4-Day Instructor-Led Hands-On Lab Class
Available in either Web-Based Delivery or On-Site Delivery
Minimum 10 Students – Maximum 16 Students
Course Description
Modern Ethernet networks extend far beyond basic switching and VLAN operation. High-performance applications, storage systems, data centers, and converged networks depend on Ethernet, TCP/IP, addressing, routing, and specialized storage protocols working together efficiently. Engineers and technicians supporting these environments need to understand not only how these technologies operate, but also how to observe their behavior and troubleshoot performance problems.
The CSI-HO-038 Hands-On Advanced Ethernet and Netmask course provides an in-depth, practical examination of advanced Ethernet, TCP/IP, storage networking, IP addressing, subnetting, and routing technologies. This four-day instructor-led course combines technical instruction with extensive use of Wireshark, packet capture analysis, networking tools, and hands-on exercises.
Students begin with an Ethernet fundamentals review and an examination of important network and protocol performance drivers. Wireshark is then configured and customized for the course, giving students a packet-level view of the protocols and behaviors discussed throughout the class.
A substantial portion of the course focuses on TCP operation and performance. Students examine TCP segmentation, sequence and acknowledgment numbers, connection establishment, sliding windows, flow control, congestion control, Selective Acknowledgments, Window Scaling, timers, and TCP troubleshooting techniques. Packet captures allow students to see these mechanisms operating rather than simply learning them conceptually.
The course then moves into advanced storage and high-performance networking technologies. Students examine iSCSI, RDMA, InfiniBand, iWARP, RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE), NVMe, NVMe over Fabrics, and NVMe over TCP. Emphasis is placed on understanding protocol architecture, encapsulation, performance considerations, and the differences between alternative transport mechanisms.
IP addressing and subnetting are also explored in depth. Students work with IPv4 addressing, IPv4 subnetting, the relationship between IP subnets and VLANs, IPv6 addressing and subnetting, SLAAC, Neighbor Discovery, and ICMPv6. Wireshark analysis and hands-on exercises reinforce how these technologies actually operate on the network.
The course concludes with gateways, routers, and IP routing protocols, including OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP, followed by a discussion of network performance considerations and technologies such as SPDK and DPDK.
Throughout the course, the emphasis is on seeing and understanding actual network behavior. Students use packet analysis, hands-on configuration, demonstrations, and troubleshooting exercises to connect advanced networking concepts with the real systems they support.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Strengthen their understanding of advanced Ethernet networking concepts.
- Customize and use Wireshark for advanced protocol and packet analysis.
- Explain TCP connection establishment, segmentation, sequencing, and acknowledgment.
- Understand TCP flow control and congestion-control mechanisms.
- Recognize important TCP performance behaviors using packet captures.
- Apply a systematic workflow to TCP troubleshooting.
- Explain the architecture and operation of iSCSI.
- Understand Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) concepts and applications.
- Compare InfiniBand, iWARP, and RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE).
- Explain NVMe and NVMe over Fabrics technologies.
- Understand the operation and performance implications of NVMe over TCP.
- Apply IPv4 addressing and subnetting concepts.
- Explain the relationship between Ethernet VLANs and IP subnets.
- Understand IPv6 addressing and subnetting.
- Explain IPv6 SLAAC, Neighbor Discovery, and ICMPv6 operations.
- Understand the functions of gateways and routers within Ethernet networks.
- Explain the basic operation of OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP.
- Use Wireshark traces to analyze routing protocol behavior.
- Identify important network and protocol performance drivers.
- Apply advanced networking knowledge through hands-on analysis and troubleshooting exercises.
The objective is not simply to introduce additional protocols. The course connects Ethernet, TCP/IP, storage networking, addressing, and routing so students can better understand how changes or problems in one part of the network can affect application and storage performance elsewhere.
Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for experienced networking and storage professionals who need a deeper understanding of Ethernet, TCP/IP, storage networking, addressing, and routing technologies.
It is particularly valuable for:
- Network Technicians and Engineers
- Storage Area Network Engineers
- Data Center Engineers
- Network Operations personnel
- Network Support Engineers
- Ethernet and IP Network Engineers
- Network Administrators
- Systems Engineers
- Development Engineers
- Network Design Engineers
- Network Management personnel
- Performance and Troubleshooting Engineers
- Technical Sales professionals
- Technical Marketing professionals
- Individuals working with iSCSI, RDMA, RoCE, or NVMe
- Networking professionals who want to strengthen their Wireshark analysis skills
- Individuals pursuing advanced networking or storage certifications
This is an advanced course and is best suited for students who already understand basic Ethernet and IP networking concepts and want to develop a deeper understanding of network behavior and performance.
