Networking Fundamentals

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$389

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$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
14195 Students

Learn the fundamentals of networking and prepare for a career in a new and fast-growing field.

Introduction to Networking explains computer networking basics in terms that you can easily understand, using concepts common to everyday, non-computing experience. A brief introduction to networking history provides context, explaining how networks have become so important to businesses and individuals. The course emphasises networking fundamentals, explaining the software and hardware that makes networking possible. The course stresses understanding how and why networks work, rather than focusing on memorization of terms or numbers.

Upon completion of the course, you will be capable of performing basic computer networking tasks, such as DSL connectivity or configuring connections to an Internet Service Provider. This course will give you the foundation you need to begin training for CCNA Certification or employment in a computer networking career.

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

Have you ever wondered how networks started? We're surrounded by networks, whether they're computer networks, networks of roads, or the network of telephones that allow us to communicate every day. In our first lesson, you'll learn how networks have evolved over the last hundred years. You'll also find out why every additional device that connects to a network greatly increases the value of the network. By the time you've completed this lesson, you'll have a framework of knowledge that will take you through the rest of the course.

In today's lesson, you'll jump right into networks and networking, and learn how they work. We'll use examples from our everyday experience. You'll learn how to tell the difference between a network and networking, and realize that computer networks are a lot like freeway networks. You'll never look at an interstate the same way again! You'll also find out why shipping your data from one computer to the next is a lot like sending your distant uncle a new coffee mug for his birthday. Believe it or not, freeways and shipped gifts have a direct correlation to how networks and networking operate!

Have you ever heard someone refer to a computer as a server? Maybe you've heard someone talk about connecting computers in a peer-to-peer environment. Understanding the difference between client/server and peer-to-peer networks really helps you learn about computers and networking. So in today's lesson, you'll learn how to tell the difference between client/server and peer-to-peer networks, and when to use one instead of the other.

Many people have heard of Ethernet, but what does that mean exactly? In this lesson, you'll learn all about Ethernet, and a whole lot more. Here you'll find out the difference between a star topology and a bus topology, and the advantages of each. Is Ethernet or Token Ring the best modern network technology, and why? In this lesson, you'll get those answers and many more!

In today's lesson, we'll explore how routers operate, and you'll see why routers operate a lot like how a receptionist in a growing company handles telephone calls. In this lesson, we'll build on information you learned in previous lessons, then you'll find out how a single interconnected network (the Internet) can actually span the entire globe. A global network is an amazing feat, accomplished by interconnecting network segments and routing data! When you've completed this lesson, you'll understand how routing helps our data to cross the city, state, or an entire ocean.

When people communicate, they speak a language—such as English—to exchange information. Computers communicate similarly over a network, but instead of speaking a language, they use something called a protocol. Protocols are similar to languages, and in this lesson, you'll learn about the protocols used in networking. You'll also learn which protocol has emerged as the dominant computer protocol, and why!

In today's lesson, you'll learn how the networking protocol TCP/IP operates. TCP/IP is a collection of protocols, and today you'll learn how TCP/IP divides its tasks. We'll go over how TCP/IP uses addresses to direct data to its rightful owner—it's similar to how we use street addresses.

Have you ever wondered how your computer converts a World Wide Web address into a Web site that appears on your screen? In this lesson, you'll learn how the Domain Name System (DNS) translates names into numeric addresses, and how all that allows your favorite Web site, e-mail, or file to appear on your computer screen. You'll also learn how the entire computer industry comes to a consensus about how the Internet should work.

Today, we'll take a look at Wide Area Networks (WANs) and how they compare to Local Area Networks (LANs). You'll learn all about how data gets sent over long distances, and how the Internet changed expensive, long-distance network connections. You'll also learn how Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) secures those Internet connections from prying eyes.

If you connect to the Internet, you use remote access. In today's lesson, we'll explore the traditional means of connecting to remote LANs, and talk about exactly how dial-up Internet access works. Then we'll discuss modern means by which many people connect to the Internet, including DSL and cable modems.

In this lesson, you'll apply many of the concepts you've learned so far in this course. We'll walk through the process of making an Internet connection, and you'll see the step-by-step process of creating a dial-up connection. Each step of the way, you'll come to understand what's going on behind the scenes. From there, we'll jump to connecting to the Internet using broadband connections, such as DSL or cable modems.

