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.

Network may include:
data
internet
large and small local area networks (LAN)
national wide area networks (WAN)
virtual private network (VPN).
Documentation may include:
equipment inventory
International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Australian Standards (AS) standards
naming standards
project management templates and report writing
satisfaction reports
version control.
Network elements may include:
adaptors
communications cables and connectors
hubs
routers
servers
switches.
Requirements may refer to:
application
business
network
people in the organisation
system.
Client may include:
external organisations
individuals
internal departments
internal employees.
Appropriate person may include:
authorised business representative
client
supervisor.
Basic switch security may include:
port deactivation
port security
secure shell (SSH).
Enhanced switching technologies may include:
802.1q
per-VLAN spanning tree protocol (PVSTP)
RSTP
trunking
VLAN.
Basic utilities may include:
debug commands
ipconfig
ping
secure shell (SSH)
Telnet
traceroute.
Common switched network issues may include:
auto-negotiation
configuration issues
media issues
switch hardware failures
VLAN
STP and RSTP
trunking.

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:
prepare for the installation of an enterprise switch
install, configure and test the network elements to ensure interoperability within the network
apply network topologies, protocols and security issues
apply solutions and troubleshoot defined network problems.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure access to:
site where network installation may be conducted
enterprise switches and operating systems
equipment specifications
hardware and software
organisational guidelines
appropriate learning and assessment support when required.
Where applicable, physical resources should include equipment modified 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:
direct observation of the candidate installing, configuring and testing a new or updated network
evaluation of documentation that outlines testing procedures, test results, recommendation to network changes and completion records
verbal or written questioning of required knowledge.
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.