Upgrade your knowledge – and your résumé – with high-quality telecom training courses by Teracom Training Institute plus optional TCO Certification from the Telecommunications Certification Organization.
Get the knowledge you need plus certification to prove it!
Core Telecom Training: CTNS Courses
2201
The PSTN
2206
Wireless Telecommunications
2212
OSI Layers and Protocol Stacks
2211
Ethernet, LANs and VLANs
2213
IP Addresses, Packets and Routers
2214
MPLS and Carrier Networks
Wireless Training: CWA Courses
2231 Wireless Fundamentals
2232 Mobile Communications
2233 Fixed Wireless: WiFi
VoIP and SIP Training: CVA Courses
2221 Fundamentals of Voice over IP
2222 VoIP Architectures and Implementation Choices
2223 Softswitches, SIP and VoIP Call Setup
2224 Voice Packetization, Codecs and Voice Quality
2225 SIP Trunking & Carrier Connections
2226 IP Network Quality: CoS, QoS, MPLS and SLAs
Based on Teracom's proven instructor-led training courses developed and refined over more than twenty years, Teracom online courses are top-notch, top-quality and right up to date with the topics and knowledge you need.
Ideal for:
Six courses covering everything VoIP and SIP.
Check out the CTNS+CVA package deal
Our emphasis is conveying the key concept-level knowledge in plain English - which you can't get reading trade magazines or talking to vendors.
We'll bust the buzzwords, demystify the jargon, explain the technologies, the underlying ideas... and how it all fits together.
We're so confident of the quality of this training, it comes with a
30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee.
You have nothing to lose – and valuable knowledge
and certification to gain!
Get started today!
4.9 ★★★★★ all reviews
Lance Johnson
★★★★★ a month ago
At this level of commitment, access and efficiency, you won't find a better, more in-depth and reputable telecom training and certification course of study. Happy Customer.
Aaron Weiss 2 reviews
★★★★★ a month ago
The Teracom training courses I took were much better than I had expected. The production of the training materials was high quality and edited well. The instructor spoke clearly, had appropriate teaching aids, and conveyed technical material in a way that was easy to understand. The instructor also injected the right amount of humor to keep me engaged. I would highly recommend Teracom for training.
Ian Palmer 17 reviews
★★★★★ a month ago
All employees use Teracom as part of their onboarding. Great information!
Al Born 2 reviews
★★★★★ a month ago
I have a staff of recruiters who specialize in recruiting telecom professionals. We found Teracom's training to be very helpful so they understood the telecom basics and could better qualify potential candidates.
Volker B 2 reviews
★★★★★ a month ago
I have done three certifications with Teracom (CIPTS, CWA, CTNS). The content of all three courses was excellent as it also covered the reasons for technological changes and evolutions. Since I work in the IT industry on the project management side for many years these courses were a perfect complement to my overall IT knowledge. I can now speak to engineers and technicians more on the same frequency and can provide better consultancy to my customers. I feel the courses are also priced fairly and are fun to watch and study.
Joseph Bindus
★★★★★ a month ago
Enjoyed the courses. Helped me get a new job.
TCO Certification Packages are sets of Teracom courses plus TCO exams and certification at a discounted price.
Teraom's exclusive Unlimited Plan gives you unlimited repeats of courses and exams: guaranteed to pass, and refresh your knowledge anytime in the future. Our GSA Contract GS-02F-0053X for supplying this training to the US Government is your assurance of quality and value.
Get a telecommunications certification from the Telecommunications Certification Organization (TCO), a Certificate suitable for framing plus – another Teracom exclusive – a personalized Letter of Reference for your résumé detailing the knowledge your TCO Certification represents and inviting the recipient to contact Teracom for verification.
Buy with confidence! 30-day money-back guarantee.
The CTNS Certification Package includes six courses plus the TCO CTNS Certification Exam, Certificate and Personalized Letter of Reference. These courses will give you the core knowledge needed in telecom today, plus a certificate to prove it! Unlimited repeats of exams and courses. 30-day no-questions-asked 100% money-back guarantee.
2201 The PSTN
2206 Wireless Telecommunications
2212 OSI Layers and Protocol Stacks
2211 Ethernet, LANs and VLANs
2213 IP Addresses, Packets and Routers
2214 MPLS and Carrier Networks
Download the printable PDF brochure
Purchase courses in this set of six in the CTNS Certification Package, or individual courses as best meets your needs.
These courses are also included in the Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package.
The Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert CTSME Certification Package
includes all of these courses at a substantial discount... plus 5 TCO certification exams, all with unlimited repeats.
