Computer Science

***DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP STUDENTS ONLY***

The primary role of a network engineer is to design, install, maintain and support communication networks within an organisation or between organisations. They need to maintain high levels of network performance and availability for their users, such as staff, clients, customers and suppliers. They will understand network configuration, cloud, network administration and monitoring tools, and be able to give technical advice and guidance. As part of their role they need to be proficient in technology solutions as they will analyse system requirements to ensure the network and its services operate to desired levels. They will need to understand the data traffic and transmission across the network and they have a major role to play in ensuring network security.

The aim of this module is to give you basic competence in network engineering, including essential knowledge of the building blocks of computer networks and the internet and basic skills in planning, designing, constructing and managing simple networks.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Plan, design, build and test a simple network to a requirement specification that includes hubs, switches, routers and wireless user devices applying appropriate security products and processes

2. Identify and evaluate network security risks

3. Install and configure network components, including switches, routers and firewalls

4. Demonstrate understanding of the fundamental building blocks (e.g. routers, switches, hubs, storage, transmission) and typical architectures (e.g. server/client, hub/spoke) of computers networks and the Internet

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

5. Recognise the main features of routing and Internet network protocols in use, their purpose and relationship to each other, including the physical and data link layer  (e.g. https, HTTP, SMTP, SNMP, TCP, IP, etc.).

6. Recognise the main factors that affect network performance (e.g. the relationship between bandwidth, number of users, nature of traffic, contention)

7. Demonstrate understanding of data formats and protocol and how they relate to each other

8. Demonstrate understanding of the main routing protocols in use in computer networks and explain the differences between static and dynamic routing protocols and the pros and cons of each in different circumstances.

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and  Knowledge:

9. Think analytically and critically

10. Organise your own work

11. Work to a deadline

12. Make decisions

Computer networks and the Internet (3 weeks)

•          Building blocks; routers, switches, hubs, storage, transmission, etc.

•          Common architectures (e.g. server/client, hub/spoke)

•          Data formats and protocol, and how they relate to each other

•          Routing and Internet network protocols

           o          Purpose and relationship

           o          Physical and data link layer  (https, HTTP, SMTP, SNMP, TCP, IP, etc.)

           o          Static vs dynamic routing protocols; pros and cons in different circumstances

Network planning (2 weeks)

•          Identifying the key characteristics of a new network service

•          Factors affecting network performance; relationship between bandwidth, number of users, nature of traffic, contention, etc.

Designing and constructing simple networks (5 weeks)

•          Planning, designing, building and testing a simple network to a requirement specification

           o          Using hubs, switches, routers and wireless user devices

           o          Applying appropriate security products and processes

•          Installing and configuring network components including switches, routers and firewalls

Managing networks (2 weeks)

•          Issues in day to day operation of networks; troubleshooting and resolution

•          Identifying and evaluating network security risks

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be deferred in the assessment. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you may be required to sit a referral. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 40%.

ELE: vle.exeter.ac.uk

Reading list for this module: