Definitive Ethernet switching for engineers

Description

Definitive Ethernet switching course description

A hands on comprehensive look at Ethernet switches with extensive coverage of VLANs. The course focuses on the technology and not any one manufacturers product enabling delegates to configure switches from any manufacturer.

What will you learn

• Configure and troubleshoot switches using:
  Console port
  telnet
  HTTP
  TFTP
  
• Configure and troubleshoot switch features such as:
  Duplex/speed
  Port based MAC security
  Spanning Tree
  Link aggregation
  Tagged ports
  
• Configure and troubleshoot VLANs.

Definitive Ethernet switching course details

Definitive Ethernet switching course contents

• What is Ethernet?

LANs, network cards and cables, CSMA/CD, Ethernet frames, Ethernet evolution, 802.3.
Hands on: ping, Ethernet speeds, CSMA/CD.

• Ethernet layer 2

Layer 2 functions, NICs, MAC addresses, unicasts, multicasts and broadcasts, frame formats.
Hands on: Configuring NICs, Analysing MAC addresses with Wireshark

• IP and Ethernet

Relationship
Hands on: ARP.

• What is a switch?

Switches connect multiple devices, switches versus hubs, simultaneous conversations, switches work at layer 2, the forwarding database, how the forwarding database is built, broadcast and collision domains
Hands on: Difference between hubs and switches.

• Switch configuration

Switch configuration Managed/unmanaged switches, configuration methods, reasons to configure switches. Console ports, HyperTerminal (and alternatives).
Hands on: Using the console port to troubleshoot and configure switches.

• Switches in more detail

Latency, forwarding mechanisms, switch fabrics.
Hands on: Using telnet and HTTP to switches.

• Ethernet extensions

Auto negotiation, Power over Ethernet.
Hands on:Configuring and troubleshooting switch ports: Speed, duplex and security.

• Redundant links

Loops, broadcast storms, STP, BPDU format, STP convergence.
Hands on: Tracking blocked ports. STP convergence.

• Backbone links

Architectures, link aggregation, LACP, load sharing, resilience.
Hands on: fail over times.

• VLANs

Virtual versus physical LANs, Why have VLANs? Broadcast domains, Creating VLANs, Assigning ports to VLANs.
Hands on: Analysing the effect of VLANs on traffic.

• Enterprise VLANs

VLANS are internal, multiple VLANs, Load balancing, Default VLAN, VLAN registration protocols: VTP, GVRP, MVRP.
Hands on: VLANs on multiple switches.

• Tagging/Trunking

Reason for tagging, terminology, tagging process, 802.1Q, Tag format, VLAN stacking.
Hands on: Configuring and troubleshooting tags.

• STP variants

RSTP, Common STP, Multiple STP, PVST, ring alternatives.
Hands on: RSTP.

• Inter VLANs

Layer 3 switching, IP addressing rules, Interconnecting VLANs.
Hands on: Routing between VLANs.

• Troubleshooting Ethernet

Methods, tools, locating faults, layer 1 issues, layer 2 issues
Hands on: Fixing the network.