Course 2201 The PSTN
Loops and Trunks • POTS • Circuit-Switching • LECs, CLECs and IXCs • Analog • Voiceband • DTMF • SS7
It all begins with Plain Ordinary Telephone Service and the Public Switched Telephone Network. In this course, you'll build a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the telephone system: Customer Premise and Central Office, loops, trunks, remotes, circuit switching and how a telephone call is connected end-to-end. We'll cover LECs, CLECs and IXCs, sound, analog and the voiceband, twisted pair, DTMF and SS7.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction
2. History of Telecommunications (USA and Canada)
3. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
4. Analog Circuits and Sound
5. The Voiceband
6. Plain Ordinary Telephone Service (POTS)
7. Signaling: Pulse Dialing and Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF)
8. Signaling System 7 (SS7)
Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of 20 years of instructor-led training, we'll cut through the jargon to demystify telephony and the telephone system, explaining the jargon and buzzwords, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together… in plain English.
Featuring many photos of actual equipment both inside a Central Office and in the outside plant, this multimedia course is an excellent way to get up to speed on traditional telephony.
In this online telecommunications course, 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.
Detailed Course Outline
1. Introduction Course introduction and overview
2. History of Telecommunications Local phone companies, long distance; US: Bell System, breakup, LECs and IXCs; Canada
3. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Loops and trunks, CO, customer premise, circuit-switching, outside plant, loop length, remotes
4. Analog Circuits and Sound What analog means, microphones and speakers, copper wires and electricity, trees falling in the forest
5. The Voiceband Reproducing thoughts vs. reproducing sound, frequency range, filters, limitations
6. Plain Ordinary Telephone Service (POTS) Twisted pair, analogs on two wires, dial tone, ringing, supervision, lightning protection
7. Signaling: Pulse Dialing and DTMF Dial-up, make-or-break signaling, touch-tone, DTMF, in-band signaling
8. Signaling System 7 (SS7) Control system for the PSTN, SCPs and SSPs, examples of sophisticated call routing
Download the Course Brochure PDF for the full detailed description
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTNS Certification and Letter of Reference
Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package
Sixteen courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence! All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days. details
Course 2206 Wireless Telecommunications
Mobility • Cellular Networks • Internet over Cellular • GSM and TDMA • UMTS and 1X CDMA • LTE • WiFi • Satellite
Wireless Telecommunications is a comprehensive course on wireless, including radio fundamentals, cellular and mobile telecommunications plus WiFi and more.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction
2. Mobile Network Components, Jargon and Basic Operation
3. Cellular Principles and AMPS (1G)
4. 2G: Digital Radio - Voice Communications
5. Digital Cellular: Data Communications
6. Spectrum-Sharing Technologies: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDM
7. 3G Cellular: CDMA
8. 4G Mobile Cellular: LTE
9. 802.11 Wireless LANs - WiFi
10. Communication Satellites
The objective of this course is to develop a solid understanding of mobile communications networks and technologies.
We'll cut through the jargon to demystify wireless, explaining the fundamentals of cellular and mobility, the buzzwords, the network, technologies and generations, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together... in plain English.
Most of this course is devoted to mobile communications. 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.
Detailed Course Outline
1. Introduction Course introduction and overview. Basic radio principles, analog and digital over radio.
2. Mobile Network Components, Jargon and Basic Operation Handset, base station, airlink, handoffs, connection to wireline systems
3. Cellular Principles and AMPS (1G) Coverage, capacity and cellular radio systems, mobility, spectrum, FDM spectrum sharing
4. Digital Radio - Voice Communications Components and operation of a digital radio: microphone, codec, RF modem, antenna
5. Digital Cellular: Data Communications Using only the RF modem and antenna of the cellphone as a "tethered" modem for another device
6. Spectrum-Sharing Technologies: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDM Sorting out the generations and standards; GSM and IS-136 TDMA vs. CDMA and OFDM
7. 3G Cellular: CDMA Basic ideas behind CDMA and its operation; 1X vs. UMTS standards
8. 4G Mobile Cellular: LTE Steve Jobs ends the standards wars; OFDM basic principles of operation
9. 802.11 Wireless LANs - WiFi Basic principles of operation, 802.11 standards, frequency bands and limitations
10. Communication Satellites Basic principles of operation, geosynchronous and LEO
Download the Course Brochure PDF for the full detailed description
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTNS Certification and Letter of Reference
Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package
Sixteen courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2212 The OSI Layers and Protocol Stacks
Protocols & Standards • OSI Model • Layers • Protocol Stacks • FedEx Analogy
This course begins the "IP courses" in the Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) certification package.
The OSI 7-Layer Reference Model is used to sort out the many functions that need to be performed, to be able to discuss separate issues separately. The functions are organized into groups called layers, which are stacked one on top of the other. This allows us to relate different pieces of the puzzle in subsequent lessons.
The course starts with the big picture, then one lesson for each layer, then protocol stacks.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction
2. Open Systems
3. Protocols and Standards
4. ISO OSI 7-Layer Reference Model
5. The Physical Layer
6. Data Link Layer
7. Network Layer
8. Transport Layer
9. Session Layer
10. Presentation Layer
11. Application Layer
12. Protocol Stacks
13. Protocol Headers
14. Standards Organizations
Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of more than 25 years of instructor-led training. You'll learn what a layer is, what the layers are, what each one does and examples of where things like TCP fit into the model ...and how it all works together… in plain English.
