Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Client may include:
employees
external organisations
individuals
internal departments.
Hardware may include:
digital subscriber line (DSL) modems
modems or other connectivity devices
networks
PCs
remote sites
servers
workstations.
Software may include:
application software:
database
internet browser
spreadsheet
word-processing
commercial
customised software
in-house
programming software:
assembler
compiler
development tools
system software:
computer security software
device drivers
operating system.
Architecture may include:
configuration:
large memory model
requests per second
small memory model
database software:
DB2
Informix
Ingres
Microsoft SQL (MS SQL) server
Mini SQL (mSQL)
MySQL
Oracle
Sybase
operating system:
Linux
Mac
multi-user ability
Novell NetWare
Windows.
Security plan may include:
alerts relating to the security objectives of the organisation
audits
privacy
standards:
archival
backup
network
theft
viruses.
Internet service provider may include:
broadband access:
asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL)
cable
fibre
satellite
wireless
dial-up access
ISP hierarchical structure:
Tier 1 ISP
Tier 2 ISP
Tier 3 ISP.
Firewalls may include:
hardware appliances
individual PC solutions, with varying functionality:
network address translation (NAT) or internet protocol (IP) masquerading
routing to specific machines
proxy servers.
Users may include:
contractors
departments within the organisation
persons within a department
support staff
third parties.
Network may include:
data
internet
large and small local area networks (LANs)
private lines
use of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for dial-up modems only
voice
virtual private network (VPN)
wide area network (WAN).
Connection type may include:
ADSL
cable
dedicated or proxy connections
dial-up
integrated services digital network (ISDN) terminal adapter
optical network termination (ONT).

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the ability to:
connect network hardware devices to an internet gateway
configure and test gateway products
configure and test node according to vendor specifications and client requirements.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
network and internet where gateway products may be installed and configured
use of hardware and software currently used in industry
client requirements documentation
vendor specifications
appropriate learning and assessment support when required
modified equipment for people with special needs.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
verbal or written questioning to assess candidate’s knowledge of hardware and software to be installed
direct observation of candidate:
installing and configuring gateway products as required by technical guidelines
configuring and testing node as required by vendor specifications and client requirements.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, where appropriate.
Assessment processes and techniques must be culturally appropriate, and suitable to the communication skill level, language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.
Indigenous people and other people from a non-English speaking background may need additional support.
In cases where practical assessment is used it should be combined with targeted questioning to assess required knowledge.