Session 9: Real-world networking

This session is a little different from the others you have worked through so far. Before you move on to look at some more complex networks you’re going to take a look at ‘real world’ networking in this session.

You’ll start by looking at some of the physical equipment that network engineers work with – that is the actual devices that network engineers typically spend their time connecting and configuring. You’ll also hear from people working as networking professionals. They will be talking about what initially interested them in getting into networking, what their jobs involve, and how they got into their role. Hopefully this will inspire you to take your study of networking further and consider the potential career opportunities this may open up to you.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• recognise physical devices that are used in local area networks and know how to connect them
• understand the roles of networking professionals
• identify some of the entry routes for a career as a network professional.