This course establishes a framework for all of the discussions in subsequent lessons and courses: the OSI 7-Layer Reference Model, which identifies and divides the functions to be performed into groups called layers.
You'll learn what a layer is, the purpose of each layer, see examples of protocols used to implement each layer, and learn how a protocol stack really works with the famous "FedEx Analogy" presented as an embedded video by our top instructor, Eric Coll.
On completion of this course, you will be able to explain:
Detailed Course Outline
1. Introduction Course introduction and overview
2. Open Systems Open systems vs. proprietary systems.
3. Protocols and Standards Illustrated overview of all the functions required for communications, and protocols vs. standards
4. ISO OSI 7-Layer Reference Model Top-level overview and introduction to Layers
5. The Physical Layer Fiber, Twisted Pair, Cable and Wireless
6. Data Link Layer LANs and MAC Addresses
7. Network Layer IP, MPLS, Packets and Routers
8. Transport Layer Reliability, Connections, Ports and Sockets
9. Session Layer SIP, POP and HTTP
10. Presentation Layer ASCII, MIME, Compression, Encryption, Codecs
11. Application Layer SMTP, HTML and English
12. Protocol Stacks How a protocol stack and peer protocols actually work. Tracing the flow through the stack with the FedEx Analogy
13. Protocol Headers Babushka Dolls
14. Standards Organizations ISO, IETF, ITU
Download the Course Brochure PDF for the full detailed description
Build structured, broad knowledge of networks - understanding that lasts a lifetime. Stand out from the crowd!
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTNS Certification and Letter of Reference
Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package
Sixteen courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Certified IP Telecom Network Specialist (CIPTS) Certification Package
Four courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CIPTS Certification and Letter of Reference
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2211 Ethernet, LANs and VLANs
MAC Addresses • 802.3 and Ethernet • Broadcast Domains • LAN Cables • Switches • VLANs
Ethernet is the standard method of implementing data links between two machines. What started out as connections between PCs in the office has now spread to Optical Ethernet, used almost universally in the telecom network core, and fiber to the premise.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction
2. Buses, MAC Addresses and Frames
3. Ethernet and 802.3
4. Gigabit and Optical Ethernet
5. LAN Cables & TIA-568 Categories
6. Bridging
7. LAN Switches
8. VLANs
Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of more than 25 years of instructor-led training and counting. We'll cut through the jargon to demystify Ethernet, MAC addresses, LANs and VLANs, explaining the jargon and buzzwords, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together… in plain English.
In this course, we'll examine technologies for connecting machines, called LANs.
Originally, devices were connected to a cable to form a LAN segment. Today, devices are connected to an Ethernet Switch, a.k.a. Layer 2 or LAN switch.
This technology, frames, MAC addresses, broadcast domains and VLANs, migrated from in-building applications to the telecom network. Carriers' networks are today built with point-to-point fiber connecting Layer 2 switches in different buildings.
Fulfilling the goal to use the same technology for access circuits and services as in the core of the network, LAN technology is now used for 40 Gigabit/sec service using Optical Ethernet to large office buildings and 10+ Mb/s fiber-based services to businesses.
Detailed Course Outline
1. Introduction Course introduction and overview
2. Bus Topology Broadcast domains, MAC addresses, CSMA-CD access control
3. Ethernet and 802.3 IEEE 802 standards, 802.2 and 802.3, MAC frames
4. Evolution of Ethernet 10BASE-2, 10BASE-T - Gigabit Ethernet and Optical Ethernet
5. LAN Cabling and TIA-568 Categories Category 5, 5e and 6 cables, basic cabling design
6. Bridging Connecting broadcast domains, bridged services
7. LAN Switches Layer 2 switches, MAC tables
8. VLANs Broadcast domains defined in software
Download the Course Brochure PDF for the full detailed description
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTNS Certification and Letter of Reference
Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package
Sixteen courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Certified IP Telecom Network Specialist (CIPTS) Certification Package
Four courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CIPTS Certification and Letter of Reference
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2213 IP Addresses, Packets and Routers
IP Addresses • Packets • Networks • Routers • Static and Dynamic Addresses • DHCP • Public and Private Addresses • NAT • IPv6
IP Networks, Routers and Addresses is a comprehensive course on IP networking fundamentals: IP packets, IP addressing and IP routers.
We'll see how routers implement the network with packet-switching, that is, relaying packets from one circuit to another, and how routers are a point of control for network security. We'll introduce the term Customer Edge (CE), and understand the basic structure and content of a routing table.
Then we'll cover the many aspects of IP addressing: IPv4 address classes, dotted decimal, static vs. dynamic addresses, DHCP, public vs. private addresses, Network Address Translation, and finish with an overview of IPv6.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction
2. Review: Channelized Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM)
3. Statistical Time-Division Multiplexing: Bandwidth-on-Demand
4. Network: Bandwidth on Demand + Routing
5. Routers
6. IPv4 Addresses
7. DHCP
8. Public and Private IPv4 Addresses
9. Network Address Translation
10. IPv6 Overview
11. IPv6 Address Allocations and Assignment
Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of 20 years of instructor-led training, we'll cut through the jargon to clearly explain IP and routers, packets and addresses, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together… in plain English.
