Networking for home and small businesses CCNA discovery learning guide

Networking for Home and Small Businesses, CCNA Discovery Learning Guide is the official supplemental textbook for the Networking for Home and Small Businesses course in the Cisco#65533; Networking Academy#65533; CCNA#65533; Discovery curriculum version 4. The course, the first of four in the new curriculum, teaches networking concepts by applying them to a type of network you may encounter in a home or small office.

The Learning Guide , written and edited by instructors, is designed as a portable desk reference to use anytime, anywhere to reinforce the material from the course and organize your time. In addition, the book includes expanded coverage of CCENT(tm)/CCNA exam topics.

The book''s features help you focus on important concepts to succeed in this course:

Chapter Objectives-Review core concepts by answering the focus questions listed at the beginning of each chapter. Key Terms-Refer to the lists of networking vocabulary introduced and highlighted in context in each chapter. The Glossary defines each key term. Summary of Activities and Labs-Maximize your study time with this complete list of all associated exercises at the end of each chapter. Check Your Understanding-Evaluate your readiness with the end-of-chapter questions that match the style of questions you see in the online course quizzes. The answer key explains each answer. Challenge Questions and Activities-Apply a deeper understanding of the concepts with these challenging end-of-chapter questions and activities. The answer key explains each answer. Hands-on Labs-Master the practical, hands-on skills of the course by performing all the tasks in the course labs and additional challenge labs included in Part II of the Learning Guide.

Allan Reid is the curriculum lead for CCNA and a CCNA and CCNP#65533; instructor at the Centennial College CATC in Toronto, Canada.

Jim Lorenz is an instructor and curriculum developer for the Cisco Networking Academy.

How To-Look for this icon to study the steps you need to learn to perform certain tasks.

Interactive Activities-Reinforce your understanding of topics with more than 50 different exercises from the online course identified through-out the book with this icon. The files for these activities are on the accompanying CD-ROM.

Packet Tracer Activities- Explore and visualize networking concepts using Packet Tracer exercises interspersed throughout some chapters. The files for these activities are on the accompanying CD-ROM. Packet Tracer v4.1 software developed by Cisco is available separately.

Hands-on Labs-Work through all 26 course labs and 3 additional challenge labs included in Part II of the book. The labs are an integral part of the CCNA Discovery curriculum, so you can review the core text and the lab material to prepare for all your exams.

Companion CD-ROM

The CD-ROM includes

Interactive Activities Packet Tracer Activity files IT Career Information Taking Notes Lifelong Learning OSI Model Overview

This book is part of the Cisco Networking Academy Series from Cisco Press#65533;. Books in this series support and complement the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum.

Author Notes

Allan Reid

is the curriculum lead and a CCNA/CCNP instructor at the Centennial College CATC in Toronto, Canada. Allan is a professor in the Information and Communications Engineering Technology department and an instructor and program supervisor for the School of Continuing Education at Centennial College. He has developed and taught networking courses for both private and public organizations and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous certificate, diploma, and degree programs in networking. Allan is also a curriculum developer for the Cisco Networking Academy. Outside of his academic responsibilities, he has been active in the computer and networking fields for more than 25 years and is currently a principal in a company specializing in the design, management, and security of network solutions for small and medium-sized companies. Allan authored the first edition of WAN Technologies CCNA 4 Companion Guide (Cisco Press, ISBN: 1-58713-172-2) and Using a Networker's Journal , which is a supplement to A Networker's Journal (Cisco Press, ISBN: 1-58713-158-7). Most recently, Allan co-authored the CCNA Discovery online academy courses "Networking for Home and Small Businesses" and "Introducing Routing and Switching in the Enterprise" with Jim Lorenz.

Jim Lorenz is an instructor and curriculum developer for the Cisco Networking Academy. Jim coauthored several Cisco Press titles including Fundamentals of UNIX Companion Guide , Second Edition (ISBN 1-58713-140-4), Fundamentals of UNIX Lab Companion , Second Edition (ISBN 1-58713-139-0), and the third editions of the CCNA Lab Companions. He has more than 20 years' experience in information systems ranging from programming and database administration to network design and project management. Jim has developed and taught computer and networking courses for both public and private institutions. As the Cisco Academy Manager at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, he was instrumental in starting the Information Technology Institute (ITI) and developed a number of certificates and degree programs. Most recently, Jim co-authored the CCNA Discovery online academy courses "Networking for Home and Small Businesses" and "Introducing Routing and Switching in the Enterprise" with Allan Reid.

