🚀 Condensed Datacom Basics Course (Huawei ICT Edition)

(Fast learning, high-yield concepts, exactly what you need for the exam)

1. Communication and Data Transfer Basics

📚 Source: Data Communication Network Basis

⭐ Key Concepts

 Communication means transferring information between devices.

 Computers cannot understand text/images directly → everything must become data (0s and 1s).

 A complete transfer involves:

⭐ Packet Structure

 Payload – actual data

 Header – control information added before the payload

 Trailer/Tail – control information added after the payload

 The process is:

o Encapsulation: adding headers/trailers

o Decapsulation: removing them at the destination

2. Network Devices (Switch, Router, Firewall, WLAN)

📚 Source: Data Communication Network Basis

⭐ Switch

 Layer 2 device (Ethernet)

 Uses MAC address table

 Forwards frames inside the same LAN

 Creates and manages broadcast domains

✔ Entry aging

MAC table entry disappears after ~300 seconds of inactivity.

Why Do We Need VLANs?

✔ Without VLAN
  All devices are in the same broadcast domain

 ARP/DHCP broadcasts reach everyone

✔ With VLAN

Each VLAN becomes a separate broadcast domain.

⭐ Router

 Layer 3 device (IP)

 Uses IP routing table

 Connects different networks

 Performs path selection, NAT, WAN access

⭐ Firewall

 Security device

 Separates zones (Trust / Untrust / DMZ ” Semi-trusted zone (Demilitarized Zone) ”)

 Applies security policies, filtering, VPN, NAT, encryption

⭐ WLAN Components

 AP (Access Point)

 AC (Access Controller)

 Provides Wi-Fi access, authentication, roaming management

3. Network Types & Topologies

📚 Source: Data Communication Network Basis

⭐ Network Types

 LAN – small area (office, home, campus) _ High-speed links (1G/10G Ethernet)

 MAN – city-level networks

 WAN – large geographical area, includes the Internet

⭐ Topologies

 Star (most common)

 Bus

 Ring
  Tree

 Full-mesh

 Partial-mesh

4. OSI & TCP/IP Models

📚 Source: Network Reference Model

⭐ OSI Model (7 layers)

1. Physical

2. Data Link

3. Network

4. Transport

5. Session

6. Presentation

7. Application

⭐ TCP/IP Equivalent Model (used by Huawei)

 Application Layer (HTTP, DNS, FTP, etc.)

 Transport Layer (TCP, UDP)

 Network Layer (IP, ICMP, IGMP)

 Network Access Layer (Ethernet, PPP, PPPoE)

📌 ICT exam tests:

5. Essential Protocols

📚 Source: Network Reference Model

⭐ Application Layer Protocols

HTTP Web browsing :

 HTTP → port 80

 HTTPS → port 443 (encrypted with TLS)

FTP File transfer :

 Control channel → TCP 21

 Data transfer → TCP 20

DNS Name → IP resolution:

 DNS → UDP 53 (most queries)

 DNS → TCP 53 (zone transfers, large responses)

Telnet Remote login (not encrypted):

Telnet → TCP 23

SMTP(Simple Email sending:

DHCP Dynamic IP assignment:

 DHCP Discover/Request → UDP 68 (client)

 DHCP Offer/Ack → UDP 67 (server)

⭐ Transport Layer

TCP (reliable) Transmission Controll Protocol

 Connection-oriented

 Uses 3-way handshake (SYN and Ack)

 Uses Sequence and ACK numbers

 Uses sliding window for flow control

 Uses 4-way handshake to close connections (Fin and Ack)

UDP (unreliable) User Datagram Protocol

 Connectionless
  Faster, simpler (streaming, VoIP)

⭐ Network Layer

 IP (routing packets end-to-end)

 ICMP (ping, traceroute) Internet Controll Message Protocol

Nb: traceroute work with TTL and time exceed message

 IGMP (multicast group management) Internet Group Management Protocol

Ex: video streaming, online game

⭐ Data Link Layer

 Ethernet (frames with MAC addressing)

 PPP / PPPoE (WAN access)

Ethernet : manage how data moves physically over local (LAN)

PPP: Manage authentication and IP assignment for a single dedicated link (link diap-up)

PPPoE: Puts PPP’s authentication features inside Ethernet data packets to provide secure, verifiable
internet access over shared local infrastructure

6. ARP and IP Forwarding

📚 Source: Network Reference Model

⭐ ARP (Address Resolution Protocol)

 Maps IP address → MAC address

 Steps:

1. ARP Request (broadcast): "Who has this IP?"

2. ARP Reply (unicast): "I have it, here is my MAC"

3. Entry stored in ARP table (valid ~180s)

⭐ IP Forwarding

 Router checks destination IP

 Searches routing table

 Forwards to next hop

 Rewrites Layer 2 frame with next-hop MAC

7. Huawei VRP System Basics

📚 Source: Huawei VRP Basics

⭐ VRP = Huawei’s operating system (Versatile Routing Platform)

Used on switches, routers, firewalls.

