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Learner Reviews & Feedback for The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking by Google

4.7
stars
47,433 ratings

About the Course

This course is designed to provide a full overview of computer networking. We’ll cover everything from the fundamentals of modern networking technologies and protocols to an overview of the cloud to practical applications and network troubleshooting. By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: ● describe computer networks in terms of a five-layer model ● understand all of the standard protocols involved with TCP/IP communications ● grasp powerful network troubleshooting tools and techniques ● learn network services like DNS and DHCP that help make computer networks run ● understand cloud computing, everything as a service, and cloud storage...

Top reviews

DL

Feb 23, 2021

This course was amazing and helped me understand so much more about networking, things I never thought I would know or understand. Very fulfilling and I can't wait to use this knowledge going forward.

WW

Nov 8, 2020

Great overview of the technical aspects of networking that, once again, started from the very "I know nothing basics" and moved to more advanced topics at a rate that this beginner could keep up with.

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151 - 175 of 10,000 Reviews for The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking

By Justin S

Sep 16, 2020

I need to drop this class. How do I do so?

By Ali I

May 19, 2021

Worst course in the whole program by far

By Rohith V

Jun 28, 2022

very bad while submitting my reports

By Deleted A

Feb 14, 2020

Coursera itself is a mess in it self

By Miles M

Jun 24, 2022

Fix the IPv6 Compression assignment

By Cristian -

Jun 22, 2022

ipv6 compression quiz does not work

By ABHISHEK S

Apr 16, 2022

Technical Issue Very bad Experience

By Mohammed A M S K

Jun 14, 2021

Things are not explained in detail

By Mohamed A

Jun 11, 2022

Why couldn't I finish this course?

By Ronick S J

Dec 28, 2021

IPV6 Compression Quiz is glitched.

By Deleted A

Feb 21, 2020

a total waste of time and energy

By Aaron D

May 5, 2023

Very confusing and long course

By GUNDEBOMMU P

Apr 24, 2021

i am not getting my certificate

By Jean C A

Oct 17, 2021

ipv6 compression is wrong

By Elliott G

May 26, 2021

BORINGGGGGGGGGGGG

By Ghazanfar A

Jun 5, 2020

I,m not interested

By Travis L B

Sep 22, 2020

NOT LIVE YET?

By Brian W

Sep 1, 2018

Beautoful!

By shanmugha s

Jul 21, 2020

nothing

By Narahari A P

Jun 16, 2020

s

By Christine W

Jun 11, 2020

.

By Ellen K

Nov 26, 2020

I thought this course was great. Like others, I want to give props to the narrators, whose friendly and upbeat manner definitely helped to make things more palatable!

Even the very best products can be improved upon, so in that spirit, my recommendations would be:

*More hands-on practice - (agree with earlier reviewer on this) - I would add that it would be nice to have that not necessarily in the form of a quiz right off the bat - but in the form of exercises. I did actually try a few of the commands on my computer, but not the same as having the course verify that I had done things correctly. Sort of like learning to drive - the hands-on simulations are useful.

*Maybe a little section every now and then on - "let's take a look at how this works specifically with what you have learned so far" - since several commenters noted that they didn't see the connections. I felt that the course helped me begin to see them, but am not yet at the point where I could design the whole system myself using the concepts - so clearly there is more I need to learn.

*Maybe some occasional reference to key concepts and details to learn for the TIA-Comp or other critical exams. My fear is that they make it so cushy and comfortable that one could neglect to learn important things for the exam. For instance, do people need to memorize each different header and stack level item with correct field order and size etc.? Or is it enough to be able to look that up and to know which one to look up? Would be reassuring to know.

* Not sure whether the transcript was auto-generated, but there is room for improvement in the grammar and even in misquoting what the narrator actually said at times. I made some corrections for myself, but did not fix everything. I would be willing to share that with Google or Coursera if they wanted a partially corrected starting point. Would also be willing to share with other students, if Coursera/Google were to give permission. Either way, for those who are transcript-oriented, there is room for improvement on that feature.

*There is probably something I am forgetting to add here, but I am sure other reviewers will cover it.

