CSIS 202 - Computer Networks

Start Here

Welcome!

The CSIS 202 Networks and Data Communications course is meant to be an entry level networking course designed to give students the networking fundamentals necessary to participate successfully in most of the programs the MSJC Computer Information Systems(CIS) department offers. In fact this is a required course for all certificates and degrees offered by the MSJC CIS department and is a pre-requisite to enter all of the Networking program's certificate level courses.

What To Do on the First Day of Class

  1. Finish reading all of this Start Here page,
  2. Purchase your textbook
  3. Read the Syllabus, it will inform you of:
    1. Course Objectives
    2. Reading Assignments
    3. Due Dates for the all assignments, quizzes, and exams
  4. Once you have completed the items listed above go to the Learning Units/Modules page and complete the remaining items listed in the Prep Unit.
Table of Contents

Typographical Conventions

To assist you to visually recognize key components within the online text, I have done my best to be consistent in using four main visual indicators as follows:

  1. Light Green Italics - text with this appearance is text that refers to one of the links in the Canvas course menu.
  2. Green Text - are hyperlinks within the text you are reading, when moving your mouse over the text the text will become underlined. By clicking on these links you will be provided additional information about what you are currently reading.
  3. Bold White Text - is very important information; read it two or three times if you must, to be absolutely sure you understand what it says.
  4. Bold Italic Text - Is used for the names of course objects like: the Lesson 1 folder, a Quiz, a Learning Unit Exam, and to emphasize key terms like a Web browser's Back button, or a Submit button used in an exam or form.
Table of Contents

How This Course Works

How To Get Help?

There are two ways to get help in this course:

  1. Post your question or problem in the Discussions forum titled Help!. I encourage you to check this forum frequently, as you may find answers to your questions or problems already posted by other students. I also encourage students to help out other students in this forum. The first student who posts a correct answer to a particular question or solution to a specific problem for another student will receive 5 extra credit points. Every time you do this you will get 5 extra credit points - this is a good way for you to really rack up a lot of extra credit points!
    Note: Be sure to Subscribe to the Help! discussion forum so that your will be notified each time a user posts to the Help!.
  2. The second method of resolving your question or problem is to email your question or problem description at BBennett@msjc.edu. I will usually respond to your email within 48 hours, Monday through Thursday at 5:00 P.M. Emails I receive after 5:00 P.M. on Thursday, or on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, will be responded to the following Monday.
    Note: Please type your course number and section number in the Subject field of all emails you send me (see CIS Email Policy).
Table of Contents

Assignment Revisions

Sometimes it takes some practice to nail down the skills we are learning. That’s okay! I’m more concerned with you leaving the course with the skills than how many times it takes us to get there. Any of the assignments in this class (excluding deductions for missed peer reviews, lateness, plagiarism, or a failure to meet the minimum qualifications of the assignment, including but not limited to length and source requirements) may be resubmitted for a revised grade. To resubmit an assignment, read the comments I posted in the scoring rubric for your assignment on what needs to be fixed. Resubmissions are due one week after your assignment score is posted. Resubmit the assignment using the same link you used in Canvas for the initial assignment post.

Late Assignments

All assignments must be completed by 11:59 P.M. on the due date listed for the assignment under the Due Date column in the Course Schedule section of the Syllabus. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED without extenuating circumstances. “I had to work,” “I was sick,” or “I didn't understand the instructions” are NOT extenuating circumstances. Hospitalization or death of an immediate family member are, but will require supporting evidence. This does not exempt you from completing any assignment which MUST be submitted by the last day of the class.

With that said, I do understand that life can throw roadblocks at you. If you encounter health issues, family concerns, or other challenging situations while completing this class, please contact me if you would like an extension on an assignment or exam; please do not give up. There are opportunities to still turn in your work, but please reach out to me to let me know how you are doing and how I can support you. Although I will not be able to relieve you of the responsibilities of course assignments, I can suggest strategies to help you prioritize the work you have remaining. Please also do your best not to fall too far behind in this class as it may impact your ability to receive timely feedback.

Note: Due Dates for all Assignments, Exams and/or Quizzes are listed in the Syllabus for this class.

