Networking · generic · intermediate
Computer Networking: Packets to Protocols
A university-level networking course modelled after Stanford CS144, MIT 6.829, and Princeton COS461. Build a complete mental model of how the Internet works — from electrical signals on a wire up through HTTP/3, TLS, and modern cloud networking. One of the most enrolled topics on Coursera; this version goes deeper with hands-on Wireshark labs and CLI exercises.
- 12 hours
- 30 lessons
- 6 modules
- 50-question practice exam
- updated May 2026
Try it before you sign up
Read a full lesson and answer 3 questions from the Module 1 quiz. No account needed.
The OSI Model and Protocol Stacks
6 modules, 30 lessons
Module 1 is free — lessons, hands-on walkthrough and quiz. The course ends with a 50-question practice exam.
- readThe OSI Model and Protocol Stacks30 min
- videoHow the Internet Works – Computerphile20 min
- readProtocol Encapsulation with tcpdump20 min
- quizOSI Model & Networking Fundamentals Quiz15 min
Built by the CloudaQube team
No celebrity instructor — here is exactly what goes into the course instead.
- 01 1 guided hands-on walkthroughs you run in a real environment.
- 02 6 module quizzes and a 50-question practice exam — every answer comes with an explanation.
- 03 Last updated May 2026.
- 04 Any module can become a hands-on lab in Labs Studio.
What you'll be able to do
- 01 Explain every layer of the OSI and TCP/IP models and trace a packet through all of them
- 02 Configure subnets, calculate CIDR ranges, and read routing tables
- 03 Describe how TCP achieves reliability through handshake, flow control, and congestion control
- 04 Analyse real network traffic using Wireshark and tcpdump
- 05 Explain DNS resolution, HTTP/1.1 vs HTTP/2 vs HTTP/3, and TLS certificate validation
- 06 Understand modern networking: CDNs, load balancers, SDN, and VXLAN overlays
- — Basic familiarity with the Linux command line
- — Understanding of binary and hexadecimal numbers
- — Some experience with any programming language helpful
Before you start
How long does it take?
About 12 hours of lessons, videos and hands-on walkthroughs across 6 modules, plus a 50-question practice exam.
What’s free?
Module 1 in full — lessons, hands-on walkthrough and quiz — with no card required. Any paid plan (from $8.99/mo) unlocks all 6 modules and the practice exam, and starts with a 14-day free trial.
Start the course with Module 1 free.
No card required. Unlock every module and the practice exam from $8.99/mo when you’re ready.