Have ever wondered how devices on computer networks truly communicate? There are specific protocols or rules and standards that every device must follow to access the Internet and to communicate over a network. In this course, you will examine the principles of network communication, how networks are designed and what specifically is being sent and received by different devices when we send pictures, text messages, video or any other data across the network. What exactly is sent and how is it sent are the questions that will be answered in this course.

At the end of the Network Protocols and Architecture course, you will be able to:

• Explain how protocols and standards benefit a global internetwork.
• Describe how the Ethernet Protocol transmits data within a LAN.
• Explain IPv4 addressing and the role subnet masks.
• Use Cisco Packet Tracer to connect hosts to a wireless router in a LAN.
• Use a protocol analyzer or "packet sniffer" to open and examine a data packet that has been transmitted across a network.
• Examine a Windows computer to locate the physical or MAC address used send and receive data.