Foundations of Networking and Systems

This unit introduces core networking and systems concepts that underpin effective network design, deployment, and basic administration. Students learn fundamental protocols, addressing, cabling, Windows networking tasks, virtualization, server planning, security basics, and backup/disaster-recovery principles to prepare for advanced network management.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze foundational networking concepts — including binary, Ethernet, wireless, IP addressing, DNS naming, and cabling — to develop a basic network plan for a small environment
• Demonstrate practical Windows networking skills by configuring network connections, enabling file and printer sharing, joining a machine to a domain, and using Outlook Web App in laboratory scenarios
• Apply system administration principles by planning a Windows Server installation, describing Active Directory organization and Group Policy, and summarizing virtualization and disk storage considerations
• Evaluate security, backup, and disaster-recovery strategies by assessing firewalls, spam mitigation, mobile-device considerations, and 3-2-1 backup and cloud/hybrid models to recommend protections for small networks