Overall - I I think they have done a fantastic job of introducing this topic, which broad enough to be the subject of university degrees, in just a couple short easy classes. It seems very natural that there would still be gaps in our abilities at this stage - we are not even halfway through, and the entire class of 5 courses is still only described as an introductory level certificate.

This comment is weirdly centering rather than left formatting as I write. Hope it comes out looking normal.

Anyway, thanks so much, and looking forward to the rest!

By Vivian W

May 1, 2020

This was definitely much more in-depth than the first course of the Google IT Support cert series, and had a lot of great information and I definitely came out of it more knowledgeable of certain terms and concepts that are important to networking and to building a strong foundation.

If improvements to the course were to be implemented, I would suggest adding more visuals to better understand some of the concepts like subnetting, datagram encapsulation steps/routing in relation to the 5-layer model (at which layer X happens etc) .

In particular, I had a very difficult time understanding binary - converting decimal to binary and vice versa, which I think is important to understanding CIDR notation and applying it to then understand how to do well on one of the assessments. After rewatching the videos, I ended up having to use some outside resources to get it, which I understand is part of the learning process in general in this field, but I also think those outside resources could be included as they were more clear and concise.

I also struggled with the Wireless Channel activity - while I understood the importance of trying to configure channels with as little interference as possible, it wasn't explained how to do so in as fast and efficient manner as possible. I also think this course could benefit from adding in more practical applications/real-life scenarios, like explaining and providing examples of when to use ping vs traceroute vs nslookup, examples of common problems or things to look for in the output to help resolve the problem.

Lastly, I felt that the Mock Interview video was extremely helpful and useful so kudos for including that!

Overall a great course, and thank you for providing this resource to people like me with no traditional background or academic foundation for this type of field.

By Lisa K

Jun 29, 2020

I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this class, so that's why I'm writing this positive one. In my opinion, the course is excellent, and so are the instructors. Even their jokes are ok. I did watch each video at least twice, and I took lots of notes and reviewed them. The text of the instructor's talk was below each video, so it was easy to cut and paste pertinent talking points, or to shorten them. I think it would be difficult to learn the material only by watching the videos. I also read the Supplemental Materials, and sometimes watched YouTube videos on the topic (especially for Subnetting and masking). I am pretty much of a beginner, except that 14-15 years ago I took some Networking classes at a local community college, so I had some prior knowledge of the topic (but no actual hands on experience).

I agree with the criticisms of the Subnetting quiz. I misinterpreted the instructions (even though I read others' comments about them before I took the test). I finally figured it out. The test was hard even once I understood the instructions, but that's b/c I had a very hard time understanding subnetting & masking.

It would be helpful to have more hands-on quizzes, but I'm not sure how that can be accomplished in a class in this format: online and at-your-own-pace. I think the next course includes command line instructions and practice, and this may help us all to get hands-on practice on our own computers, using some of the tools we've learned.

By Mary C

Mar 10, 2021

I appreciated Victor Escobedo's enthusiasm and wit. He covered A LOT of material in this course and made it interesting which in turn kept me motivated.

I enjoyed learning about the fundamentals and details of the TCP/IP 5 layer model. We delved into Networking Services and how DNS is used to control and maintain web addresses and the specific protocol used to keep the internet secure. We learned about Domain Name registration. I have a better understanding of the essentials of DHCP and using NAT and Port Forwarding as a solution to the lack of IPv4 addresses. The importance of Virtual Private Networks as a means of keeping networks secure. The history of broadband and the establishment of DSL and the basics of WAN protocol. I have a grasp on the use of Wireless Technology and networking, including the implementation and use of Ad-hoc, Wireless LANS, and mesh networks and how to troubleshoot connectivity issues with options like Ping, Traceroute, Netcat and nslookup. I have a deeper understanding of how cloud services work and the various types of services available. Lastly, the future of IP addressing and workarounds of using current IPv4 servers until the global system is ready to launch IPv6. Lastly, I’m impressed with the mind-blowing 18+ Quintillion addresses that IPv6 has to offer. The technology behind our internet infrastructure is fascinating! I would love to meet and someday work with the brilliant engineers at the heart of this technology.