IP Network Essentials for Engineers – Live Online, 8–9 December 2026

Our next scheduled training is our ever popular IP Network Essentials for Engineers course. This will be delivered over Zoom on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th December. Each day will commence at 9.00am EST (8.00am CT, 2.00pm GMT). The course will be led by Ken Duncan.

The course is aimed at tech ops and engineers who need to improve their understanding of IP networking. It is an ideal introductory course for new starters, apprentices or recent graduates.

There are eight modules delivered over the two days, ranging from basic network theory through to Broadcast Network Infrastructure.

All IAMT members can claim a 50% discount off the full price of the course. This is also the last chance for Gold and Platinum members to claim their free training places for 2027.

Modern businesses rely on IT networking for much of what they do and IT networks have evolved over the last 50 years to the point that they have the scale and performance to handle video and audio content cost-effectively. This is driving change in broadcast and media businesses. Most are in transition from bespoke digital interconnection standards, such as SDI and AES3 with their dedicated cabling and hardware, to a high-performance IT infrastructure with commodity-based compute-engines running software applications that serve, process, move and store pictures and sound over a suitably designed IT network with common cabling infrastructure. A similar transition has taken place in distribution and playout as IT servers become the norm and content is increasingly consumed by audiences via the internet.

Syllabus

• Module 1 – Network theory
• Module 2 – Ethernet and LAN Technology
• Module 3 – Internet Protocol and the Network Layer
• Module 4 – TCP and the transport layer
• Module 5 – Higher Layer Network Processes
• Module 6 – Broadcast Network Applications
• Module 7 – Network Security and Integrity
• Module 8 – Broadcast Network Infrastructure

Who’s it for?

• Technical operators and broadcast engineers or technicians who are unfamiliar with the basics of IP networking
• Apprentices or recent technology graduates and other new starters who need to understand the essentials of IP networks
• Established technical staff who need to increase their confidence and competence in IP networks
• Project or product managers, system integrators or designers who need a better understanding of the fundamentals of packet-switched networks
• Managers of engineering or technical support departments who need to improve their understanding of the underlying principles, jargon and concepts of networking

Comments from recent participants

“I really enjoyed the course, Ken explained the workings of IP super well… the course tied together a lot of fragments I had learned ad hoc here and there over the years into a formative block of knowledge.”

“Really enjoyed the course, very insightful. Ken was great, good pace and slide deck and happy to answer questions.”

About the Trainer

Ken Duncan

Ken has worked in the networking field for the last 24 years as a trainer and consultant and has an interest in the transport of real time services, such as voice and video, over IP networks. A trained scientist and engineer, Ken graduated from the University of Nottingham with a PhD in Semiconductor Physics and worked in industry before joining the Royal Navy on a Short Career Commission as an Instructor Officer in the fields of communications and engineering.

Around 2015, Ken became increasingly involved in streaming video over IP networks and has extensive experience in service delivery over the distribution network using rate adaptive processes such as HLS and MPEG-DASH. With the increasing uptake of IP delivery in broadcast studio settings, Ken has become more involved in the training of ST2110 and synchronisation of the streams using Precision Time Protocol. Ken is an expert in IP Multicasting and regularly runs practical workshops in this important area.

Ken is a Chartered Engineer, Eur Ing, Chartered IT Professional and Chartered Physicist. He is certified in both Huawei Technologies and Cisco Systems and is a Cisco Certified Academic Instructor (CCAI) and Huawei Certified Systems Instructor (HCSI) and has been involved in the development of the Advanced Networking Essentials course. Ken delivers network training for IAMT.