| Courses Included in the CTNS Package |
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| The CTNS package will give you a well-rounded, solid, structured understanding of telecommunications, including traditional telephony, wireless and IP telecommunications. This package includes six courses plus your CTNS certification, certificate, letter of reference and all of the other great benefits of TCO Certification: |
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| Career-enhancing knowledge |
This training and certification is an ideal way to implement
a major career-enhancing upgrade to your existing knowledge,
or to prepare for a job in the telecommunications business. |
| Team training |
| This set of courses is also a highly cost-effective and consistent way for managers to get team members up to a
common speed with measurable results. The myTeracom Learning Management System provides management reports showing your team's progress with a few clicks of the mouse. |
| Self-paced training |
| The courses and their lessons can be done at your own pace. There are no time limits for completing a lesson and moving to the next one. The courses may be done in any order. |
| Guaranteed to pass with the Unlimited Plan |
| Choose the Unlimited Plan for unlimited repeats of courses and exams - which means guaranteed to pass if you're willing to learn, plus the ability to retake courses to refresh your knowledge in the future. |
| Certification exams optional |
| On the other hand, if you like this discounted package of courses, but don't need the certification – or don't feel like writing exams – no problem! Take the package, benefit from the training and the discount and simply skip the exams. |
| 30-day, 100% money-back guarantee |
| Buy with confidence! Your purchase is covered by a 30-day, no-questions-asked 100% money-back guarantee. |
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| CTNS Certification Courses Overview |
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| Like Teracom's famous core training Course 101 "Telecom, Datacom and Networking for Non-Engineers", our very popular core training DVD-Video packages and the Telecom 101 textbook, the CTNS Certification Package begins with the Public Switched Telephone Network and Wireless Telecommunications before four courses on IP telecommunications. |
| If you are interested only in IP telecommunications, the CIPTS: Certified IP Telecom Network Specialist package may be appropriate, as it skips the traditional telephony and wireless and goes directly to the IP telecommunications courses. |
| If your goal is to build a full, rounded knowledge of telecommunications, then understanding the history, structure and operation of the telephone network built over the past 135 years or more is the starting point for everything else. |
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| The CTNS package begins with Course L2101 POTS and the PSTN |
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| We begin with a history lesson, understanding how and why telephone networks and the companies that provide them are organized into local access and inter-city transmission, or as we will see, Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) and Inter-Exchange Carriers (IXCs). |
| Then we will establish a basic model for the PSTN and understand its main components: Customer Premise, Central Office, loop, trunk, outside plant, circuit switching, attenuation, loop length, remotes, and why knowledge of the characteristics of the loop remains essential knowledge even though we are moving to Voice over IP. |
| Next, we'll cover aspects of telephony and Plain Ordinary Telephone Service, including analog, the voiceband, twisted pair, supervision and signaling including DTMF. The course is completed with an overview of SS7, the control system for the telephone network in the US and Canada. |
| On completion of this course, you will be able to draw a model of the PSTN, identify all of its components and technologies from voiceband analog to fiber to the neighborhood, and explain the characteristics and operation of POTS, the principal service. |
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| The next course in the CTNS package is Course L2106 Wireless Telecommunications |
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| In many parts of the world, particularly outside Canada, the US and Western Europe, this is the physical telephone network, as deploying radio transceivers is far cheaper than embarking on a new project to pull copper wires and/or fiber to every residence. |
| Most of this course is devoted to mobile wireless telecommunications. We begin with basic concepts and terminology including base stations and transceivers, mobile switches and backhaul, handoffs, cellular radio concepts and digital radio concepts. |
| Then, we cover spectrum-sharing technologies and their variations in chronological order: GSM/TDMA vs. CDMA for second generation, 1X vs. UMTS CDMA for third generation along with their data-optimized 1XEV-DO and HSPA, how Steve Jobs ended the standards wars with the iPhone and explaining the OFDM spectrum-sharing method of LTE for 4G. |
| This course is completed with a lesson on WiFi, or more precisely, 802.11 wireless LANs, and a lesson on satellite communications. |
| On completion of this course, you will be able to draw a model of a cellular wireless telecommunications network, identify all of its components and technologies from handset to mobile switch, and explain the characteristics and operation of FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and OFDMA, and how each was deployed for AMPS, GSM, UMTS and LTE. You will also be able to explain WiFi, the frequencies used and the different 802.11 standards, and the similarities and differences between LEO and GEO satellites. |
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| The remaining four courses in the CTNS package are on the "IP" telecommunications network and its three main enabling technologies: Ethernet, IP and MPLS, and beginning with the OSI model and its layers to establish a framework. |