This course could also be called "Layer 3", as it is all about Layer 3 of the OSI model: the network layer, and in particular, IP packet networks.
Packet networks embody two main ideas: bandwidth on demand and packet switching.
First, we'll recap channelized TDM and its limitations, then understand statistical TDM or bandwidth on demand.
Next, we'll understand how routers implement the network with packet switching, that is, relaying packets from one circuit to another, and how routers are a point of control for network security. We'll introduce the term Customer Edge (CE), and understand the basic structure and content of a routing table.
Then we'll cover the many aspects of IP addressing – needed to be able to do the packet switching: IPv4 address classes, dotted decimal notation, static vs. dynamic addresses, DHCP, public vs. private addresses, Network Address Translation, and finish with an overview of IPv6 and IPv6 address allocation and assignment.
Detailed Course Outline
1. Introduction Course introduction and overview
2. Review: Channelized Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM) Traditional TDM – and why it is inefficient
3. Statistical Time-Division Multiplexing: Bandwidth-on-Demand Overbooking and opportunistic capacity
4. Private Network: Bandwidth on Demand + Routing The simplest framework for understanding routers and bandwidth on demand
5. Routers Routers and routing tables. Packet forwarding and packet filtering. Customer Edge.
6. IPv4 Addresses Address classes and dotted-decimal notation.
7. DHCP Dynamic addresses and static addresses – and how both are assigned using DHCP
8. Public and Private IPv4 Addresses How to obtain public addresses, and why private addresses are used in many cases
9. Network Address Translation How a NAT glues private IPv4 addressing used in-building to public addressing used on the Internet
10. IPv6 Overview Introduction to IPv6, what's new, the improvements on IPv4 and the IPv6 packet format
11. IPv6 Address Allocations and Assignment Types of IPv6 addresses, registries and allocations to ISPs. How subnets are assigned to end-users
Download the Course Brochure PDF for the full detailed description
Understand the whole IP story, including routers, packets, addresses, DHCP, NAT and IPv6. What's not to like?
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTNS Certification and Letter of Reference
Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package
Sixteen courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Certified IP Telecom Network Specialist (CIPTS) Certification Package
Four courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CIPTS Certification and Letter of Reference
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2214 MPLS and Carrier Networks
Carrier Packet Networks • Technologies • MPLS • MPLS VPNs • SLAs • CoS • Integration & Aggregation
MPLS and Carrier Networks is a comprehensive training course designed to build a solid understanding of carrier packet networks and services, the terminology, technologies, configuration, operation and most importantly, the underlying ideas… in plain English.
We'll cut through the buzzwords and marketing to demystify carrier packet networks and services, explaining Service Level Agreements, traffic profiles, virtual circuits, QoS, Class of Service, Differentiated Services, integration, convergence and aggregation, MPLS and other network technologies, and how they relate to TCP/IP without bogging down on details.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction
2. Carrier Packet Network Basics
3. Service Level Agreements
4. Virtual Circuits
5. X.25*
6. Frame Relay*
7. TCP/IP over Frame Relay*
8. QoS Requirement for Voice over IP
9. ATM*
10. MPLS
11. TCP/IP over MPLS
12. Differentiated Classes of Service using MPLS
13. Integration and Convergence using MPLS
14. Managing Aggregates of Traffic with MPLS Label Stacking
15. MPLS Services vs. Internet Service
* Lessons on these legacy technologies are optional, included for reference for anyone who needs to know about them. They are not on the final exam. Feel free to skip these lessons.
Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of over 25 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of the structure, components and operation of carrier packet networks and services, how they are implemented, packaged and marketed by carriers and how they are used by government, business… and other carriers.
MPLS and Carrier Networks is a comprehensive, up-to-date course on the networks companies like AT&T build and operate, how they are implemented, the services they offer, and how customers connect to the network.
This course can be taken by those who need just an introduction to carrier networks and MPLS, as well as by those who need to build a solid base on which to build project- or environment-specific knowledge.
In the previous course, we used a private network, i.e. dedicated point-to-point circuits connected with routers, as the simplest framework for understanding packets, bandwidth on demand, routers, and network addresses.
In this course, we will take the same idea and apply it again at the carrier network level: replacing the dedicated lines with bandwidth on demand service from a carrier between the customer locations.
We'll spend much of this course understanding a powerful traffic management tool called virtual circuits, how they are implemented with MPLS, and how MPLS can be used to provide differentiated services, aggregate traffic and implement convergence.
