3-Day Instructor-Led Hands-On Lab Class
Available in either Web-Based Delivery or On-Site Delivery
Minimum 10 Students – Maximum 16 Students
What Students are Saying About this Class:
- “[Instructor] covered the information incredibly well and all of it was applicable to my job. I couldn’t be happier with this course.”
- “Andy Walding was an excellent instructor. I really appreciated Andy sharing his customer experiences during the class. the lab exercises were very helpful and easy to follow. Great class!”
- “Labs were well planned and very easy to follow.”
Course Description
Modern networks depend on technologies operating together across multiple layers. A technician or engineer who understands only Ethernet switching or only IP routing sees just one part of the network. Effective network professionals need to understand how the physical connection, Ethernet, IP addressing, network services, and routing protocols interact to deliver end-to-end communications.
The CSI-HO-036 L1, L2, and L3 Networking Protocols course provides a practical, hands-on introduction to these essential networking technologies. Over three days, students build their knowledge from Layer 1 physical interfaces through Layer 2 Ethernet switching and into Layer 3 IPv4, IPv6, routing, and network services.
Students begin with the physical foundations of networking, including duplex operation, cabling, copper and fiber media, Ethernet physical interfaces, and SFPs. The course then develops a strong understanding of Layer 2 Ethernet, including Ethernet operation, MAC addressing and learning, ARP, VLANs, IEEE 802.1Q, Spanning Tree Protocol, and Cisco Discovery Protocol.
From there, students move into Layer 3 networking with IPv4 addressing and subnetting, IPv4 multicast, NAT, and an introduction to IPv6. Students also explore important network control-plane technologies including DHCP, DNS, IP routing, EIGRP, and BGP. The course concludes with tunneling, Virtual Private Networking, IPsec, and Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP).
Throughout the course, concepts are reinforced with hands-on lab exercises. Students work with networking tools, Cisco routers, Cisco IOS, Wireshark, and remotely accessible lab systems to see how these technologies actually operate. Rather than simply memorizing terminology, students configure, examine, test, and troubleshoot network behavior.
The result is a much stronger understanding of how Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3 work together and how problems at one layer can affect services operating at another.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain the roles of Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3 in modern data networks.
- Understand common physical networking interfaces, cabling, media, and Ethernet connectivity.
- Explain how Ethernet frames, MAC addresses, MAC learning, and ARP operate.
- Understand Ethernet LAN topologies and switching concepts.
- Explain VLAN operation and IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tagging.
- Understand the purpose and operation of the Spanning Tree Protocol.
- Use Cisco Discovery Protocol to identify neighboring network devices.
- Understand IPv4 addressing and perform basic IPv4 subnetting.
- Explain the fundamental operation of IPv4 multicast and Network Address Translation.
- Describe the basic characteristics and operation of IPv6.
- Explain the roles of DHCP and DNS in an IP network.
- Understand the fundamentals of IP routing.
- Explain the purpose and basic operation of EIGRP and BGP.
- Understand tunneling, VPNs, IPsec, and L2TP.
- Apply networking concepts through hands-on configuration and troubleshooting exercises.
- Develop a stronger systematic approach to understanding and troubleshooting multi-layer network problems.
The course connects these technologies rather than teaching them as isolated subjects. Hands-on exercises reinforce important concepts and provide students with opportunities to apply what they learn. This approach helps develop practical skills and knowledge that can be transferred directly to real-world networking environments.
Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for anyone who needs a solid working knowledge of the fundamental technologies used across Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3 networks.
It is especially valuable for technicians and engineers who may already work with portions of a network but want to better understand how the different network layers and protocols interact.
Ideal participants include:
- Central Office Technicians, Engineers, and Supervisors
- Field and Line Technicians
- Customer Service Technicians
- Network Operations personnel
- Network Support personnel
- Network Administrators and IT professionals
- Development Engineers
- Network Design Engineers
- Network Management personnel
- Technical Sales professionals
- Technical Marketing professionals
- New networking professionals and new hires
- Individuals preparing for networking certifications
- Anyone who wants to strengthen their foundational networking knowledge and hands-on skills
Course Prerequisites
Students should have basic computer skills and a general interest in networking. The course is designed to build networking knowledge progressively from the physical layer through Ethernet and IP networking.
For hands-on exercises, students must have access to a laptop computer capable of connecting to the CellStream Online School of Network Sciences using a web browser and to the remote lab systems using Remote Desktop.
If the course is delivered in a classroom where suitable computers are provided, students may not need to bring individual laptops.
Course Materials
Students will receive:
- A comprehensive Course Student Guide
- Access to the networking lab environment
- Configuration and troubleshooting exercises
- Instructor-led demonstrations and practical examples
The lab environment provides students with opportunities to configure, examine, and troubleshoot actual networking technologies discussed during the course.
Course Outline:
Section 1: Establishing the Groundwork
- Overview and Introductions
- Introduction to the Internet
- Access and Applications of IP
- The Layered Model of Networking
- LAB – Layered Model Exercise
- LAB – Getting Set up for the Hands-On Lab Experiments
Section 2: L1 Interface Fundamentals
- Physical Layer Introduction and Overview
- Duplex: Half vs. Full
- Serial vs. Parallel
- Synchronous vs Asynchronous
- Twisted Pair/Fiber Optic Cable
- T1 – V.35
- CSU/DSU
- Ethernet Physical Media
- SFP’s: Copper vs. Fiber
Section 3: L2 Protocol Basics
- Basics of Ethernet Part 1 – Definition of Ethernet Technology, History, Ethernet Versions
- LAB – The Basics of Ethernet – Part 1
- Basics of Ethernet Part 2 – Defining a LAN, Topology Options, Cabling Options
- LAB – Ethernet Topology and Cabling Exercise
- Basics of Ethernet Part 3 – Ethernet MAC Addresses, Learning
- LAB – Ethernet MAC Address Exercise
- Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
- LAB – ARP Experiment
- Basics of Ethernet Part 4 – Understanding VLANS, 802.1Q Encapsulation, VTP
- Protocol
- LAB – VLAN Experiment
- Basics of Ethernet Part 5 – Spanning Tree Protocol, Gigabit Ethernet
- LAB: Spanning Tree Experiment
- Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)
- LAB – CDP Lab
Section 4: L3 IPv4 Addressing and VPN’s, and IPv6 Overview
- Layer 3 IPv4 and Addressing
- LAB – IPv4 Addressing Exercise
- IPv4 Subnet Addressing
- LAB – IPv4 Subnetting exercise
- IPv4 Multicast and NAT Operations
- LAB – Demonstration of IPv4 Multicast
- IPv6 Overview
- LAB – Demonstration and Examination of IPv6 with Wireshark
Section 5: L3 Network Control Plane Operations
- IP DHCP and DNS
- Basics of IP Routing
- Interior routing with EIGRP
- LAB – EIGRP Routing
- Exterior routing with BGP
- LAB – BGP Routing
Section 6: Tunneling with L2TP
- Tunneling Definition, Purpose, and Types
- L3 Virtual Private Networking (VPN)
- Secure Delivery of IP Traffic with IPsec
- L2TP Definition, Use Case and Encapsulation
- LAB – L2TP
Course Availability:
Contact us for schedule dates and times via our contact form or through the details provided on the page.
View the course calendar and browse for our schedule. It will show scheduled courses and available dates for scheduling.
Course Description, Content, Outline, and Instructional Design are Copyright ©CellStream, Inc.