Table of Contents

Student Drop Policy

Any student who fails to complete three or more assignments, exams or quizzes may be dropped from the course by the instructor. If you enrollment status in this class warrants it, you will be notified via a Canvas message sent to your Inbox or an email sent to your MSJC email address with a drop warning and given one week to contact me and demonstrate your desire to stay in the class. At that time I will work with you to help you get back on track.

Should you decide that you want to drop or withdraw from the class, you should consult with a counselor first to learn how this action could impact your scholarship at the college.

 

Table of Contents

The Resources module contains links to resources used in this class, links for Visual Studio Community users, links to resources to answer your questions about the Internet Authoring program, and a huge list of Web Development links of interest.

The best and most successful application developers thrive on learning as much as they can about computer programming, the Internet, and Web technologies. To help you get the most out of this course as possible, you will want to check out the Resources module's Web Development links of interest which will expose you to some of the best resources the Web has to offer regarding Web application development. The more you learn about Web application development the more successful you will become and the more likely it is that you will be able to compete with the Amazon's, Google's, and Microsoft's in the world. Explore as many of the hypertext links as you can and the Web will be your oyster.

Table of Contents

How Can I Earn Extra Credit?

The Web presentation for this course is jammed pack with information, most of it I have created and typed myself. Being human, I do make mistakes - just ask my wife! While you read through the online course materials, if you find a typo, a misspelled word, or a grammatical error, I would very much appreciate it if you would call it to my attention. All you have to do is tell me which page you found it on (email me the URL) and give me a general description of the error (where to find it on the page). For each one you submit I will award you 5 extra credit points and offer you my deepest gratitude.

There is a Help! forum link on the Discussions page for students to ask questions and post problems they might have regarding an assignment. If you post an appropriate answer or the correct solution to a problem before I do then you will earn 5 extra credit points for each answer or correct solution you post - so keep an eye on the Help! forum by subscribing to it right away.

These are the only ways to earn extra credit in this class, please don't ask me if you can earn extra credit any other way. As long as you do the required work in this class, assignments, quizzes and exams, there should be little to no need for you to earn points by way of extra credit.

Table of Contents

CIS Degrees, Certificate Programs, Employment Concentrations, and Industry Certifications

For those of you interested in pursuing either a more in-depth understanding of a particular IT (Information Technology) subject or perhaps even an IT career certification, you'll find that MSJC's CIS department has many courses to suit your needs. Below is a table that shows the Certification programs offered by our department on the Menifee campus. Click on the links in the left-hand column to view the courses you need to pass to earn each certificate.

CIS Program Awards Possible
General: Computer Hardware Specialist Employment Concentration
A. S. Degree
Internet Authoring State Certificate (Journeyman)
A. S. Degree
Networking: Cisco Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Employment Concentration
A. S. Degree
Programming: C# Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD)
State Certificate
A. S. Degree
Programming: C++ State Certificate
A. S. Degree
Programming: Java State Certificate
A. S. Degree
Programming: Python State Certificate
A. S. Degree
Table of Contents

MSJC's Internet Authoring Program

Image of two gears and thw capitalized letters I & A.

The course you are enrolled in is part of Mt. San Jacinto College's Internet Authoring program. The goal of the program is to get students prepared for high-paying information technology jobs, specifically jobs which involve or require Web development skills of the highest caliber. By completing courses in the Internet Authoring program you can earn up to two certifications and one A.S. degree - an Employment Concentration certification (Apprentice), a State of California Certification (Journeyman), and an Associate of Science Degree in Internet Authoring. For more details about the Computer Information Systems (CIS) department's Internet Authoring program and its related courses, view the Internet Authoring Web site.

Table of Contents

Closing Comments

As always if you have any questions I am happy to answer them; send me an email. BBennett@msjc.edu

IMPORTANT!!! Please include the course number "CSIS 202" in the subject of your email so that it won't be lost amongst all the spam I receive each day.

Best of luck, I hope you will have gained a lot of insight into networking by the end of this course.

        Bill Bennett, Associate Professor
        MSJC CIS Networking Instructor
        MCSE, MCT, CCNA, CIW

Table of Contents