISCO iOS commands to achieve different tasks as per the schedule (ii) demonstration with the physical networking equipment (iii) short quizzes. | 20% | a, b, c, d, e |
| 2 | Simulation + Report (Network Security and VPN) This assessment task is an individual effort. It is designed to assess students’ understanding of private and secure networking concepts. In this assessment, students will be given a network problem to address, incorporating their knowledge and skills in configuring and troubleshooting a secure WAN environment by utilising OSPF V2, VPN, IPsec, and ACL technologies and mechanisms. In doing so, students will use the Cisco Packet Tracer network simulation tool to visualise their network configuration, implement single-area OSPF routing protocol and secure WAN connectivity. Additionally, students will submit a report (approx. 1,000 words) explaining the rationale behind their configuration and how their solution will address the inherent security threats. | 40% ( 30% for the solution and 10% for the report) | a, b, c, d |
| 3 | Case Study This assessment task is an individual effort. It is designed to assess students’ understanding of networking concepts related to QoS, network management, and automation. In this assessment, students will be provided with a case study that includes information about an organisation’s QoS systems and models, network management architecture and mechanisms, and network automation configurations. Students will examine the organisation’s digital network ecosystem and: (i) undertake a QoS assessment (ii) evaluate its overall network management, including virtualisation (iii) assess its network automation (iv) provide a solution design, including resource and security considerations (v) synthesise findings in a well-structured report format (approx. 2,000 words), incorporating scholarly backed-up and industry-aligned recommendations. | 40% (30% for the design and 10% for the report) | a, c, d, e |