A company relies on its networking and storage infrastructure to compete in today’s global business world. To meet this demand organizations, require knowledgeable technical support professionals to maintain and update these networks; as well as enable secure, accessible, and efficient data and file storage, minimizing downtime and enhancing productivity.

If you are new to networks and storage, this course is for you. You may want to develop the skills to diagnose and repair basic networking and storage problems or gain a working vocabulary to understand the needs of your IT colleagues supporting the company in these endeavors.

You’ll learn the fundamentals of networking, including network types, topology models and standards, and the hardware for setting up a network with both wired and wireless connections. You’ll configure a network and learn the required protocols and ports to support this infrastructure.

With regards to storage, you’ll compare and contrast different types of storage devices as well as storage area networks (SAN) compared to network-attached storage (NAS). You investigate the types of storage gateways to meet the needs of your subscribers and identify common network storage and network sharing options such as local, hosted, and cloud.

This course provides multiple hands-on, real-world activities to demonstrate your newfound expertise, including setting up a small office/home office (SOHO) network and exploring the purposes of different cables used for setup. Networking and Storage Fundamentals is ideal for kickstarting roles including IT support or network technician or building your base knowledge needed for system administration.

Course Syllabus

Module 1: Networking Fundamentals

Video: Types and Topologies
Video: From Wired to Wireless Internet Connections
Video: Cables
Reading: New USB Technologies
Hands-on Activity: Exploring Cable Types
Video: Wireless Connections
Video: Introduction to Wireless Technologies
Video: Advantages and Disadvantages of Network Types
Hands-on Activity: Identifying Wireless Network Technologies
Reading: Summary & Highlights
Quiz: Practice Quiz
Quiz: Graded Quiz

Module 2: Networking Fundamentals Part II

Video: Networking Hardware Devices
Reading: Near Field Communication
Hands-on Activity: Identifying Networking Hardware Scenarios
Video: Packets, IP Addressing, DNS, DHCP, and NAT
Video: Microsoft Windows Server Lab Environment
Hands-on Lab: View and Clear DNS Cache
Video: Models, Standards, Protocols, and Ports
Video: Wireless Networks and Standards
Video: Protocol Table
Hands-on Lab: Exploring Networking Ports and Protocols
(Optional) Hands-on Lab: Ports and Protocols in Windows Defender
Reading: Summary & Highlights
Quiz: Practice Quiz
Quiz: Graded Quiz

Module 3: Configuring and Troubleshooting Networks

Video: Configuring a Wired SOHO Network
Hands-on Activity: Finding Your Router's IP Address
Video: Configuring a (Wireless) SOHO network
Hands-on Activity: Setting Up a SOHO Network
Video: Mobile Configurations
Video: Network Settings in Windows
Hands-on Lab: Exploring Windows Network Settings
Hands-on Lab: Configuring Network Settings in Windows
Video: Troubleshooting Network Connectivity
Video: Networking Troubleshooting with Command Line Utilities
Hands-on Lab: Command Line Utilities
Reading: Summary & Highlights
Quiz: Practice Quiz
Quiz: Graded Quiz

Module 4: Storage Types and Network Sharing

Video: Types of Local Storage Devices
Video: Local Storage with Multiple Drives
Video: Troubleshooting Storage Issues
Hands-on Lab: Disk Status and Repair Tools
Video: Types of Hosted Storage and Sharing
Hands-on Activity: Identifying Storage Types
Video: Network Storage Types
Reading: NVMe Storage Technologies
Video: Cloud-based Storage Devices
Hands-on Lab: Exploring Cloud Storage Options
Reading: Summary & Highlights
Quiz: Practice Quiz
Quiz: Graded Quiz

Module 5: Final Project and Final Exam

Final Project Overview
Hands-on Lab: Navigating the Draw.io Platform
Final Project: Using Draw.io to Diagram a Home Network
Glossary
Graded Quiz: Final Exam

Course Wrap-up

Congrats & Next Steps
Optional: IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate
Optional: Professional Certificate: Overview of Courses
Thanks from the Course Team

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Certificate and Badge

How to Claim Your Certificate, Incomplete
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What You'll Learn

Identify wired and wireless network types, explain physical and logical topology, differentiate network cable types and what each is used for.
List common network devices. Discover what packets are and how IP addresses work, and explain what protocols are and why models are necessary.
Determine how to set up and encrypt networks and mobile devices. Diagnose connectivity issues and utilize the command prompt and Windows Settings.
List network drive types, explain RAM, ROM, and RAID, and troubleshoot storage issues. Explain STaaS, and define file, block, and object storage.

Recommended Skills Before Taking this Course

This course is suitable for beginners. No prior IT skills are required other than basic computer literacy to take an online course. Also note that this platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.

Networking and Storage Fundamentals

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