Overview

This unit of study aims to introduce you to the field of data networking and to provide you with the necessary skills to design and successfully deploy a small network.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Pathways Teaching 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
21-October-2024
31-January-2025
Last self-enrolment date
03-November-2024
Census date
15-November-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-December-2024
Results released date
11-February-2025
Pathways Teaching 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
24-February-2025
30-May-2025
Last self-enrolment date
09-March-2025
Census date
21-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
10-June-2025
Pathways Teaching 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
23-June-2025
26-September-2025
Last self-enrolment date
06-July-2025
Census date
18-July-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
15-August-2025
Results released date
07-October-2025
Pathways Teaching 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
20-October-2025
30-January-2026
Last self-enrolment date
02-November-2025
Census date
14-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
12-December-2025
Results released date
10-February-2026

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Use the OSI Model to discuss network design and infrastructure (K3, S3)
  • Design an addressing scheme to subnet a network to given specifications (K2, K3, S3)
  • Describe the processes of LAN switching and how VLANs are used in a switched network (K3)
  • Use best practice to design secure corporate networks and deploy security to practical networking environments (K3, S1, S3)
  • Describe how the Spanning Tree Protocol eliminates loops in multi-switched LANs (K3)
  • Construct a simple network of PCs, switches and a router, and troubleshoot problems in those networks (K3, S1, S2, S3)
  • Generate documentation for laboratory work and assignments (A2)

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
(Online lectures)		 2 12 weeks  24
On-campus
(Computer Lab)		 1 12 weeks  12
On-campus
(Practical work)		 3 12 weeks  36
Unspecified Activities
(Independent Learning)		 6.5 12 weeks  78
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssessmentIndividual/Group 30% 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
TestIndividual 20% 2,3,4,6 
TestIndividual 50% 1,2,3,4,5 

Hurdle

As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:

  1. An aggregate mark of 50% or more, and
  2. Obtain at least 40% in the class test, and
  3. Pass the Skills Exam. 

The criteria for passing the Skills Exam is available in the Unit Outline. Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirements (2) and (3) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.

Content

  • Networking Fundamentals
  • OSI Network Layers
  • Ethernet fundamentals, technologies and switching
  • TCP/IP and addressing
  • Subnets and subnetting (VLSM and CIDR)
  • Switching concepts
  • Virtual LANs
  • Inter-VLAN Static routing
  • Network and Secure Network Design
  • Etherchannel Bundling
  • Spanning Tree Protocol
  • Wireless LANs
  • Basic switch troubleshooting

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.