Protocols, services and cabling

Monday, January 25, 2027 · 5:45–8:45 PM · America/Chicago

Validate common network services and select and test a suitable physical connection.

HOW THIS MODULE FITS COURSE 202

CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks

Validate common network services and select and test a suitable physical connection.

Certification alignment: CompTIA Network+ N10-009.

PREPARATION / DUE BEFORE CLASS

Read the chapter. Complete the handout.

Due Monday, January 25 before 5:45 PM. Read the assigned material, review assigned slides and fill out every handout response before arriving. This preparation is required for the opening quiz; it is not work to postpone until the hybrid deadline.

CompTIA Network+ Guide to Networks, 10th Edition, Jill West, ISBN 9798214012780. Chapters 4–5: 4: Protocols; 5: Cabling. Read before class; review instructor-assigned licensed slides when available.

Chapter map verified

Preparation checklist

Read each assigned chapter actively: define unfamiliar terms and connect concepts to a support example.
Review the assigned slides, diagrams and procedures; identify prerequisites for each chapter lab.
Complete the handout in your own words with page or section references, a troubleshooting plan and two questions.
Submit the graded handout before 5:45 PM and arrive with access to the authorized lab environment.

Week 3 preparation handout

Original preparation handout — week 3
Read chapters 4–5: 4: Protocols; 5: Cabling.
1. Define six relevant terms and give a network-support example for each.
2. Explain the week's outcomes with chapter/section references: Validate common network services and select and test a suitable physical connection.
3. Answer these reading checks with reasoning: Distinguish TCP and UDP; explain DNS versus DHCP; choose cabling and a test tool for a specified link fault.
4. Draw a relevant topology or packet flow and annotate addresses, roles or controls. Show subnet calculations when applicable.
5. List tools, authorized scope, safety, baseline evidence and rollback steps for the labs.
6. Bring two questions. Complete and submit before Monday 5:45 PM.

This is a graded assignment within the 5% preparation/documentation category. Submit your completed responses as “Handout” below and bring them to class. Record chapter page or section references and your own explanations.

HYBRID / OUTSIDE OF CLASS

Your independent work

Due Sunday, January 31, 2027 at midnight, end of day.
The submission window ends Monday, February 1 at 12:00 AM America/Chicago. Monday class → following Sunday deadline.

1. MeasureUP — every week

Complete at least one N10-009 practice with at least 45 questions. Submit the question count, results and corrections or explanations for three weak concepts. Each course has its own weekly practice requirement.

2. NETLAB — graded assignments

Your weekly remote-lab portfolio is graded within the 20% lab category. The instructor assesses the work and evidence for each assigned lab; completion alone is not full credit.

Complete every approved remote-lab title assigned to this week. More than one lab may be required when several titles match the chapter material. Plan the assigned NETLAB work for the weekend after class. Reserve lab time early and allow time to troubleshoot, repeat steps and document results. Submit a remote-lab portfolio with a separate section and completion evidence for each assigned title.

Chapter/topic matching keywords: protocols DNS DHCP TCP UDP cabling copper fiber ports NAT. Only instructor-approved title matches below are assigned. If none are listed, the catalog match is pending; do not assume that an unrelated lab satisfies the requirement.

NETLAB+ title candidates — approval pending

OSI Model and Encapsulation Concepts; Understanding Network and Port Address Translation

These topic matches follow the NDG Network+ N10-009 library. The instructor must verify your installed titles, access and chapter scope before assigning them; candidates alone are not assignments.

3. Reinforcement and reflection

Complete at least one MeasureUp N10-009 practice of 45 or more questions; record count/results and correct three weak concepts with references. Complete all approved matching NETLAB+ titles and submit a portfolio section for each exact title with steps, interpreted evidence, troubleshooting and validation. Candidates: OSI Model and Encapsulation Concepts; Understanding Network and Port Address Translation. The instructor must confirm installed access and chapter scope before assignment. Repeat subnet or troubleshooting exercises relevant to your weak areas, then submit a reflection with one evidence-based decision and professional handoff. Due the following Sunday at end-of-day midnight. Reserve weekend access early; reading/handouts are due before class and classroom activities remain supervised.

Time and dedication

This is one intensive eight-week CompTIA Network+ preparation course. Plan 10–14 hours of independent reading, subnetting practice, handouts, MeasureUp, remote labs and troubleshooting each week, plus the three-hour meeting (13–17 hours total). Twelve chapters are covered in seven teaching weeks before the comprehensive practical. Basic computer, operating-system and command-line familiarity is expected; subnetting and troubleshooting often require repeated practice. These are planning estimates, not college credit-hour guarantees. Spread study across several days, reserve weekend NETLAB+ access, document unsuccessful tests and request help early. Attendance alone does not complete the hybrid requirements.

IN CLASS ONLY / 5:45–8:45 PM

Prepare → Quiz → Chapter labs → Closeout

5:45–6:00 · Start-of-class quiz

Take the reading quiz at the beginning of class. Answer each prompt with a technical explanation; prompts are equally weighted.

Distinguish TCP and UDP; explain DNS versus DHCP; choose cabling and a test tool for a specified link fault.

Use your preparation to explain the answer and the reason for it. Review missed concepts during closeout and add corrections to your study notes.

6:00–8:10 · Chapter-based lab workshop

This module currently has 2 lab activities, approximately 60 minutes each, excluding the 7:00–7:10 break. The instructor may scope the tasks and demonstrations to fit the session. Weeks may use one extended lab, two standard labs, or three to four short chapter activities.

Lab 1

Trace DNS, DHCP and application traffic using authorized utilities and supplied captures. Match ports and transport protocols to services, isolate one seeded service fault and demonstrate a successful retest.

Identify the support request, required outcome, authorized environment and safety or rollback precautions.
Record the starting configuration and symptoms. Predict the expected result before changing anything.
Perform the assigned procedure, capture relevant commands or settings, and troubleshoot unexpected results.
Verify the outcome with a repeatable test. Submit your observations, evidence, explanation and a concise service handoff.

Lab 2

Select copper, fiber and transceivers for stated distance, bandwidth and installation constraints. Inspect labeled samples or diagrams, interpret cable-test results, document a wiring fault and justify its correction.

Identify the support request, required outcome, authorized environment and safety or rollback precautions.
Record the starting configuration and symptoms. Predict the expected result before changing anything.
Perform the assigned procedure, capture relevant commands or settings, and troubleshoot unexpected results.
Verify the outcome with a repeatable test. Submit your observations, evidence, explanation and a concise service handoff.

This is an original provisional sequence. Confirm chapter alignment and lab scope against the licensed text; the exact textbook lab sequence has not been extracted. In-class lab work and its evidence are completed in the supervised class period, not assigned as weekend hybrid work.

8:10–8:45 · Closeout lecture, Q&A and announcements

Debrief protocols, services and cabling: compare evidence, correct misconceptions, connect findings to N10-009 objectives, answer questions and announce next reading and the Sunday hybrid deadline.

Connect lab results to certification concepts, resolve questions, review common errors, and confirm announcements, next week's reading and the hybrid deadline. Any make-up arrangements require instructor approval.

Assigned chapter slides and external resources

Licensed chapter PowerPoints and verified provider links are awaiting instructor setup. Sign in to access approved materials. Preparation prompts and original class activities are shown above.

Your submissions

Handout: before class. Quiz and classroom labs: in class only. Weekly practice, assigned remote-lab portfolio and reflection: the hybrid deadline shown above. These are separate requirements.