Introduction to TCP/IP

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/tcpip

Introduction

### Course Review: Introduction to TCP/IP on Coursera In today's hyper-connected world, understanding the underlying technologies that power our daily internet activities is more important than ever. The **"Introduction to TCP/IP"** course on Coursera offers an accessible yet comprehensive exploration of the fundamentals of internet technologies. Whether you are a budding IT professional, a student, or simply an inquisitive learner eager to enhance your understanding of the internet, this course is an invaluable resource. #### Course Overview The course begins by framing the internet's role in our everyday lives; it's not just the technology we use, but a fundamental part of our digital existence. Through the course, learners explore essential components, including IPv4, IPv6, TCP, UDP, and internet security, among others. The structured approach, divided into well-defined modules, makes complex topics easy to digest, even for those with little prior knowledge. #### Detailed Syllabus Breakdown 1. **My PC's Internet & Gateway** - This module defines the foundational aspects of internet use on personal devices. You will learn about internet setups, including DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and how routers act as gateways. The lectures are hands-on, ensuring you gain practical knowledge on configuring your device's internet settings. 2. **TCP/IP Protocol** - The focus shifts to the TCP/IP framework in this section, where you'll dive deep into the operations of protocols. Comparing the process to postal mail delivery simplifies complex concepts. You'll grasp the distinctions between IPv4 and IPv6, CIDR notation, and the crucial functionalities of TCP and UDP. 3. **Internet Routing & Functions** - This module covers how data is routed across the internet. Topics like IGP and EGP, OSPF routing, and NAT demystify how your devices interact with networks globally. Understanding FTP and e-mail protocols enables learners to see how data flows securely across networks. 4. **Internet Security** - In an age where cyber threats loom large, this module is vital. It highlights common attack types and defenses, providing insights into protective measures like firewalls and encryption techniques. It not only prepares learners to recognize threats but also empowers them to safeguard their devices. 5. **Wireshark Internet Project** - The hands-on project offers practical experience using Wireshark, a powerful tool for analyzing network packets. This is an exciting opportunity to apply learned concepts by observing real-time network traffic and engaging in DIY experiments to test your knowledge. #### Course Highlights - **Engaging Content:** The course presents material through a mix of lectures, visuals, and practical exercises. This diversified format caters to different learning styles and keeps learners engaged. - **Real-world Applications:** Each topic is reinforced with real-life scenarios, helping learners understand how these protocols impact daily internet usage. - **Self-paced Learning:** Coursera's platform allows you to learn at your own pace, making it an excellent choice for busy professionals or students. #### Recommendations I highly recommend the **"Introduction to TCP/IP"** course for anyone looking to enhance their understanding of how the internet functions. The in-depth exploration of protocols, security measures, and practical applications through Wireshark instills a sense of confidence in navigating the digital landscape. Whether you're aspiring to a career in IT, cybersecurity, or just looking to become a more informed internet user, this course lays a solid foundation that will serve you well in our increasingly digital world. This course is more than just a curriculum; it’s an essential guide for anyone who uses the internet. Make your way to Coursera and embark on your journey into the world of TCP/IP!

Syllabus

My PC's Internet & Gateway

For the course 'Introduction to TCP/IP,' the first module is 'My PC's Internet & Gateway,' which introduced all important functions of the Internet that you use from your PC (Personal Computer), laptop, or smartphone. The first lecture 'My PC’s Internet Setup' explains the setup used in your PC/laptop. The next lecture 'Automatic Internet Setup using DHCP,' shows how your PC/laptop’s Internet connection is automatically setup if a local DHCP Server is supporting your network. Then the focus moves to the Default Gateway configuration in the 'IP Gateway/Router Configuration' lectures. As the Default Gateway is the gateway to the Internet for your PC/laptop, the lecture 'IP Routing Table' shows how the Default Gateway sends and receives all packets for your PC/laptop.

The second module 'TCP/IP Protocol' focuses on all protocol and functional aspects of the TCP and IP operations used in your PC/laptop/smartphone. The first lecture ‘TCP/IP 5 Layers & Operations’ provides an easy-to-understand description of how TCP/IP works in the Internet to transfer information, using a comparable example of how postal mail is delivered. The lectures ‘IPv4’ and ‘IPv6’ describe how the IPv4 and IPv6 protocols are structured and how they operate. In addition, the CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) notation as well as the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and subnets are explained. Then the lectures on ‘UDP’ and ‘TCP’ describe how the port number works and how TCP conducts flow control and detects errors in the packets you received on your PC/laptop/smartphone.

The third module ‘Internet Routing & Functions’ focuses on the main protocols and functions used in the Internet that you have been using every day to make network connections. The lecture ‘IGP vs. EGP’ is focused on the types and functions of IGPs (Interior Gateway Protocols) and EGPs (Exterior Gateway Protocols). The lecture ‘OSPF’ describes how OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) sets up SPT (Shortest Path Tree) routing paths, which makes your Internet connections more reliable and fast. The lectures ‘ARP’ and ‘NAT’ explains how you have used ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) and NAT (Network Address Translation) to inter-changing IP addresses for access to private networks and how your PC/laptop/smartphone had been finding IP addresses from web host names. The lectures ‘RPC’ and ‘FTP’ describes how RPC (Remote Procedure Call) had been enabling you to make connections to remote computers/servers, and how FTP (File Transfer Protocol) helped you move files from a remote computer/server to your PC/laptop so quickly. The last lecture ‘E-mail’ compares the characteristics of IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) and how they operate in serving your all your e-mails.

The module ‘Internet Security’ focuses on the most popular Internet attack types and describes the methods used by your PC/laptop/smartphone to prevent and defend against cyber attacks. The first lecture ‘Top Ranking Internet Attacks’ describes the most commonly occurring attack types and ranks them based on the percentage of attack incidents. Your PC/laptop/smartphone has been receiving these attacks 100%, you just did not know it, but now you will. The lecture ‘Growing Security & Threat Issues’ discusses about zombie computers and botnets and other emerging attack techniques, which may be contaminating your PC/laptop/smartphone. The lectures in ‘Internet & Cyber Attacks’ include the most serious cyber attack types of Phishing, DoS (Denial of Service) & DDoS (Distributed DoS), Overflow, MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) Attack, and SQL (Structured Query Language) Injection. The lectures in ‘Internet Security & Protection’ focus on the most commonly used attack defense/security techniques used by your PC/laptop/smartphone, which include Firewalls, IDS (Intrusion Detection System), TLS (Transport Layer Security), WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), WPA2, and SSH (Secure Shell).

The module ‘Wireshark Internet Project’ contains two major parts. First ‘How to Install Wireshark’ is introduced. In the lectures of ‘Internet Packet Analysis using Wireshark,’ the descriptions of how to find your PC/laptop’s IP address and subnet mask, how to find the IP address of someone else’s website domain name, how to check the type of Internet connection and security protocols you are currently using, and how to monitor your PC/laptop’s network performance, using Wireshark is explained in very easy terms. Then it is recommended for the same Wireshark measurement experiment of downloading a test file from Google or Baidu to be conducted as a DIY (Do It Yourself) practice.