Target audience:
Those responsible for the installation and maintenance of telecommunications networks. This course, along with its companion course "Telecommunications access networks", delivers many of the knowledge requirements of the Telecoms field operative apprenticeship standard.
Course prerequisites:
An understanding of the basic principles of data communications would assist in understanding the content of this course. It is recommended that the PTT course "Data communications principles" is studied before attempting this course.
Course objectives:
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- describe the role of testing in installing, commissioning, maintenance, and fault-finding a network.
- describe the factors that determine the performance of a network and the parameters used to assess its performance.
- describe the role of a service level agreement with reference to quality of service (QofS) indicators.
- explain the importance of testing to internationally recognised standards with reference to the various organisations that publish those standards.
- explain that tests can be carried out on a physical line, communications link or a connection over a network giving examples of the types of test employed.
- explain the various parameters used to measure the error performance of a network and describe how that performance is measured.
- define, and explain the significance of, the key performance indicators used to assess a wide area network.
- describe the benefits of a structured approach to fault-finding and the roles of information gathering, analysis, and testing hypotheses.
- explain that testing at the different protocol layers in a certain sequence can assist in isolating a fault, giving examples of such an approach.
- describe the use of specialised test equipment to assess the performance of, and find faults in, networks and broadband connections.
- explain the importance of storing test results, giving examples of methods of data storage including the use of cloud services such as a computerised maintenance management system.
- explain how future functional failure of an asset can be predicted.
- describe and compare the benefits of various types of maintenance strategy.
Approximate study time: 6 hours
Delivery platform requirements:
To access the course, a computer/tablet running a browser such as Chrome, Safari, Edge etc. is required. The device should have an active Internet connection and a screen resolution of at least 1024x768.