Detailed Course Outline
1. Introduction Course introduction and overview
2. Carrier Packet Network Basics Customer Edge, Provider Edge, Access and Core
3. Service Level Agreements Traffic Profile and Class of Service
4. Virtual Circuits Traffic Classes, Virtual Circuits and Virtual Circuit IDs
5. X.25 Packet Network Protocol Stack & OSI Layers*
6. Frame Relay Frame Relay vs. Packet Switching, IP, TCP, FRADs*
7. TCP/IP over Frame Relay Tracing a file download end-end through the equipment and protocols*
8. QoS Requirement for Voice over IP How packetized voice works and what is needed
9. ATM Brief overview: ATM objectives, cells, Service Classes*
10. MPLS MPLS components, jargon, basic operation
11. TCP/IP over MPLS Tracing a file download end-end, MPLS for VPN or VPLS
12. Differentiated Classes of Service using MPLS QoS, traffic classification, Diff-Serv: multiple CoS
13. Integration and Convergence using MPLS Carrying all traffic on a single network technology
14. Managing Aggregates of Traffic with MPLS Label Stacking Carrying virtual circuits on virtual circuits - access and core
15. MPLS Service vs. Internet Service Similarities and differences, pros and cons. The Future.
*Lessons on legacy technologies X.25, Frame Relay and ATM are included for anyone who needs to know about them. Feel free to skip these lessons; their content is not on the exam.
Download the Course Brochure PDF for the full detailed description
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTNS Certification and Letter of Reference
Certified Telecommunications Analyst (CTA) Certification Package
Sixteen courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CTA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Certified IP Telecom Network Specialist (CIPTS) Certification Package
Four courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CIPTS Certification and Letter of Reference
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
The CWA Certification Package includes three courses, CWA Certification Exam, TCO Certificate and Personalized Letter of Reference.
2231 Wireless Fundamentals
2232 Mobile Communications
2233 Fixed Wireless: WiFi
These courses cover the full range of wireless fundamentals, jargon and technologies, giving you the knowledge required in the wireless business today, plus a certificate to prove it!
Download the printable PDF brochure
Purchase courses in this set of three in the CWA Certification Package, or individual courses as best meets your needs.
Check out the CTNS + CWA combo package discount special!
The Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert CTSME Certification Package
includes all of these courses at a substantial discount... plus 5 TCO certification exams, all with unlimited repeats.
Course 2231 Wireless Fundamentals
Radio fundamentals • Spectrum • Digital radio • Modems and Modulation • Propagation, Penetration and Fading
Wireless Fundamentals is the first course in the CWA Certification Package. We begin with the basics: what radio is, how it's organized and how and it's used to communicate information.
We begin by understanding what radio actually is, and why we use it for communications. We'll understand how radio frequencies are in the Gigahertz range, used within frequency bands measured in the Megahertz wide.
Then we will look at the spectrum, i.e. standardized bands of frequencies, how they are allocated and the need for licenses. You will learn which bands are used for what, from cordless phones to WiFi and cellular, including the new 700-MHz bands.
Next, we'll understand how information is represented using radio. The first stop is a quick review of old-fashioned analog radio and TV, followed by what most systems use today: digital. We'll spend some time understanding digital, how 1s and 0s are communicated by modems and familiarize you with jargon and buzzwords like QAM and QPSK.
We'll finish off with radio transmission issues, including propagation, penetration and fading.
Course Lessons
1. Radio Fundamentals
2. Wireless Spectrum and Radio Bands
3. Analog Radio
4. Digital Radio: How Modems Work
5. Propagation, Penetration and Fading
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification Package
Three courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CWA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2232 Mobile Communications
Cellular Principles • Mobility • Handoffs • Digital Voice • Mobile Internet • The Generations: 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G • The Technologies: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDM • The Systems: GSM, 1X, UMTS, HSPA, LTE
Course 2232 Mobile Communications is the second course in the CWA Certification Package. With a good foundation in place, we'll cover mobile communications from A to Z. This is where the money is!
We begin with basic mobile network concepts and mobility terminology including base stations and transceivers, mobile switches and backhaul, handoffs and cellular radio concepts.
Then, we cover spectrum-sharing technologies and their variations: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA and OFDM, the generations of technology 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G, and the technologies GSM, 1X, UMTS, HSPA and LTE.
We'll understand how mobile Internet access is implemented for a smartphone, and how you can keep kids quiet on car trips by turning your phone into a mobile WiFi base station.
Course Lessons
1. Mobile Network Components and Operation
2. Cellular
3. 1G: Analog Frequency-Division Multiple Access
4. Second Generation: Digital Cellular
5. Digital Cellular: Voice Communications
6. Internet Access via Cellular: "Data" Communications
7. 2G: TDMA (IS-136) Time-Division Multiple Access
8. 2G: TDMA (GSM) Time-Division Multiple Access
9. 2G: CDMA Code-Division Multiple Access
10. Spread Spectrum
11. CDMA Operation and Patents
12. 3G: CDMA 1X and UMTS
13. 4G: LTE
14. 4G: OFDM
15. Dynamic Assignment of Subcarriers
16. Spectrum-Sharing Roundup: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDM
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate.
Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification Package
Three courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CWA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Course 2233 Fixed Wireless
Wireless LANs • 802.11 Standards • WiFi • Security • Bluetooth • WiMAX • Point-to-Point Microwave • Satellites
Course 2233 Fixed Wireless is the third and final course in the CWA Certification Package.
We'll round out your knowledge with wireless that does not support mobility, including the most important, WiFi, and other current technologies.
We'll start with infrared and Bluetooth.
Next is WiFi, more accurately called 802.11 Wireless LANs. We'll explain how WiFi works, and survey the different variations like 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac and more.
Then we'll cover the crucial issue of security on WiFi and why you want the WPA-2 Personal standard.
We finish off with point-to-point microwave systems, and satellites: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites and how they are used for voice and data communications.
Course Lessons
1. Infrared
2. Bluetooth
3. WiFi: Wireless LANs
4. WiFi Security and WPA2
5. 802.16 WiMAX
6. Point-to-Point Microwave
7. Satellite
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified Wireless Analyst (CWA) Certification Package
Three courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CWA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a 100% Money-Back Guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
The CVA Certification Package includes six courses, the CVA Certification Exam, TCO Certificate and Personalized Letter of Reference. Unlimited repeats of exams and courses: guaranteed to pass, refresh your knowledge anytime.
CVA covers all major VoIP, SIP and IP telephone system topics: VoIP equipment, the ways VoIP is implemented, packetized voice fundamentals, sound quality with sound samples, MPLS, SLAs and CoS, SIP, SIP trunking and more.
2221 Fundamentals of Voice over IP
2222 VoIP Architectures and Implementation Choices
2223 Softswitches, SIP and VoIP Call Setup
2224 Voice Packetization, Codecs and Voice Quality
2225 SIP Trunking & Carrier Connections
2226 IP Network Quality: CoS, QoS, MPLS and SLAs
These courses build on IP and PSTN fundamentals. If you are completely new to telecom, we recommend you take the CTNS courses first to build a knowledge base, then the CVA courses.
Purchase courses in this set of six in the CVA Certification Package, or individual courses as best meets your needs.
The Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert CTSME Certification Package
includes all of these courses at a substantial discount... plus 5 TCO certification exams, all with unlimited repeats.
Jargon & Buzzwords • VoIP Phone System Components and Operation • Voice Packetization • LANs and WANs • VoIP Phones: MAC Address, DHCP, IP, UDP, RTP, QoS • SIP, Softswitches & SIP Trunking • Cloud • The Future
Fundamentals of Voice over IP is a complete introduction to everything Voice over IP. You'll learn the fundamental ideas and principles of a VoIP telephone system, VoIP, SIP & all the other jargon - what it actually means and how it all works together.
At each step, we'll also cover supporting and related technologies like Ethernet MAC frames and codecs and video over IP.
Course Lessons
1. The Big Picture
2. Terminals
3. Voice in Packets
4. SIP and Soft Switches / SIP Servers / Call Managers
5. Media Servers: Video Servers
6. Gateways
7. LANs and WANs
8. Key VoIP Standards
9. Where All of This is Headed: IP Dial Tone
This course can be taken by anyone who needs to get up to speed on all things VoIP. You will gain career-enhancing knowledge of the components and operation of Voice over IP systems, and learn what all of the jargon and buzzwords mean.
It also serves as a first pass through topics that are covered in greater detail in subsequent lessons.
Lesson 1. Introduction watch now (free)
- Course overview, fundamental concepts
Lesson 2. VoIP Phones and Terminals
- Voice over IP phone: computer functions
- MAC address and Ethernet LAN interface
- IP address and DHCP, UDP
- Telephone functions
- Speech digitization and codecs
- Creating IP packets containing voice
- SIP client for call setup: SIP basics
- Minimum requirement for VoIP phone
- Optional: display, video codec, camera, keyboard, …
- QoS and packet classification
- Packet labeling
- Differentiated services: prioritization
- Softphones on computer screens
- 4G cellular is VoIP
Lesson 3. Voice in IP Packets watch now (free)
- Digitizing voice
- Encapsulation in IP packets
- Carried in MAC frames
- Tracing a phone call end-to-end
- Voice quality & jitter buffers
Lesson 4. SIP and Softswitches - SIP Servers / Call Managers
- Visit to a DMS-100 CO switch
- Softswitch vs. traditional PBX / CO switch
- Registration with SIP server
- SIP call disposition rules
- SIP: finding out the called party’s IP address
- How SIP works
- Hosted PBX
- Cloud servers: softswitch as a service
Lesson 5. Media Servers
- Video is where the money is
- Integrated messaging
- Video on demand and Video over IP
- Video server - Netflix server appliance
- DVR as a network service
- Streaming music
- Digital rights management
Lesson 6. Gateways
- Protocol converters
- Traditional DS0 telephony vs. Voice over IP
- Packets - streaming DS0 media format conversion
- SIP - PSTN ISDN signaling conversion
- Media gateway & Media Gateway Control Protocol
Lesson 7. LANs and WANs
- LANs: physical connection and MAC addresses
- Gigabit Ethernet: Cat 5e, 6
- Optical Ethernet in the core
- IP packets carried in MAC frames between devices
- Power over Ethernet (PoE)
- Uninterruptible power supply
- Wiring closets
- LAN switches
- VoIP over WiFi: 802.11
- WiFi Access Point connections
- WAN: between buildings
- Access, network service type, billing agreement
- Fiber, cable, DSL, wireless access
- Legacy WAN services: T1, Frame Relay, ATM
- Current IP WAN services
- Internet and Internet VPNs
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) and MPLS VPNs
- SIP Trunking
Lesson 8. Key VoIP Standards
- IETF RFCs
- SIP and SDP
- RTP: time stamps
- correcting jitter with RTP
- UDP and TCP. How TCP works.