⭐ Device Startup

1. BootROM performs hardware initialization

2. VRP system software loads

3. Configuration file applied from flash

⭐ Storage Types

 Flash → system software + configuration

 NVRAM → system parameters

 SD card (some models)

 USB (external storage)

⭐ Access Methods

 Console (local setup)

 Telnet (remote unencrypted)

 SSH (secure remote login)

VRP has evolved through many versions:

VRP Boot Process (Important for ICT)

When a Huawei device powers on:

Step 1 — BootROM loads

Performs:

 Hardware initialization

 System checks

 Basic diagnostics
Step 2 — System Software Loads

Loads VRP from flash memory into RAM.

Step 3 — Configuration File Loads

Applies the startup configuration file (usually [Link] or [Link]).

Step 4 — Device becomes operational

Interfaces come up, routing protocols start, CLI available.

VTYs are configured under:

user-interface vty 0 4

VRP User Levels (Very Important!)

Huawei defines 16 user privilege levels (0–15).

Level Range Name Description

0 Visit Level Only basic commands (ping, display)

1 Monitoring Level Show commands only

2 Configuration Can configure system

3–15 Management Level Full control (admin)

Most devices use:

 Level 0 → guest

 Level 1 → operator

 Level 15 → admin (super user)

You can see your level with:

display user-interface

🔷 Flash Memory

Stores:
  System software (.cc or .bin files)

 Startup configuration ([Link])

 Logs

 Backups

List files with:

dir

🔷 Startup File

The OS reads this file at boot:

[Link]

You can set startup configuration with:

startup saved-configuration default

🔷 Backup Configuration

You can export configs to:

 USB

 TFTP

 FTP

Example:

tftp [Link] put [Link]

8. Huawei CLI Essentials

📚 Source: Huawei VRP Basics

⭐ Enter System View

<Huawei> system-view

[Huawei]

⭐ Change Device Name

[Huawei] sysname R1
⭐ Configure an Interface

[Huawei] interface GigabitEthernet 0/0/1

[Huawei-GE0/0/1] ip address [Link] 24

⭐ Save Configuration

<Huawei> save

⭐ Show Current Configuration

<Huawei> display current-configuration

⭐ Remove a Configuration (undo)

undo ip address

undo sysname

⭐ Help System

 ? → show possible commands

 Tab → auto-complete commands

9. What You MUST Know for the ICT Datacom Exam

✓ OSI & TCP/IP models

✓ How data flows through layers

✓ ARP, ICMP, IP forwarding

✓ Switch vs Router roles

✓ TCP handshake & reliability mechanisms

✓ Network topologies (star, ring, mesh…)

✓ Basic VRP commands

✓ Interface configuration + display commands

Master these → you pass Datacom Basics with confidence.

✔ How switching works:

Switches maintain a MAC address table.

Incoming Frame Action

If MAC unknown Broadcast (flooding)

If MAC is local Drop (when a frame is received from a port and the
destination device is located on the same port)

Huawei categorizes wireless devices as:

 AP (Access Point) → provides Wi-Fi

 AC (Access Controller) → manages APs

✔ Two types of APs

1️⃣ Fat AP

 Works independently

 Handles all wireless functions

 Used in small networks

2️⃣ Fit AP

 Lightweight AP that requires an AC

 AC handles:

o Authentication

o Channel management

o Roaming

o Configuration

Used in enterprise networks.

✔ AC (Access Controller)

Think of AC as the "brain" of the WLAN.

It controls:

 AP configuration

 Radio resource management

 Load balancing

 Roaming
  Security policies

The AP only handles the radio signals.

Let’s visualize Huawei’s typical enterprise network:

[Internet]

Firewall (security zone boundary)

Router (routing + NAT)

Core Switch (L3)

Aggregation Switch (optional)

Access Switch (L2) → PCs, servers, phones

Wireless APs controlled by AC

PDU: Protocol Data Unit

Layer 4 : TCP – segment , UDP – Datagram

Layer 3 : Packet

Layer 2 : Frame

Layer 1 : bits