Course Prerequisites
Students should have a working knowledge of Ethernet and basic TCP/IP networking concepts. Familiarity with IPv4 addressing and general network operation is strongly recommended.
Students must have access to a laptop computer capable of connecting to the CellStream Online School of Network Sciences using a web browser.
Wireshark must be installed on the student’s computer so packet captures and protocol-analysis exercises can be performed throughout the course.
If the course is delivered in a classroom where suitable computers and the necessary software are provided, students may not need to bring individual laptops.
Course Materials
Students will receive a comprehensive Course Student Guide and the materials necessary to complete the hands-on exercises.
Students will use Wireshark, packet captures, networking tools, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises throughout the course to reinforce the concepts presented during instruction.
The emphasis is on practical analysis: students examine the protocols themselves and learn how to relate packet-level behavior to network architecture, configuration, performance, and troubleshooting.
Course Outline:
- Section 1: Establishing The Groundwork
- Overview and Introductions
- Ethernet Protocol Fundamentals Review
- Important Network and Protocol Performance Drivers
- Section 2: Wireshark Tool Setup and Customization
- Customizing Wireshark and Profile use
- LAB: Creating and Installing Custom Profiles for Wireshark
- Sample Capture File testing
- Section 3: TCP/IP
- Transmission Control Protocol
- MTU vs MSS
- TCP Sockets
- TCP Segmentation
- TCP Sequence and Acknowledgement
- 3-way Handshake
- LAB: TCP 3-Way Handshake Trace Analysis
- Flow Control, Sliding Windows
- TCP Windows
- Congestion Control
- Selective Acknowledgements (SACK)
- Window Scaling
- Delayed Ack, Nagle Algorithm
- TCP Conversation Completeness
- TCP Timers
- LAB: TCP Congestion and Flow Control
- TCP Troubleshooting Workflow
- LAB: TCP Troubleshooting Example Traces/Workthroughs
- Section 4: iSCSI
- SCSI and iSCSI Defined
- Protocol Stack/Illustration/Components
- LAB: iSCSI Profile and Trace Analysis Lab Experiment
- Section 5: RDMA
- Interconnection Model
- InfiniBand and IP over InfiniBand, and Ethernet over InfiniBand
- RDMA Defined
- RDMA Procedures and Methods
- RDMA Similarities/Differences to TCP
- Options for RDMA over Layer 2
- iWARP – Internet Wide Area RDMA Protocol
- RoCE – RDMA over Converged Ethernet
- Protocol Stack/Illustration/Components
- LAB: InfiniBand/RDMA Profile and Trace Dissection Lab Experiment
- Section 6: NVMe
- NVMe Defined
- NVMe Command Processing
- NVMe-oF – NVMe over Fabrics, Options
- NVMe over TCP
- Protocol Stack/Illustration/Components
- Performance Considerations
- LAB: NVMe Profile and Trace Analysis Lab Experiment
- Section 7: Netmask
- IPv4 Addressing
- LAB: IPv4 Addressing Exercise
- IPv4 Subnet Addressing
- Relationship between IP Subnets and VLANs
- LAB: IPv4 Subnet Addressing Tool and Exercises
- IPv6 Addressing
- IPv6 Subnet Addressing
- IPv6 SLAAC – Stateless Address Auto Configuration
- LAB: IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Demonstration and Wireshark Trace Analysis
- ICMPv6: Neighbor and Router Solicitation
- IPv6 Autoconfiguration Demonstration and Wireshark Trace Analysis
- Primary Differences Between IPv4 and IPv6
- LAB: Optional: Dual Stack Network Example/Demonstration
- Section 8: Gateways/Routers
- Gateway/Router Functions
- Routers Deployment options in LANs
- IP Routing Protocols
- OSPF
- LAB: OSPF Demonstration and Trace Analysis
- EIGRP
- LAB: EIGRP Demonstration and Trace Analysis
- BGP (eBGP and iBGP)
- LAB: BGP Demonstration and Trace Analysis
- Course Summary
- Conclusions on Performance Drivers (i.e. RoCE vs TCP)
- Thoughts on Development – Linux vs. Windows, etc.
- SPDK (Storage Performance Development Kit)
- DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit)
- Bibliography and Resources
Course Availability:
Contact us for schedule dates and times via our contact form or through the details provided on the page.
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Course Description, Content, Outline, and Instructional Design are Copyright ©CellStream, Inc.