CMIT 352: Enterprise Networking, Security, and Automation

CMIT 352 continues from CMIT 351, scaling up from small business networks to the design, security and automation of enterprise networks.

UMGC describes it as a hands-on introduction to Cisco internetworking devices, focusing on the architectures and considerations involved in designing, securing, operating and troubleshooting enterprise networks.

Topics include WAN technologies and quality of service (QoS) mechanisms used for secure remote access, along with an introduction to software-defined networking, virtualisation and automation concepts that support the digitalisation of networks.

It is designed to help prepare for the CCNA exam. Students often find the jump in scope demanding, since configuration labs now combine routing, access control, address translation and remote access in one topology.

What CMIT 352 Covers

Key Concepts Explained

Access Control Lists

An ACL is an ordered list of permit and deny statements. The router checks each packet against the list from the top and stops at the first match; an implicit "deny any" sits at the end.

NAT and PAT

NAT translates private addresses to public ones. PAT (NAT overload) lets many internal hosts share one public address by tracking port numbers, which is how most organizations connect to the internet.

Software-Defined Networking and Automation

SDN separates the control plane (deciding where traffic goes) from the data plane (forwarding it), often under a central controller. Automation uses APIs, data formats like JSON and YAML, and tools such as Ansible to configure many devices consistently instead of one by one.

OSPF in Brief

OSPF is a link-state routing protocol: each router learns the full map of its area and calculates the best paths itself. Routers must become neighbors before they exchange routes, and the neighbor process is where most lab problems appear.

When writing up OSPF labs, include the verification commands as well as the configuration, since they prove the network actually works.

Why QoS and Remote Access Matter

UMGC links QoS mechanisms with secure remote access. When staff connect over WAN links and VPNs, voice and video compete with bulk traffic. QoS classifies and marks traffic, then queues it so delay-sensitive packets go first.

In design answers, explain which traffic is prioritized, why, and how the VPN keeps that traffic confidential across untrusted networks.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

Where Students Get Stuck

• ACL order and wildcards. Wildcard masks are the inverse of subnet masks.
• OSPF neighbors not forming. Check areas, timers, networks and interfaces.
• NAT inside and outside. Interfaces must be marked correctly.
• Abstract SDN topics. Relate them to the manual tasks they replace.

Study Tips for CMIT 352

• Revisit CMIT 351 notes on VLANs and routing; this course builds on them.
• Write every ACL in plain English before typing it.
• Practice reading JSON and YAML examples for the automation topics.
• Use the current CCNA exam topics as a checklist.

How We Help with CMIT 352

Send the lab instructions, topology, rubric and your configurations. A networking tutor can explain routing, ACLs, NAT, QoS or automation, walk through a configuration, or review your write-up. For presenting lab work, see our lab report guide.

GradeEssays is independent of the University of Maryland Global Campus and Cisco. We tutor and explain; we never take quizzes or exams, sit certifications, or log in to your classroom or lab systems.