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Version: October 6, 2026 — Previous curriculum

Systems & Networking

Networks and Servers Image

Goal​

This module reveals how computers communicate across the internet. Understanding networking is essential for deploying AI models, debugging connection issues, and building secure, scalable systems.

Estimated Time Impact

4-6 hours total

Network Fundamentals(2.5h)
Models & Protocols(1.25h)
Security & Addressing(1.5h)

1. Network Fundamentals​

Core Concepts: Switches & Routers​

video
beginner

NetworkChuck: Networking Series (Videos 1 - 3)

2-3 hours

What You'll Learn

  • Network: Two or more connected devices sharing resources.
  • Switch (Layer 2): Connects devices within a single network (LAN) using MAC addresses.
  • Router (Layer 3): Connects different networks together (LAN to WAN) using IP addresses.

How to Use

  1. Watch the videos on Networks, Switches, and Routers.
  2. Practice: Run ipconfig (Windows) or ifconfig (Mac/Linux) to find your IP address and Default Gateway.
  3. Trace: Run traceroute google.com to see every router your data passes through.

2. Security & Addressing​

Ports & Security​

video
intermediate

Port Security Essentials

30-45 minutes

Ports are logical "doors" on a server. Only open the ones you absolutely need.

Common Ports:

  • 80/443: Web traffic (HTTP/HTTPS)
  • 22: Remote access (SSH)
  • 8000: FastAPI development server
  • 5432: PostgreSQL database

Action Items:

  1. Check your open ports: netstat -an.
  2. Configure a firewall rule to allow port 8000 but block others.

IP Addressing & Subnetting​

video
advanced

IP Addressing & Subnetting

45-60 minutes
  • IPv4: 32-bit address (e.g., 192.168.1.1).
  • Subnetting: Dividing a network into smaller, secure segments.
  • Private IPs: Ranges like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x are not accessible from the public internet.

Action Items:

  1. Practice CIDR notation (e.g., /24 means 254 usable hosts).
  2. Identify whether your current IP is Public or Private.

Practical Project: Secure AI Architecture​

Task: Design a secure network architecture for a production AI system.

Requirements:

  1. Public Subnet: Contains a Load Balancer (Ports 80/443 open to world).
  2. Private Subnet (App): Contains FastAPI Servers (Port 8000, accepts traffic only from Load Balancer).
  3. Private Subnet (Data): Contains Database (Port 5432, accepts traffic only from App Subnet).

Deliverable: A diagram showing the traffic flow and security rules.

Note: For hands-on implementation of deploying AI services with Docker and cloud security, see the Infra Basics module.

Checklist & Troubleshooting​

Verify You Can:

  • Explain the difference between a Switch and a Router.
  • List the 4 layers of the TCP/IP model.
  • Identify Private vs Public IP addresses.
  • Debug connection issues using ping and telnet.

Common Pitfalls:

  • Connection Refused: The service isn't running, or the port is closed.
  • Timeout: A firewall is blocking the connection, or there is a routing issue.
  • Works Locally, Not in Prod: You might be listening on 127.0.0.1 (localhost) instead of 0.0.0.0 (all interfaces).

Quick Reference​

# Diagnostics
ping google.com          # Check connectivity
traceroute google.com    # Trace the path to a server
netstat -tuln            # List listening ports (Linux)
ip addr                  # Show IP addresses

# Common Ports
22: SSH   | 80: HTTP   | 443: HTTPS
5432: Postgres | 8000: FastAPI
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