This beginner-friendly course is designed to help you gain a solid understanding of computer networking principles and practices. You’ll start with an overview of career paths, certifications, and networking fundamentals to understand why networks matter in today’s world. You’ll then set up your own Cisco Packet Tracer lab to follow along with practical exercises and build real-world skills as you go.

You’ll learn about the different types of networks — wired, wireless, hybrid — and how networks are defined by geography, from PAN and LAN to MAN and WAN. The course also explores the Internet and its essential services such as HTTP, SMTP, and DNS. Next, you’ll dive deep into communication types like unicast, broadcast, and multicast, understand MAC addresses, Ethernet, and cabling standards, and get hands-on with practical cabling and topology examples.

As you progress, you’ll master the OSI reference model and TCP/IP layers, building a strong foundation for understanding how data flows through networks. The IPv4 addressing section covers binary and decimal conversions, IP classes, subnet masks, CIDR notation, and lab demonstrations so you can confidently calculate and assign IP addresses. You’ll also learn about essential network devices including hubs, bridges, switches, routers, and firewalls.

The course continues with advanced but approachable topics such as subnetting, static and dynamic routing protocols like RIP and OSPF, VLAN segmentation, inter-VLAN routing, spanning tree protocol, EtherChannel, ACLs, NAT, and PAT. Each concept is reinforced with labs and practical exercises to ensure you gain hands-on experience. By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills to understand, design, and troubleshoot basic network infrastructures and be ready to move on to more advanced certifications or real-world projects.