Network Organization
There are different types of networks, often defined by the size of the network, which use different network devices. Students must be able to outline the features of PAN, LAN, WLAN, VLAN, VPN, SAN, WAN, and P2P networks.
Protocols are a system of rules that standardise how senders and receivers communicate over a network. Students must be able to explain the role of common protocols (TCP and IP) to ensure network hardware and software interoperability, how they are implemented (by hardware, software or a combination of both), and outline their role in the management of data integrity, flow control, deadlock, congestion and error checking.
Digital networks encapsulate and de-encapsulate communication into packets to route packets from a source to a destination. Students must be able to explain how Packet switching works and why digital networks encapsulate and de- encapsulate packets routed through ethernet, wireless, and Bluetooth communication standards.