Part I Concepts
Chapter 1 Personal Computer Hardware	p. 3
Objectives	p. 3
Key Terms	p. 3
Personal Computers and Applications	p. 5
How and Where Computers Are Used	p. 5
Types of Computer Applications	p. 6
Types of Computers	p. 7
Classes of Computers	p. 7
Servers, Desktops, and Workstations	p. 8
Servers 8Desktops	p. 9
Workstations	p. 9
Portable Devices	p. 10
Laptops	p. 10
Tablet PC	p. 11
Pocket PC	p. 11
PDA	p. 11
Game Device	p. 12
Cell Phone	p. 12
Binary Representation of Data	p. 12
Representing Information Digitally	p. 12
Measuring Storage Capacity	p. 13
Measuring Speed, Resolution, and Frequency	p. 14
File Transfer Time	p. 15
Computer Screen Resolution	p. 15
Analog Frequencies	p. 16
Computer Components and Peripherals	p. 16
Computer Systems	p. 16
Motherboard, CPU, and RAM	p. 17
Motherboard	p. 17
Central Processing Unit (CPU)	p. 18
Random-Access Memory (RAM)	p. 19
Adapter Cards	p. 20
Video Cards	p. 21
Sound Cards	p. 21
Network Interface Cards (NICs)	p. 21
Modems	p. 22
Controller Cards	p. 22
Storage Devices	p. 22
Magnetic Storage	p. 22
Optical Storage	p. 23
Static Memory and Memory Sticks	p. 24
Peripheral Devices	p. 24
Cases and Power Supplies	p. 26
Surge Suppressors	p. 26
Uninterruptible Power Supplies	p. 27
Computer System Components	p. 28
Safety and Best Practices	p. 28
Installing Components and Verifying Operation	p. 30
Installing Peripherals and Verifying Operation	p. 31
Summary	p. 35
Activities and Labs	p. 35
Check Your Understanding	p. 36
Challenge Questions and Activities	p. 39
Chapter 2 Operating Systems	p. 41
Objectives	p. 41
Key Terms	p. 41
Choosing the Operating System	p. 42
Purpose of an Operating System	p. 42
Operating System Requirements	p. 46
Operating System Selection	p. 48
Installing the Operating System	p. 50
OS Installation Methods	p. 50
Preparing for OS Installation	p. 50
Configuring a Computer for the Network	p. 52
Computer Naming	p. 53
Network Name and Address Planning	p. 54
Maintaining the Operating System	p. 54
Why and When to Apply Patches	p. 55
Applying OS Patches	p. 55
Application Patches and Updates	p. 56
Summary	p. 58
Activities and Labs	p. 58
Check Your Understanding	p. 59
Chapter 3 Connecting to the Network	p. 61
Objectives	p. 61
Key Terms	p. 61
Introduction to Networking	p. 63
What Is a Network?	p. 63
Benefits of Networking	p. 65
Basic Network Components	p. 65
Computer Roles in a Network	p. 67
Peer-to-Peer Networks	p. 69
Network Topologies	p. 71
Principles of Communication	p. 73
Source, Channel, and Destination	p. 73
Rules of Communication	p. 74
Message Encoding	p. 76
Message Formatting	p. 77
Message Size	p. 79
Message Timing	p. 80
Access Method	p. 80
Flow Control	p. 80
Response Timeout	p. 81
Message Patterns	p. 81
Unicast	p. 81
Multicast	p. 82
Broadcast	p. 82
Communicating on a Wired Local Network	p. 84
Importance of Protocols	p. 84
Standardization of Protocols	p. 85
Physical Addressing	p. 87
Ethernet Communication	p. 88
Hierarchical Design of Ethernet Networks	p. 90
Logical Addressing	p. 91
Access, Distribution, and Core Layers and Devices	p. 92
Building the Access Layer of an Ethernet Network	p. 94
Access Layer	p. 94
Function of Hubs	p. 95
Function of Switches	p. 96
Broadcast Messaging	p. 99
MAC and IP Addresses	p. 101
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)	p. 101
Building the Distribution Layer of a Network	p. 103
Distribution Layer	p. 103
Function of Routers	p. 105
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Summary

Author Notes

Table of Contents