In our final lesson, we'll tie all the previous lessons together, clarifying how new information about networks and networking can be quickly understood. You'll learn three categories into which networking knowledge can be placed, and see examples to apply your newfound network categories. By the end of this lesson, your understanding of networking will be solid as a rock, and you'll be well-prepared for a lifetime of continued learning about networking!

David Iseminger

David Iseminger is a computer and networking expert and an experienced teacher of networking topics. As a student first and expert second, Iseminger knows which teaching approaches are most effective. Iseminger has worked at Microsoft Corporation ... Read more

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Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

What people are saying about our courses

Excellent course content, good analogies and examples. Explained in an easily understood manner. Content was perfect for an introductory course.

Verified Student

Excellent course. Lots of information was provided, however it was a very easy-to-follow format and it was kept interesting.

Verified Student

Excellent use of illustrations as a means of clarifying initially difficult concepts. Very clear writing style. I also enjoyed the humor. Overall, an excellent course.

Verified Student

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The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Networking Fundamentals you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

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Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Industry-Led Courses

There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

Get The Personal Support You Deserve

At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

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Networking Fundamentals

$599

$389AUD

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Microsoft Excel 2013 Advanced

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
121 Students

Master advanced features and functions of Microsoft Excel 2013, including analysis tools, data tables, PivotTables, and conditional formatting.

Wouldn't it be great to learn how to effectively use all the advanced Excel features? In this practical and information-packed course, you'll see how to maximise this program's functions and capabilities.

Most organisations rely heavily on Excel to consolidate, analyze, and report financial information. Your company is probably no exception. By learning these advanced techniques, you can become more valuable to your organisation.

You'll see how to work with the additional analysis tools provided by Excel add-ins and become skilled in using validation to protect the integrity of your worksheets from less experienced users. Impress your coworkers by learning how to add functional and eye-catching custom controls to any worksheet and how to use scenarios and data tables to quickly perform what-if data analyses. You'll discover advanced techniques for PivotTables, like creating Timelines, calculated fields, and calculated items. You'll learn how to use Excel's consolidation function to efficiently summarise data from multiple sources, become adept at importing external data, and master the art of conditional formatting to highlight duplicate entries and other common worksheet problems.

Learn how Excel 2013 table tools take the complexity out of table creation and management. As you become proficient at nesting functions within other functions, you'll be able to accomplish just about anything Microsoft Excel has to offer!

Over the next six weeks, we're going to explore Microsoft Excel 2013's sometimes-overlooked and advanced features. You'll learn how to use data analysis tools and techniques to improve your decision making, and you'll practice generating accurate data more quickly. By the end of this course, you'll be well prepared to contribute more value to your organization with your advanced understanding of Excel. To kick things off, we'll spend this first lesson exploring how you can modify Excel to streamline processes and make your work easier. You'll use the Excel Options dialog box to customize some of Excel's behind-the-scenes behavior, set up your Quick Access Toolbar, and take a look at the status bar and its customizable features. Mastering these processes will lay the foundation for our exploration of advanced topics throughout the course.

Today we'll explore some great table management features in Excel 2013, discuss how to use data forms with Excel databases, and look at a few alternative database techniques. You'll be glad to know that formatting and working with tables has gotten much easier in this latest version of Excel. Now, instead of applying filters, total rows, and formats separately, you can perform these actions through a single user interface. We'll delve into how it's done. You'll also learn how data forms provide a more user-friendly method for adding, deleting, and editing records in a table, and you'll practice using a data form to search for and view records that match specific criteria. We'll wrap things up with a brief look at some of the practical applications for data forms.

In this lesson, we'll tackle data validation techniques—your first line of defense against incorrect or missing data and the logical next step after data forms. You'll practice using whole number, decimal, date, time, list, and other forms of validation. After that, we'll explore the possibilities of custom validation, which allows you to apply validation on a cell or range of cells based on a formula you create. The possibilities for using it are limitless! You'll also learn how to create input messages and error alerts to guide the user's data entry, how to keep track of validation rules, and how to apply a custom validation rule to other cells so that you don't have to create it all over again.

In the first three lessons, we covered what you might call intro-level advanced Excel topics, and now it's time to head into more complex territory. So today, let's start working with custom controls—graphical objects that help facilitate data input and are sure to impress users. We'll start by getting your Ribbon set up to work with custom controls, and then we'll walk through some practice exercises. You'll learn how to create standard and drop-down list boxes, check boxes, option buttons, and group boxes. You'll also master the process of creating a dynamic list box, which allows you to control the values in one list box based on the values chosen by your user in a separate custom control.

