TCP/IP Fundamentals Training

An understanding of networking principles and terminology is required.

• describe the main objectives of the TCP/IP protocols
• explain the structure and use of IP addresses
• distinguish between an application and a protocol
• identify TCP/IP message formats
• explain what port numbers are and why some are well known
• understand the importance of RFCs and state how they may be obtained
• explain how IP routing operates and how messages are delivered to the right node
• understand the function, purpose, and use of subnetting, and be able to specify suitable subnet masks for given implementations
• describe how the FTP application operates and how it can be used
• explain how the Telnet, TN3270, and TN5250 applications operate and how they can be used
• explain how email applications operate and how mail is transported to the correct node using the SMTP and POP3 protocols
• explain how the world wide web application operates
• explain how the domain name system operates and how name servers resolve domain names
• explain the purpose and operation of the network file system and how it can be used
• explain the purpose and use of the SNMP protocol and how it can be used for network management
• describe how TCP operates and how connections are established, used, and terminated
• explain retransmission, sliding windows, and out of band data
• describe how UDP operates
• describe the function of routing protocols and state why they are required
• explain fragmentation and reassembly, source routing, RIP, and OSPF
• explain the purpose of CIDR and describe how it operates
• describe the purpose and function of the ICMP protocols and give examples of their use
• describe the purpose and function of the ARP protocol and state why it is required
• describe the purpose and use of the RARP protocol and describe its relationship to the BootP and DHCP protocols
• explain how a TCP/IP network can be installed, configured, tested, and managed
• explain how public/private key encryption techniques work
• describe the contents and use of a Digital Certificate
• state the purpose of the Secure Sockets Layer
• describe the principles of Firewalls
• explain the terms “packet filtering” and “bastion host”
• describe the use and output of the Netstat command
• describe the vulnerabilities of a computer system and network
• describe the defensive techniques to protect against threats
• use a packet sniffer tool to extract information from captured packets.

Introduction to TCP/IP

What is TCP/IP?; Why TCP/IP?; The growth of the Internet; Internetworking principles; IP addressing; IP address and physical address; Internet domain names; Internet domain name hierarchy; TCP/IP protocols; Common user applications; Common system applications; 'The Next Generation'; Review questions.

Architecture & Operation

Requests For Comments (RFCs); Protocol boundaries; Port numbers; Message formats; Transport & network protocols; A tale of two transports; Principles of IP routing; The structure of the Internet; Review questions.

User-Oriented Applications

Client/Server applications; Addressing the server; Berkeley Sockets; A TCP communication; A UDP communication; The File Transfer Protocol application; Using FTP; The Telnet application; Using Telnet; The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol; The Post Office Protocol v3; Using SMTP and POP3; The World Wide Web application; Using the Web; Review questions.

System-Oriented Applications

Resolving Internet domain names; The Domain Name System; Domain Name resolution; The Network File System; The Network File System architecture; The Network File System in operation; The Network File System port numbers; Network management - problems; Simple Network Management Protocol; Network management - solution; Review questions.

Transport Level Protocols

TCP and UDP compared; Transport Level message formats; UDP datagram format; UDP checksum pseudo-header; UDP in action; TCP segment format; TCP checksum pseudo-header; Connection set-up and release; Sequence numbers; Segment acknowledgement; TCP reliability; TCP sliding windows; Sliding windows in action; TCP control flags; TCP segment format - review; TCP finite state machine; Establishing a TCP connection; TCP data transfer; TCP connection release; Review questions.

Network Level Protocols

The Network Level Protocols; IP services; IP address classes; Subnetting principles; Subnetting mechanism; Subnetting in action; IP datagram format; Fragmentation & reassembly; Type Of Service; Time to live; IP options format; IP options - source routing; IP options - record route & time stamp; IP routing - principles; Interior and exterior routing protocols; Routing protocol location; OSPF & RIP compared; The IP routing algorithm; IP datagram format - review; address space exhaustion; Classless Inter-Domain Routing; CIDR in action; Classless addressing; Internet Control Message Protocol; ICMP message format; Example ICMP messages; Address Resolution Protocol; ARP message format; ARP in action; Reverse Address Resolution Protocol; RARP in action; RARP message format; The Bootstrap Protocol; BootP message format; BootP in action; The problem with BootP; Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; DHCP message format; DHCP finite states; DHCP and domain names; Review questions.

Configuring & Managing a TCP/IP Network

Setting up a TCP/IP host; Network infrastructure; Interconnection devices; TCP/IP addressing & naming; Choosing names & addresses; Security & privacy; Firewalls & encryption; Public key encryption - principle; Public key encryption - capabilities; Digital certificates; Secure Sockets Layer; Firewalls - packet filtering; Firewalls - bastion host; Firewalls - screened subnet; Network management - ping; Network management - Netstat; Review questions.

Network Security

Introduction; Vulnerabilities; The user; The user's operating system; Software running on the user's system; Lack of security in the communicating protocol; An inherent weakness of the network the user is on; Wireless networks; Internet based threats; Defense; Firewalls; Intrusion Prevention; Anti-virus software; Updates and Patches; User education; Tools; Wireshark; Backtrack; Metasploit/Armitage; Social Engineering Toolkit (SET).

IPv6 - The Next Generation

Why IPv6?; IPv6 packet format; IPv6 header format; Extension Headers; IPv6 Routing Header; IPv6 fragmentation header; IPv6 options header; IPv6 addressing; IPv6 prefixes and address types; Global unicast address format; Anycast address; Multicast address.