Day 4 - Network Devices and Systems

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Day 4: Network Devices and Systems

Learning Objectives

Essential Questions

Materials Needed

Vocabulary

Procedure (50 minutes)

Opening (8 minutes)

  1. Review and Connection (3 minutes)

    • Review network fundamentals from previous lesson
    • Connect to today's focus on the devices that enable network communication

  2. Warm-up Activity (5 minutes)

    • Show an image of a typical network setup (home or small office)
    • Ask students to identify the devices they recognize
    • Have students guess the function of each device
    • Create a class list of network devices and initial function guesses

Main Activities (32 minutes)

  1. Lecture: Network Devices and Their Functions (12 minutes)

    • Explain the function of key network devices:
      • Router: Connects networks and directs traffic between them
      • Switch: Connects devices within a network and directs traffic
      • Hub: Simple device that broadcasts all traffic to all connected devices
      • Access point: Enables wireless connections to a network
      • Modem: Converts digital signals to analog and vice versa
      • Gateway: Connects different types of networks
      • Firewall: Monitors and controls network traffic based on security rules
    • Discuss how these devices work together in a network
    • Explain the concept of network layers and how devices operate at different layers
    • Introduce the concept of packet switching and routing
    • Discuss the difference between physical and logical network designs

  2. Virtual Lab: Exploring Network Configurations (10 minutes)

    • Guide students through a virtual network lab
    • Demonstrate how to create a simple network with multiple devices
    • Show how data flows through the network
    • Demonstrate what happens when a device or connection fails
    • Explore how routing decisions are made
    • Discuss how network configuration affects performance and reliability

  3. Activity: Tracing a Data Packet Through a Local Network (10 minutes)

    • Provide students with a diagram of a local network
    • Have students trace the path of a data packet from one device to another
    • Students should identify each device the packet passes through
    • Students should explain what each device does with the packet
    • Include scenarios like:
      • Computer to printer
      • Computer to internet website
      • Mobile device to network storage
    • Discuss how the path might change if a device fails

Closing (10 minutes)

  1. Discussion: Fault-Tolerant Network Design (5 minutes)

    • Lead a discussion on how networks can be designed to be fault-tolerant
    • Introduce the concept of redundancy in network design
    • Discuss how multiple paths between devices provide fault tolerance
    • Explain how networks can continue to function when components fail
    • Address any misconceptions about network reliability

  2. Exit Ticket: Network Troubleshooting Scenario (5 minutes)

    • Present students with a network troubleshooting scenario
    • Students identify the likely cause of the problem
    • Students propose a solution to fix the issue
    • Students explain how the network could be made more fault-tolerant
    • Collect responses before students leave

Assessment

Differentiation

For Advanced Students

For Struggling Students

Homework/Extension

Teacher Notes