- IP: network addresses for packets
- ITU G.711 voice and H.264 video codecs
- IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, 802.11 WiFi,
- 802.2 MAC addresses & MAC frames
- Cat 5, 5e, 6 cables
- Optical Ethernet
Lesson 9. Where All of This is Headed: IP Dial Tone
- The IP-PSTN
- The Packet-Switched Telecommunications Network
- IP Dial Tone: send an IP packet to anywhere, anything
- Telephone network and Internet become the same thing: the IP-PSTN
- Telephone service = SIP
- Web surfing = DNS
- Value-added services: e.g. SIP Trunking
- Cloud SIP servers: Google Voice
- Underlying technologies: IP, MPLS and Ethernet
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified VoIP Analyst (CVA) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CVA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTNS + CVA Combo Discount Special
Get CTNS and CVA Certification Packages together at a discount
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
VoIP over the Internet • VoIP at Carriers • VoIP-Enabled PBX • PBX Replacement • Softswitches • Hosted PBX • Cloud Services • IP Centrex • Asterisk & Open-Source • SO/HO VoIP Phone Features
VoIP Architectures and Implementation Choices is a comprehensive overview of the many flavors of VoIP, comparing and contrasting the various implementation and architecture choices.
Progressing from talking between computers over the Internet through Internet telephony, Managed IP Telephony, PBX enhancement, PBX replacement with call manager / softswitch systems, IP Centrex, Hosted PBX and Cloud Services, you'll gain the knowledge to confidently differentiate VoIP architectures and discuss pros and cons of options.
Course Lessons
1. Intro + Internet Telephony: Computer-Computer VoIP over the Internet
2. Internet Telephony Example: Skype
3. VSPs: Internet to Phone e.g. Gmail Client
4. VSP Phone to Phone over Internet e.g. Vonage
5. VoIP Becomes The New POTS
6. VoIP at Carriers
7. VoIP-Enabled PBX and Migration Options
8. Premise Softswitch: PBX Replacement
9. Cloud Services and Hosted PBX: Softswitch as a Service (SaaS)
10. IP Centrex
11. Asterisk and Open-Source Softswitch Software
12. IP Phone Features and Uses
Based on Teracom's famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of all of the different things someone could mean when they say "Voice over IP", and the pros and cons of each.
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified VoIP Analyst (CVA) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CVA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTNS + CVA Combo Discount Special
Get CTNS and CVA Certification Packages together at a discount
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
What SIP Is • What It Does • URIs: SIP Phone Numbers • Call Setup Procedure • Call Disposition Rules • How SIP relates to Softswitches and Call Managers
Softswitches, SIP and Call Setup is all about how VoIP phone calls are set up using messages and procedures complying with the standard Session Initiation Protocol.
In this course, you'll understand what SIP is, how it works, demystify jargon like proxy server and location server, understand how SIP fits in with softswitches and call managers, and trace the establishment of an IP phone call step by step.
Course Lessons
1. Intro + What SIP Is and What It Can Do
2. SIP's Relationship to Other Protocols
3. SIP URIs: Telephone Numbers
4. Register: Update Your Location
5. INVITE: Dialing
6. Location Service: Finding the Far End
7. The SIP Trapezoid
8. SIP Messages and the Session Description Protocol
9. How SIP Relates to Softswitches and Call Managers
Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of how SIP is used to set up a VoIP phone call end-to-end, and how SIP fits in with call managers and softswitches.
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified VoIP Analyst (CVA) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CVA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTNS + CVA Combo Discount Special
Get CTNS and CVA Certification Packages together at a discount
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
How Voice is Digitized and Packetized • Voice Quality • Codecs • Delay and Jitter • How Packets Are "Lost" • Packet Loss Sound Samples • RTP • VoIP Protocol Stack: RTP/UDP/IP/MAC
Voice Packetization, Codecs and Voice Quality is the "nuts and bolts" of Voice over IP: how the voice is digitized and coded, time stamps applied with the RTP protocol, and how the result is carried in UDP, IP packets and MAC frames.