| If you'd prefer to take just these four "IP" courses, please check out the Certified IP Telecom Network Specialist package. |
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| Course L2112 The OSI Layers and Protocol Stacks |
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| This course establishes a framework for all of the subsequent discussions: the OSI 7-Layer Reference Model, which identifies and divides the functions to be performed into groups called layers. This framework is required to sort out the many functions that need to be performed, and to be able to discuss separate issues separately. |
| First, we'll define the term "protocol" and compare that to a standard. Then we'll define "layer" and how a layered architecture operates, and provide an overview of the name, purpose and function of each of the seven layers in the OSI model. |
| Then, we'll go back through the story more slowly, with one lesson for each of the layers, examining in greater detail the functions that have to be performed and giving examples of protocols and how and where they are used to implement particular layers. |
| The result is a protocol stack, one protocol on top of another on top of another to fulfill all of the required functions. To make this more understandable, this course ends with the famous FedEx Analogy illustrating the concepts using company-to-company communications, and an analogy of Babushka dolls to illustrate how the protocol headers are nested at the bits level. |
| On completion of this course, you will be able to define a protocol and differentiate that from a standard, explain why a layered architecture is required, list the seven layers of the OSI model, the name, purpose and functions of each one, and explain how a protocol stack operates and where the protocol headers are located. |
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| Next is Course L2111 Ethernet, LANs and VLANs – which could also be titled "Layer 2" |
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| As we will have established in the previous course, Layer 2 is all about communications between two devices that are on the same circuit, or more precisely, in the same broadcast domain. It turns out that this is implemented by moving frames with link addresses over physical connections following the 802 series of standards, colloquially referred to as Ethernet, MAC frames and MAC addresses. |
| We'll begin with the original LAN: Ethernet and its bus topology, defining "broadcast domain" and explaining its fundamental operation and characteristics: CSMA-CD access control, MAC addresses and MAC frames. |
| Then we'll cover the IEEE 802 standards and the evolution of Ethernet from 10BASE-T to Gig-E, LAN cables and the TIA-568 cable categories, basic cabling design; what "bridging" means and how a LAN switch works. |
| This course is completed with the important concept of VLANs: defining broadcast domains in software, a key part of basic network security practice. |
| On completion of this course, you will be able to define a broadcast domain, explain Ethernet and the 802 standards, MAC addresses, LANs and VLANs, the jargon and buzzwords, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together to move data between two devices in the same broadcast domain. |
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| Then Course L2113 IP Networks, Routers and Addresses – which could also be titled "Layer 3" |
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| This is a comprehensive course on Layer 3 of the OSI Model, concentrating on IP addresses, routers and packets. We begin with the two basic principles of packet networks: bandwidth on demand, also known as overbooking or statistical multiplexing; and packet-switching, also known as packet forwarding or routing. |
| We'll understand what routers do and where they are located, routing tables and the basic operation of a router and the standard strategy deploying an edge router between the LANs and the WAN at each location. |
| Then we'll cover IP version 4: address classes and how they are assigned to Regional Internet Registries then ISPs then end-users, dotted-decimal notation, static addresses, dynamic addresses and DHCP, public addresses, private addresses and NAT. |
| The course concludes with IPv6: the IPv6 packet and changes from IPv4, IPv6 address allocations and assignments and end up understanding how IPv6 subnets will be assigned to broadcast domains and 18 billion billion addresses per residence. |
| On completion of this course, you will be able to define bandwidth on demand and its advantages, what a router does, the basic structure of a routing table, where routers are located, define the IPv4 address structure and dotted-decimal notation, explain how both static and dynamic addresses are assigned using DHCP, what private addresses are and how they are interfaced to the public IP network, and the structure, allocation and assignment of IPv6 addresses. |
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| The last course in this certification package is Course L2114 MPLS and Carrier Networks |
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| This is an extensive and comprehensive course devoted to the structure, components and operation of carrier packet networks and services, how they are implemented, packaged and marketed, and how they are used by government, business and other carriers. |
| The IP packets and routing of the previous course is one part of the story. Performance guarantees, and methods for quality of service, traffic management, aggregation and integration is another big part of the story, particularly once we leave the lab and venture into the real world and the business of telecommunications services. |
| We'll begin by establishing a basic model for a customer obtaining service from a provider, defining Customer Edge, Provider Edge, access and core, and a Service Level Agreement: traffic profile vs. transmission characteristics. |
| Next, we'll understand virtual circuits, a powerful tool used for traffic management and variations like connection-oriented vs. connectionless communications and reliable vs. unreliable network services. |
