Grading Policy for Networking Laboratory I
1. Networking Laboratory I / Computer Networking I LEC 4 T R 6:00 7:50PM Kotfila Sage 4101
2. Instructor: Chris Price pricec@cs.rpi.edu Office hours: By arrangement Lally 316 ext. 6476
Teaching Assistants:
Learning Objectives
The purpose of this course is to be able to explain, configure, verify, and troubleshoot complex computer networks at an introductory level.
At the successful completion of this class a student will be able to say:
I can explain computer networking concepts to both technical peers and non-technical management.
I can configure network routers and switches so that both LAN and WAN traffic successfully traverses the network.
I can verify that a computer network has been properly configured.
I can troubleshoot network problems. I can successfully implement solutions.
I can discern true statements from false statements as pertains to computer networking as verified by passing industry standard examinations.
3. Required texts:
CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide, 7th Edition (640-802) Todd Lammle ***REQUIRED***
Sybex, Paperback, 7th Bk&CD edition, 864 pages, ISBN-10: 0470901071
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CCNA Portable Command Guide, 2nd Edition (Exam 640-802) Scott D. Empson ***REQUIRED***
Cisco Press, Paperback, Published July 2007, 384 pages, ISBN 1587201933
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Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH) Foundation Learning Guide: Foundation learning for SWITCH 642-813 ***REQUIRED***
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CCNP SWITCH Portable Command Guide ***REQUIRED***
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4. Grading:
This is a LAB course. The top priority is the ability to configure production networks.
PLEASE BRING YOUR LAPTOP, WITH PACKET TRACER INSTALLED, TO EACH CLASS. THERE WILL BE PACKET TRACER EXERCISES IN EACH CLASS.
The basic structure of the class is 4/4/4 - 4 hours of class, 4 hours of lab, 4 hours of reading/homework per week. It may be necessary to spend additional time re-reading material depending upon your background. No background is assumed. A critical skill for the successful completion of this course is time management skills. We will move through a large quantity of material at a very rapid pace. It is essential that you not fall behind in either reading or labs. There is a lab associated with each class. Go to class on Tuesday. Take ONE of five possible labs. Go to class on Thursday. Take ONE of four possible labs. Class. Lab. Class. Lab. Simulated equipment. Live Equipment. Simulated equipment. Live equipment. Labs start next Tuesday, Janaury 31st at 8 pm. NO LABS THIS WEEK.
Sign up for ONE of these five labs:
| 85647 CSCI-4970-04 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | T | 8:00 | 9:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 2 | 14 | View TextBooks |
| 85648 CSCI-4970-05 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | W | 2:00 | 3:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 2 | 14 | View TextBooks |
| 85649 CSCI-4970-06 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | W | 4:00 | 5:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 3 | 13 | View TextBooks |
| 85650 CSCI-4970-07 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | W | 8:00 | 9:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 4 | 12 | View TextBooks |
| COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | R | 4:00 | 5:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 2 | 14 | View TextBooks |
and for ONE of these four labs:
| 85652 CSCI-4970-09 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | R | 8:00 | 9:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 1 | 15 | View TextBooks |
| 85644 CSCI-4970-01 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | M | 4:00 | 5:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 1 | 15 | View TextBooks |
| 85645 CSCI-4970-02 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | M | 8:00 | 9:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 6 | 10 | View TextBooks |
| 85646 CSCI-4970-03 | COMPUTER NETWORK LAB | LAB | 0 | NG | T | 4:00 | 5:50PM | Kotfila | EATON 215 | 16 | 6 | 10 | View TextBooks |
The short version of grading is this: Completed labs plus your mid-term and final exam = your grade. The mid-term and final can either be an in-class exam or a Cisco certification exam. Chapter exams are for practice only. No chapter exams count towards your final grade.
1. Labs - TAs will take attendance at each lab. Failure to successfully complete one lab - no penalty Failure to successfully complete two labs - lose 1/2 letter grade Failure to successfully complete three labs - lose one full letter grade (the highest grade you can get is a B). Failure to successfully complete four labs - lose two full letter grades. Failure to successfully complete 5 labs - automatically fail the course. The intent here is clear. This is a course in which you are expected to demonstrate your ability to configure and troubleshoot a real network.
Students must complete labs the week they are assigned to receive credit for the lab. Requests to make up ("cram") labs at the end of the semester will be denied. It is understandable that events occur in life which might necessitate missing a lab (example: illness, family birthday, etc.) For events that are known ahead of time (a family reunion), you must email the TAs before the missed lab. In the event of illness, email the TAs as soon as possible. You must make up the labs within one week of when you are healthy. CC: me on all of these emails. It helps me to do grading at the end of the semester if I have your email: david.kotfila@gmail.com
The first lab will be held after next Tuesday's class (January 31st, 8 pm), and then will follow the posted schedule on SIS. You must sign up for one lab session between the end of Tuesday class and the beginning of the Thursday class. You must sign up for one additional lab session between the end of the Thursday class, and the beginning of Tuesday class. It is the responsibility of students to make sure that the TA sees you in the lab and verifies that (1) you have successfully completed the lab, or (2)worked the entire 2 hours attempting to get the lab to work. Initially, you will be assigned a "pod" of routers. Your goal is to successfully configure these devices so that they are communicating with each other.