Today you'll discover how to use conditional formatting. And I'm not just talking about creating validation based on cell values. We'll do a quick review of that process, just as a refresher, but after that we're going to focus on formula conditional formatting. We'll work through nine different practice exercises that explore row conditional formatting, and we'll briefly discuss how the formula works after each exercise. You'll see how to use conditional formatting to hide errors, to highlight records based on multiple criteria, to track and alert you about due dates, to find the differences between two lists, to shade every other row (my personal favorite), and more. I think you'll especially enjoy learning how to set up a scorecard, which will show you problem areas in red, possible problems in yellow, and everything running smoothly in green. (Your manager will love this.)

In this lesson, you'll learn how to use Excel's consolidation function to efficiently summarize data from multiple sources. A lot of people do this the hard way, but with Excel's automatic consolidation feature, you'll no longer need to develop a web of formula links to multiple sources. Goodbye, potential for human error! We'll begin with an exercise on consolidating data within the same workbook, and after that, you'll practice consolidating using an advanced technique with category labels and wildcards. Next, we'll step things up with a practice exercise on consolidating from multiple workbooks. You'll also learn how to use automatic and manual outlining to view or hide different levels or sections of your information.

Excel's functions (or predefined calculations) are too numerous to completely cover in one lesson, so today we'll just focus on a few important ones spanning four categories: Logical, Database, Math & Trig, and Lookup & Reference. We'll start today with an overview of functions, take a look at the Insert Function dialog box, and then practice working with the IF function, nesting functions, the DSUM function, and the VLOOKUP function—all of which will come in handy when you need to perform a quick, thorough analysis of your data.

In this lesson, you'll find out all about importing external data. We'll begin with a practice exercise to get you comfortable with importing data from another Excel file, during which you'll see how to use the Microsoft Query Wizard. You'll test two methods for refreshing the target area for the imported data and find out how to edit an Excel query. After that, you'll do an import from an external database. Finally, you'll learn how to perform a Web query, which—you guessed it—allows you to import data from the Internet. The Web query feature is another fantastic feature in Excel 2013.

It's time to look at data tables, which let you compare the outcomes of different versions of the same formula without slogging through the process of calculating each of them. Data tables are very powerful what-if analysis tools that are great for analyzing potential outcomes of personal or business financial decisions. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use two types of data tables: a one-variable data table (which lets you substitute just one variable into the formula calculation) and the two-variable data table (which allows you to change multiple aspects of the formula).

Today we'll explore three more of Excel's what-if analysis tools: Goal Seek, Scenario Manager, and Solver. You'll find out how to use Goal Seek to solve formulas backward—for example, you might want to do this if you knew the result you wanted but needed to determine how to change a single input cell in order to get that desired result. After that, we'll practice using Scenario Manager to create and save different input values and their results as scenarios (great for working on budgets). And finally, you'll put Excel's Solver to work to discover the optimal solution to models that have multiple variables and constraints.

In this lesson, you'll discover how to use PivotTables, which are excellent for summarizing massive amounts of data and viewing different cuts of the information quickly. There are two methods for creating PivotTables, and you'll practice using both. You'll also learn how to edit a PivotTable, how to filter the table to create individual reports, how to format a PivotTable to make it reader-friendly, how to insert a Timeline, and how to create and use calculated fields and items. After this, you'll create a PivotChart based on the data fields in your PivotTable. We may not be quite done with the course, but after mastering PivotTables and PivotCharts, you'll certainly be able to count yourself an advanced Excel user.

We'll begin our final lesson with a look at the functions available in the Analysis ToolPak, including two of my favorites: the Moving Average and Sampling tools. You'll complete an exercise using advanced filters, and then I'll show you some of my favorite Excel tips and tricks. You'll find out how to work with the View Side by Side tool and how to use the Watch Window to keep tabs on your data when you're updating a workbook. We'll wrap things up with practice exercises using array formulas and the AutoSum Tool. When you're done with this lesson—and the course—you'll want to pass along the techniques you've learned to friends and colleagues who are still wrestling with Excel!

Chad Wambolt

Chad Wambolt is a graduate of Boise State University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting. He has spent his entire professional career in the finance field, working for both privately and publicly held companies with sales rangin... Read more

Read Chad Wambolt's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Microsoft Excel 2013 Advanced you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.