32524 LANS and Routing
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksThere are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 31270 Networking Essentials AND 31277 Routing and Switching Essentials
Recommended studies:
Competency in the use of PCs; fundamental knowledge of the working principles of a computer; basic understanding of computer networking and the Internet.
Description
This subject provides students with knowledge of local area network (LAN) hardware and physical layer standards, and basic computer networking concepts and principles, and introduces LAN design and the use of routers and switches, and routing and switching in autonomous system intranets. It also explains how these access WANs. Using the Cisco Networking Academy's online resources and practical work in wiring and configuring LANs, including Cisco routers and switches, is an integral part of this subject.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Design small to medium-sized routed and switched networks, including hierarchical IP addressing schemes, to meet specified requirements. (C.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Apply computer network concepts and technologies to analyse and solve network problems. (D.1) |
| 3. | Utilise appropriate networking equipment and media to implement, troubleshoot and verify connectivity of small to medium-sized networks using Cisco hardware and software. (D.1) |
| 4. | Demonstrate teamwork skills in labs and projects to achieve specified requirements. (E.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
- Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating autonomously within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Normal classes are comprised of a 1.5-hour lecture and a 2.5-hour tutorial/laboratory session per teaching week. In the laboratory, a workshop approach is used which combines learning by doing small group activities, hands-on labs, Q&A sessions, and online tests. It is expected that, for each week's lecture, tutorial and lab, students will need to spend additional six hours in self-directed study.
Pre-studying the chapters (textbook and/or ELearning materials) before they are covered in class is essential for students’ success in this subject. Electronic textbooks, as well as ELearning materials, including video lectures and interactive exercise or quizzes, are widely used for this subject. Careful notes made during students’ self-directed pre-study will greatly assist with the written exam and the online exams. During lab sessions, students should make careful notes in their Engineering Journals which will be very helpful with the skills based assessments. The Final Exam questions will also come from these sources.
Nearly all hands-on activities are based on group work. Groups are formed from within a class, where each group typically has four students. Groups are set up at the beginning of the session and are expected to work together on a weekly basis and for practical assessments. However, most marks are allocated to tasks where each student is marked individually. Also, in-class discussions and Q&A sessions are conducted for most lab sessions to facilitate active, collaborative learning.
UTS Canvas (canvas.uts.edu.au) is used to disseminate all internal information to students. Furthermore, a Microsoft Teams channel will be created to allow students to pose questions, and more importantly, to answer each other questions. Students are expected to log into Teams on a frequent basis to read messages and to engage in dialogue on the subject matter.
The workload and pace of this subject will require students to exercise considerable diligence and to strive for efficient utilisation of class time and laboratory facilities. Accordingly, all computer activities which are not directly and expressly related to the curriculum are strictly prohibited in all networking labs.
Content (topics)
The major topics covered in this subject are:
- Network Access
- Ethernet
- Network Layer
- IP Addressing and Subnetting
- Transport and Application Layer
- Static Routing
- Single-area OSPFv2
- VLANs
- ACLs and NAT for IPv4
- DHCP
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Mid-session Assessment
| Intent: | The purpose of this early session assessment is to provide students with early feedback, enabling them to adjust their learning strategies and enhance their learning efficiency. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 3 and 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 10% |
Assessment task 2: Case Study
| Intent: | As an authentic, comprehensive assignment, this assessment task provides an opportunity for students to integrate individual topics covered in each week into a real network. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2, 3 and 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 20% |
Assessment task 3: Final Skills-based Assessment
| Intent: | As a final practical assessment, this assessment task evaluates students' competency on their hands-on skills. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): D.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
Assessment task 4: Final Exam
| Intent: | This assessment is to evaluate students' overall performance of achieving the subject learning objectives. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 2 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): D.1 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Required texts
The primary source of information for this subject is the online course curriculum, accessible via Cisco Networking Academy web site (https://www.netacad.com/), which is referred to as 'NetAcad'.
All students who are enrolled in this subject will be given access to
- 'CCNA Routing and Switching ver 7.02: Introduction to Networks (ITN)',
- 'CCNA Routing and Switching ver 7.02: Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials (SRWE)' and
- 'CCNA Routing and Switching ver 7.02: Enterprise Networking, Security, and Automation (ENSA)'
through the Cisco NetAcad website (normally from two weeks before the first class session).
The following hardcopy textbooks (corresponding to the earlier version 6.0) are also available for purchase as reference books:
- CCNAv7: Introduction to Networks (ITN) Companion Guide, by Cisco Networking Academy, 2020.
- CCNAv7: Switching, Routing and Wireless Essentials (SRWE) Companion Guide, by Cisco Networking Academy, 2020.
Note that, using either the online course curriculum or the hard copy textbooks will be sufficient. However, the Cisco Networking Academy online learning environment also contains additional learning resources and hosts all online exams, available to all enrolled students at no additional cost.
References
Wendell Odom, CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 1 & 2, Cisco Press, 2019.
Other resources
- Cisco Networking Academy website 'NetAcad' for online course curriculum and online assessments (login: your Cisco Networking Academy account created by the Subject Coordinator normally at the beginning of the session): https://www.netacad.com/
- UTS Canvas (http://www.canvas.uts.edu.au) for dissemination of all internal course information (including lecture notes, additional eLearning materials, additional labs and exercises, additional information about assessment, as well as online discussion and collaborative learning (login: UTS Student ID and UTS Email password).