5 credits
Students explore the role of a network administrator, the many considerations of operating a modern system, and the tools and technologies that are available to meet the requirements and demands of an organization's network. They acquire an understanding of the hardware and software components that make up the internet and examine protocols, routers, and client/server architecture related to configuring network services. Students study software platforms, control, shared resources, and security from a practical perspective. Through a series of hands-on assignments, students practice administrative tasks using applications as network tools for routing, securing ports, configuring network address translations, and confirming reconfigurations.