Students come into this course with vastly different backgrounds. Some of you have zero networking experience. That's fine. Some of you have extensive experience on production networks. That's fine. "Completing a lab" means working for the two hour lab period. If you lack experience, and it takes you twice as long as other people to complete lab 1, that is fine. Save your configurations and continue to work on lab 1 the next lab period. If you finish lab 1 in 45 minutes, then move on to lab 2. You learn to drive a car by actually driving. You learn to configure complex networks by actually configuring complex networks.
Labs start Tuesday, January 31st, at 8 pm
2. Class Attendance - Class is required but attendance is not taken. >80% of those who attend class pass the course. >80% of those who do not attend class fail the course. Do the math :-)
3. Conceptual Mastery (3 possible grading tracks)
Summary of Grading Tracks
Track 1 - Midterm: CCNA certification exam Final: SWITCH certification exam
Track 2 - Midterm: CCNA certification exam Final: inclass SWITCH exam
Track 3 - Midterm: inclass CCNA exam Final: inclass SWITCH exam
Detailed explanation of Grading Tracks
Track 1: CCNP Certification Track - To pass this course, you must successfully pass the official Cisco CCNA, and SWITCH exams as well as complete the labs as outlined above. These are administered at Vue testing centers. You may take these exams as many times as you need to, to pass them. However, the semester is short. Each time you take the CCNA exam it costs $250. Each time you take the SWITCH exam it costs $200. Lack of money is not an adequate reason for not retaking the exam, or for not retaking it in a timely fashion. While I am very unhappy about it being this way, you should evaluate carefully whether you have sufficient funds to complete this track.
Because you have to sign-up on your own to take these exams, some students in the past have been under the impression that it is at their discretion as to when they take these exams. This is NOT the case. You MUST take the exams by the posted dates (see homework page). Just like a mid-term and a final exam, it is NOT your choice when you take these. Keep current on your assignments. Take the exam by the posted time. Extended illness or other extraordinary circumstances (death in the family) are legitimate excuses.
Track 1 is the DEFAULT track (unless you notify me otherwise).
Track 2: CCNA Certification Track - About half the students in the class
end up not going on to complete their CCNP(which consists of 3 additional exams
beyond the CCNA exam). Therefore, while everyone in this track is
required to pass the CCNA exam, you are choosing to NOT take the SWITCH exam
of the CCNP. These students will be graded upon
The in-class final is scaled, and the grades typically follow a bell curve.
Track 3: Non-Certification Track - Students in this track will be graded on the in-class midterm and the in-class final. There is no charge for taking these exams. Students who want to exercise this option MUST email me david.kotfila@gmail.com and indicate their desire to do so. The subject line of the email should be "TRACK 3".
The in-class mid-term and final are scaled, and the grades typically follow a bell curve.
You may switch grading tracks at any time. However, you need to email me and let me know: david.kotfila@gmail.com
Incompletes - Only for medical reasons, or extended illness/death in the family. The fact that you do not have enough money to pay to retake an exam is not an acceptable reason.
Late work - will receive a minimum of one grade reduction and may, at the sole discretion of the instructor, not be accepted at all.
5. Labs - Scheduling - Use SIS sign up for 2 lab times each week. Avoid crowded labs as this will give you more equipment to play with :-)
6. Academic Integrity
The corporate environment to which most of you are about to enter is a TEAM environment. That is good news. There is more technical information that needs to be assimilated that any single individual could ever possibly hope to learn. Techies need to understand management. Management needs some understanding of the technology. Within technical groups there will be various specialties. Specialists will have to work across disciplines to get corporate projects completed.
Therefore you are strongly encouraged to help one another in any way that you can. One of you will become an access-list expert but get confused by Lan Switching. Another will really grasp the OSI model in a profound way, but not get dynamic routing. Help each other. Study groups are encouraged!
When you take the official Cisco exams, you will be completely on your own. Cheating will be difficult if not impossible. You will be in a controlled environment in which a computer and a calculator will be provided. You will not be allowed to bring anything else other than a pencil into the testing environment. Some testing centers video tape the testing sessions. Cheating on one of these exams will result in an F for the course.
Hands on exams at RPI will be the work of individuals only (no collaboration) and closely monitored. I have never had anyone successfully cheat on one of these exams (do not take that as a challenge). However, in the event that cheating is attempted you will fail that exam. If cheating is suspected, but not certain, then a re-test will be given. The decision to re-test will be solely at the discretion of the instructor. The first cheating offense on this type of exam will result in a loss of 2 letter grades for the course. The second offense will result in an F for the course.
Routers have various HELP functions built into the Operating System (IOS). It will be possible to use these during the hands-on exams. This HELP function is not available on the standardized Cisco exams.
It would be easy to cheat on the written homework and lab assignments. Cheating on these will result in the loss of one letter grade for the course. The second offense will result in an F for the course.
Using non-approved passwords on networking devices hurts everyone in the class. It prevents other people from using the lab and costs the Director/Instructor/TA valuable time spent in breaking the password. The first offense of intentionally using a non-approved password will result in a grade reduction of one letter. The second offense will result in failure. There is no penalty for accidently ("fat fingering") setting the wrong password. Immediately notify your Instructor/TA so that they can remedy the situation.