| With the fundamentals in place, we will survey the different technologies used to implement this in practice: Frame Relay, ATM and MPLS, explaining the equipment, jargon and principles of operation, and the advantages each technology has over the previous. In particular, we'll understand the big advantage of MPLS over Frame Relay in the user-network interface. |
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| Once we've covered all of the components of an MPLS network and its operation, we'll see how MPLS is used to implement Diff-Serv, i.e. different classes of service, how MPLS is used to implement integration or "convergence" of services onto a single network service, and how MPLS is used to aggregate traffic for management. |
| The course is completed with a lesson on "MPLS service", and how that compares to Internet service. |
| On completion of this course, you will be able to draw a model for a service provider's network, define the terms Customer Edge and Provider Edge, explain what a traffic profile is and how that relates to a Service Level Agreement, how Frame Relay got its name, what ATM is and why it is on the way out, the purpose, components, terminology and operation of MPLS, and how MPLS can be used to implement integration or convergence, aggregation and differentiated classes of service – what people mean when they say "MPLS service" and its pros and cons compared to Internet service. |
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| About TCO Certification |
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| Teracom is a Gold Training Partner of the Telecommunications Certification Organization, authorized to administer exams for TCO certifications on the myTeracom Learning Management System and award TCO Certifications. |
| TCO Certification is proof of your knowledge of telecom, datacom and networking fundamentals, jargon, buzzwords, technologies and solutions. |
It's backed up with a Certificate suitable for framing - plus a personalized Letter of Reference / Letter of Introduction detailing the knowledge your TCO Certification represents and inviting the recipient to contact Teracom for verification.
You may list Teracom Training Institute as a reference on your resumé if desired. |
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| Getting your Certificate |
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Each course has a course exam, consisting of ten multiple-choice questions chosen at random from a pool and shuffled in order. Passing the course exams proves your knowledge of these topics and results in your certification as a Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist. |
| Your Certificate and Letter of Reference / Letter of Introduction will be immediately available for download from your Dashboard in the myTeracom Learning Management System. You may also order a signed and sealed Certificate by airmail. |
| Choosing the "Unlimited Plan" at registration allows you to repeat courses and/or exams at no additional charge – which means guaranteed to pass if you're willing to learn. |
| Alternatively, if you like this discounted package of courses, but don't need the certification – or don't feel like writing exams – no problem! Take the package and simply skip the exams. |
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| Benefits of Certification for Individuals |
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One benefit of TCO certification is differentiating yourself from the rest of the crowd when applying for a job or angling for a promotion. |
| The knowledge you gain taking Teracom's Online Courses, confirmed with TCO Certification, is foundational knowledge in telecommunications, IP, networking and wireless: fundamental concepts, mainstream technologies, jargon, buzzwords, and the underlying ideas - and how it all fits together. |
| This type of knowledge and preparation makes you an ideal candidate to hire or promote to a task, as you will be able to build on your knowledge base to quickly get up to speed and work on a particular project - then have the versatility to work on subsequent projects. |
| TCO Certification will help demonstrate you have this skill... a desirable thought to have in your potential manager's mind. |
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| Benefits of Certification for Employers |
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| Take advantage of these courses for individual learning, a team, or for an entire organization. The scalable myTeracom Learning Management System can register and manage all of your people through their courses, lessons and exams, and generate management reports showing progress and scores with the click of a button. |
| For larger organizations, the courses and exams can also be licensed and deployed on an organization's internal LMS. |
Teracom certification packages are an extremely cost-effective way of implementing consistent, comprehensive telecommunications and networking technology fundamentals training, ensuring that both existing resources and new hires are up to the same speed, with a common vocabulary, framework and knowledge base. |
| The course exams provide concrete measurements of competency in key knowledge areas. Management can view the progress and results of all team members and export the results to Excel with the click of a button. |
| These reports identify skills deficiencies and strengths, and provide tangible proof of return on investment and team readiness for reports to upper management. |
| Based on Teracom's proven instructor-led training courses developed and refined over twenty years providing training for organizations including AT&T, Verizon, Bell Canada, Intel, Microsoft, Cisco, Qualcomm, the CIA, NSA, IRS, FAA, US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and hundreds of others, Teracom online courses are top-notch, top-quality and right up to date with the topics and knowledge you need. |
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