Course Objective: Master the foundational networking, security, and troubleshooting skills required to pass the CompTIA Network+ (V9) certification exam through intensive 5-hour practical sessions.
| Week | Theme | Core Exam Objectives | 🛠️ 5-Hour Practical Lab Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Network Architecture | • OSI Model Layers (1-7) • Cloud Concepts (VPC, SaaS, IaaS, PaaS) • Ports & Protocols (SSH, DNS, DHCP, SNMP) |
Tracing a web server request through all seven OSI layers and analyzing which cloud deployment model (IaaS vs. PaaS) best fits an expanding e-commerce platform. |
| 2 | Addressing & Physical Infrastructure | • IPv4 Addressing (Subnetting, CIDR, VLSM) • Network Topologies (Spine/leaf, mesh) • Transmission Media (Fiber, copper) |
Calculating a subnetting scheme for a three-tier network architecture using CIDR notation and selecting the appropriate fiber transceivers for a data center backbone. |
| 3 | Routing & Switching Configuration | • Routing Technologies (BGP, EIGRP, OSPF) • Route Selection & NAT • Switching Tech (VLANs, Spanning Tree, MTU) |
Hands-on lab configuring VLANs on managed switches to separate corporate and guest traffic, followed by setting up OSPF routing between simulated branch offices. |
| 4 | Wireless Design & Deployment | • Wireless Devices (Channels, SSIDs, Encryption, Antennas) • Physical Installations (Power, Environmental) |
Conducting a mock wireless site survey for an office floorplan, selecting 802.11 channels to avoid overlapping interference, and calculating PoE budgets for the access points. |
| 5 | Documentation & Lifecycle Management | • Documentation (Logical/Physical Diagrams, IPAM, Rack Diagrams) • Change Management (Request Tracking, Baselines) |
Drafting comprehensive physical and logical network diagrams for a new server room and executing a formal change management request to upgrade core infrastructure. |
| 6 | Monitoring & Disaster Recovery | • Disaster Recovery (RPO, RTO, MTTR, Hot/Cold Sites) • Network Monitoring (SNMP, Packet Capture) • Network Services |
Deploying SNMP to monitor network traffic for bottlenecks and designing a failover strategy to a hot site that meets a strict 1-hour Recovery Time Objective (RTO). |
| 7 | Access Control & Logical Security | • Logical Security (MFA, IAM, RADIUS, Least Privilege) • Physical Security (Locks, Cameras) • Audits & Compliance |
Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to secure a remote desktop support environment and ensure compliance with data locality laws. |
| 8 | Threat Mitigation & Network Defense | • Types of Attacks (DoS, MAC Flooding, ARP/DNS Poisoning) • Network Segmentation (IoT) • Defense (Hardening, ACLs) |
Simulating an ARP spoofing and MAC flooding attack in a sandboxed lab environment, then configuring Access Control Lists (ACLs) and device hardening techniques to block the exploit. |
| 9 | Advanced Network Troubleshooting | • Troubleshooting Methodology (Identify → Document) • Cabling/Hardware Issues • Performance & Service Issues |
Working through a 5-hour simulated IT support ticket queue, utilizing command-line tools and protocol analyzers to diagnose latency, DHCP pool exhaustion, and misconfigured subnet masks. |
By the end of this 9-week intensive program, students will be able to:
- ✅ Design and implement secure, scalable network architectures.
- ✅ Configure advanced routing and switching protocols in real-world scenarios.
- ✅ Perform comprehensive wireless site surveys and deployments.
- ✅ Execute disaster recovery plans and monitor network health effectively.
- ✅ Mitigate modern cyber threats through segmentation and hardening.
- ✅ Apply professional troubleshooting methodologies to resolve complex IT issues.
Prepared for CompTIA Network+ (V9) Certification Preparation