Computer Science students create live network in simulated scenario

CSC345 Data Communications and Networking class conducted hands-on training using enterprise-grade networking equipment. This gave students an opportunity to gain valuable experience beyond what is available in a traditional lecture-based classroom setting.

CSC345 Data Communications and Networking is a class about the inner workings of communications in today’s computing world. From home networking, to fiber optics, to satellite technology, this class discusses how computing devices are able to communicate effectively with each other.

In the scenario, students set up a simulated network of schools in the Puyallup area and managed the connections to allow for resilient networks. If one of the links to a school were to be cut, then other connections would take over automatically, and the school would still have network connectivity. This same process is used by the internet as a whole, so that if one connection at an internet service provider (ISP) goes down, the whole internet does not go down.

As a result of this practical exercise, students gained a greater understanding of the inner structure of the internet and training as our community's future network engineers.

Networking Lab photo gallery 

The pictures on this page illustrate one of the labs in which we learned how routed networks operate. We used equipment to create a live network that conformed to the scenario set by the instructor.