You'll learn about codecs and compression, and understand factors like delay, jitter and packet loss, what causes them, and how they affect sound quality.
Sample sound clips with lost packets and uncorrected timing variations are included in Lesson 9 so you can hear the effects.
Course Lessons
1. Voice Packetization
2. Measuring Voice Quality
3. Factors Affecting Voice Quality
4. Codecs: Voice Coding and Compression
5. Delay
6. Jitter
7. RTP
8. Protocol Stack: RTP, UDP, IP, MAC
9. Packet Loss and Sound Samples
10 .Tips for Maximizing Voice Quality
Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of how packetized voice is actually implemented and the factors affecting sound quality.
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified VoIP Analyst (CVA) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CVA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTNS + CVA Combo Discount Special
Get CTNS and CVA Certification Packages together at a discount
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Carrier Interconnect: Switched Access Tariff • Gateways & DSOs • Native VoIP Carrier-Carrier • Session Border Controller • Gateway + PBX/PRI Trunks • SIP Trunking
SIP Trunking & Carrier Connections is all about connecting to carriers to communicate VoIP phone calls, both carrier-to-carrier connections and business-to-carrier SIP trunking.
You'll learn how the only way for a competitive carrier to terminate a VoIP phone call on a Local Exchange Carrier for the last mile is currently the switched access tariff, converting to DS0 channels using a gateway.
We'll understand why this will be a native VoIP connection in the future, and the role of Session Border Controllers.
Then we'll understand how a business system can connect to the PSTN using a gateway and PBX trunks, and the advantages of the newer SIP Trunking services for business to PSTN connection.
Course Lessons
1. Introduction + Carrier-LEC Connection via DS0
2. Carrier-LEC VoIP Interconnection
3. Session Border Controllers
4. Business -LEC PBX Trunks and Gateway
5. Softswitch Controlling the Gateway
6. SIP Trunking: Native VoIP Connections
Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of how connections are made to carriers, both for business-PSTN connections and carrier-carrier connections.
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified VoIP Analyst (CVA) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CVA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTNS + CVA Combo Discount Special
Get CTNS and CVA Certification Packages together at a discount
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Virtual Circuit Concepts • MPLS Fundamentals & Jargon • Class of Service (CoS) • Service Level Agreement (SLA) • Traffic Profiles • Prioritization • Traffic Policing: "Throttling" • Diff-Serv and MPLS • 802.1P
IP Network Quality CoS, QoS, MPLS and Diff-Serv focuses on the network service provided by carriers to move packets containing voice, and how network traffic is identified, managed and prioritized, resulting in Class of Service offerings to meet Service Level Agreements.
You will learn how carriers use virtual circuits to manage flows of IP packets, and how MPLS is used to do this.
You will understand the idea of Differentiated Services: different transmission characteristics for different kinds of traffic, and how these are implemented as Classes of Service (CoS).
We'll cover Service Level Agreements and how "throttling" some users is sometimes necessary to ensure all users are getting the CoS they are paying for.
We'll cover the Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms MPLS and 802.1P and how Classes of Service are implemented by routers.
Course Lessons
1. Course Introduction + Virtual Circuit Technologies
2. MPLS
3. Differentiated Services (Diff-Serv)
4. Service Level Agreements, Meters, Markers, Shapers and Droppers
5. Interworking Diff-Serv and MPLS
6. Using 802.1P for QoS
7. Implementing CoS: Queuing Techniques
Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of network quality, how it is specified and implemented.
Individual Course
with unlimited repeats, Teracom Course Completion Certificate
Certified VoIP Analyst (CVA) Certification Package
Six courses including this one with unlimited repeats, TCO CVA Certification and Letter of Reference
CTNS + CVA Combo Discount Special
Get CTNS and CVA Certification Packages together at a discount
CTSME: Certified Telecommunications Subject Matter Expert certification package includes this course.
Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.
Teracom Advantages
Available Study Guides in Print or eBook
Technical Level and Intended Audience
Our training has been taught to wide acclaim across North America since 1992 and is designed for the non-engineering professional needing an overview and update, and for those new to the business needing to get up to speed quickly on telecommunications, data communications, IP, MPLS, wireless, networking, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems, SIP and security.
Our emphasis is conveying the key concept-level knowledge in plain English - which you can't get reading trade magazines or talking to vendors. We put in place a solid, valuable and long-lasting understanding. It is our goal to bust the buzzwords, demystify the jargon, and cut through the double-talk to present a clear, cohesive picture.
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.
The no-hassle training solution
Teracom's high-quality online courses are delivered in Google Chrome or Puffin browsers on any Windows or mac desktop or laptop, iPad, android tablet or phone with an internet connection... to any number of people, anywhere, anytime. system requirements
Ideal for self-paced training, courses are divided into lessons. Stay on a lesson for as long as you like, and move to the next lesson then write the course exam only when ready.
Team training packages with group discount and management reporting from our Learning Management System are very popular.
With the Unlimited Plan, you can repeat exams as needed, and retake courses anytime in the future.