Computer Networking I

You may retake the exam as many times as you want ($100. each time) (70 questions, 90 minutes, difficult multiple choice - pick the four best answers out of ten) Assume you will have to sign up at least one week in advance.

B. Final exam - 3 hours(minimum), completely hands-on. Build-Break-Restore scenarios. You will have to successfully configure a pod of routers with no cheat sheets. Each section will be pass/fail. Once successfully configured, the instructor will break 5-10 portions of the various configurations. You will then have to find and fix the broken portions of the configuration within the required time limit.

Example scenarios:

1. Configure Static routing on 4 routers using HDLC encapsulation. Verify that the routes are working by pinging from router one to router four.

2. Configure Rip routing on 4 routers using Frame-Relay encapsulation. Verify that the routes are working by pinging from router one to router four.

Possible Grading Modules:

C. Mid-term hands-on exam similar to the final exam.

D. You must take and pass the Building Scalable Cisco Networks (BSCN) exam.

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/10/wwtraining/certprog/lan/programs/ccnp.html

http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/10/wwtraining/certprog/testing/current_exams/640-503.html

The exam is NOT offered on campus (IKON Office Solutions in Albany). You may sign up for the exam at:

http://www.2test.com/index.jsp cost: $100.

You may retake the exam as many times as you want ($100. each time)

Assume you will have to sign up at least one week in advance.

I will make a decision in October (based upon how much material we are able to cover) whether this exam will be required.

E. If people are not doing the reading/labs, then I will introduce additional quizes/tests to keep people focused.

F. Attendance at both class and labs is REQUIRED. You will fail this course if you do not attend both class and labs. There is no way to cram this material. You either spend time every day configuring routers, or you will fail the various exams. I won't need to take attendance. I'll know.

Expectations: 4 hour class; 8 hours outside class for a total of 12 hours a week. class 2 hours; lab 2 hours; reading 2 hours, twice a week. This should be considered a minimum.

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If we use 2 grading modules, then your final grade will be the average of the two modules. If we use 3 grading modules, then your final grade will be the average of the three modules. Etc.

As I gauge the difference between teaching in a Corporate context and an Academic context, I reserve the right to alter the above grading policies with 2 weeks notice. This is a difficult course. However, I do not want it to be an impossible course. Therefore I will rely on constant feedback from you AFTER EACH CLASS:

http://www.csgtraining.aa.psiweb.com/davidkotfila.shtml

If I significantly misjudge your abilities, then I will consider (no guarantees!) curving the final grades.

5. Labs - Scheduling

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!

Whether we end up taking one or both of 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.

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.

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.

7. Reading Assignment for next class:

Lammle, pages 125 - 234, starting with the section "IP Addressing". Read for 4 hours and play around in the routers, practicing the commands. Keep track of how many pages you are able to cover. Were there sections you had to read multiple times? Be sure to include this in your anonymous feedback form on Wed/Thursday. Once I have a sense of how much material you can cover, I will set out a longer term reading schedule.