Computer Hardware, Networking and CCTV Level 2

Who it is for. Trainees who are Competent in Level 1, and working technicians who want to go further. National Proficiency II is the second level of Ghana's TVET framework and leads on to National Certificate I. You now work under limited supervision: your trainer checks your plan and your finished work, not every step.

Bridge from Level 1: what you already know

If any of these is weak, revise the Level 1 unit before you start. Level 2 builds on all of them.

How the module works

Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs, and you are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical. Every unit has a practical task, homework, exercises with worked answers where there are sums, and Check yourself questions.

Competency standard

Range. At least five faulty machines: no power, no display, beeps, slow or freezing, overheating. Evidence. Five diagnosis reports; observed PSU test; drive health screenshots.

The six-step method

1. Ask and write. What happened? When? Did anything change (a fall, water, a power cut, an update, a new program)? Write the customer's words on the job card.
2. Protect the data. If the computer still starts and the customer's files matter, back them up before testing (Unit 2).
3. Look and listen. Lights, fans, beeps, smells (burnt smell means stop and check the PSU and board), swollen battery, loose parts.
4. Test one thing at a time. Change one part or one setting, then test. If you change three things at once, you will not know which one fixed it.
5. Fix and prove. Repair, then test the original complaint for long enough (a computer that froze after 30 minutes is tested for at least an hour).
6. Record and explain. Job card, diagnosis report, what the customer should do to avoid it.

Typical faults and where to start

Beep codes differ between board makers, so always check the manual for that model.

Test a power supply safely

You test a PSU from the outside, on its low-voltage plugs. You never open it.

• In the ATX standard, the 24-pin connector wires are colour-coded: orange +3.3 V, red +5 V, yellow +12 V, black ground, purple +5 V standby, green "power on" and grey "power good". Supply voltages should generally stay within ±5% of their nominal value.
• The supply turns on when the green "power on" line is connected to ground. A PSU tester does this for you safely and shows each voltage.

Steps:

1. Unplug the PSU from the wall. Disconnect it from the board and drives.
2. Plug the 24-pin (and the 4/8-pin CPU) connector into the PSU tester.
3. Switch on at the wall and the PSU switch.
4. Read the tester: each rail should be inside the limits (see the exercise). A missing or low rail = replace the PSU.
5. Switch off and unplug before reconnecting anything.

Drive health (SMART)

SMART is a monitoring system built into hard drives and SSDs that tracks signs of reliability and warns before a failure, so data can be backed up and the drive replaced. Warning signs include the Reallocated Sectors Count, Current Pending Sector Count and Uncorrectable Sector Count; a Google study of over 100,000 drives found that after a first uncorrectable error, a drive was on average 39 times more likely to fail within 60 days, but also that many failed drives showed no SMART warning at all.

What this means for you: a SMART warning means "back up today and replace the drive". A clean SMART report does not prove a drive is healthy, so customers still need backups.

1. Install a free disk-health tool on your technician flash drive.
2. Run it on the customer's machine (or connect the drive by USB adapter).
3. Screenshot the health status and the three warning counts; attach to the job card.

Heat

• Feel the air from the vents and listen to the fan. A laptop fan full of dust runs loud and the machine slows down or switches off.
• Use a free monitoring tool to read CPU temperature under load. Compare with the processor maker's maximum for that model.
• Clean (Level 1), then re-paste the CPU if needed (Unit 2).

The diagnosis report

Write it before you repair, so the customer agrees the price first:

Found: Hard drive has 112 reallocated sectors and 8 pending sectors (screenshot attached). Computer slow and freezing because the drive is failing. Recommend: Copy your files now; replace the drive with a 512 GB SSD; fresh Windows install. Price: parts GH¢…, labour GH¢…, ready in 2 days. Your files: we will copy Documents, Desktop, Pictures. Tell us of any other folders.

Check yourself

1. Why do you back up before testing a machine that still starts?
2. What does a Current Pending Sector warning tell you to do?
3. Why should you change only one thing at a time?

Competency standard

Range. At least three laptop repairs and two data rescues. Evidence. Job cards with part numbers; before-and-after temperature readings; data rescue records signed by the customer.

Find the exact part

1. Read the laptop's full model number from the label underneath.
2. For screens, open and read the label on the back of the panel: size, resolution, connector (number of pins), and whether it is touch.
3. For batteries, read the battery's own part number and voltage.
4. For keyboards, check the country layout and whether it has a backlight.
5. Write the part number on the job card and give the customer a quote before you buy.

Replace a screen, step by step

1. Power down, remove charger and battery (internal batteries: disconnect the battery plug first), wrist strap on.
2. Remove the bezel around the screen gently with a plastic tool. Find screws under the rubber covers.
3. Remove the panel screws; lay the panel face down on a soft cloth on the keyboard.
4. Lift the tape and unplug the display cable. Note the direction.
5. Connect the new panel's cable; test before you screw it in: connect the battery and charger and switch on.
6. Switch off, disconnect power again, fit the screws and bezel.
7. Test brightness, colours, and for dead pixels with a plain white and a plain black screen.

Batteries

• Use the right part number and voltage. A swollen battery is removed with care, not pressed or punctured, and kept for safe disposal.
• Put old batteries in the e-waste box with tape over the terminals.

Re-paste the processor

Old thermal paste dries out and the laptop overheats.

1. Record the CPU temperature under load before you start.
2. Open, disconnect the battery, remove the fan and heat sink (screws in numbered order).
3. Wipe old paste from the CPU and heat sink with isopropyl alcohol on a lint-free cloth.
4. Put a small pea-sized dot of new paste in the centre of the chip (spread thinly for long, narrow laptop chips). Too much paste is as bad as too little.
5. Refit the heat sink, tightening screws in the numbered order a little at a time.
6. Clean the fan; refit; test. Record the new temperature under load. A good job shows a clear drop.

Firmware (BIOS/UEFI) settings

You change firmware settings to boot from a USB drive or fix "no boot device".

1. Restart and press the set-up key (often F2, F12, Delete or Esc).
2. Check the drive is detected.
3. Set the boot order; to install Windows from USB you may need to choose USB first or use the one-time boot menu; you may need to disable Secure Boot temporarily, then turn it back on after install.
4. Windows 11 needs UEFI with Secure Boot capability and TPM 2.0. If TPM is turned off in the firmware, Windows 11 says the PC is not supported.
5. Save and exit. Note any change on the job card.

Data rescue

1. Stop using the failing drive. Every start-up can make it worse.
2. Remove the drive and connect it to your bench computer with a USB-to-SATA or M.2 adapter.
3. Copy the most important folders first (ask the customer: usually Documents, Desktop, Pictures, accounts files), then the rest.
4. If the drive is BitLocker-encrypted you need the 48-digit recovery key; Microsoft cannot recover a lost key.
5. Check files open. Give the customer a list of what was and was not rescued.
6. Store rescued data on your bench only as long as the job needs. Hand it over, then delete your copy and say so in writing.

If a drive clicks, is not detected at all, or has been in water, do not keep trying: tell the customer it needs a specialist data-recovery laboratory, and do not open the drive.

Check yourself

1. Why do you test a new screen before screwing it in?
2. How much thermal paste do you use on a laptop CPU?
3. What do you do with the customer's rescued data on your bench after handover?

Competency standard

Range. Three office computers in a practice "office". Evidence. Completed set-up checklists; key storage record; backup test record; ransomware drill report.

The office set-up checklist

Encryption and the recovery key

When a drive is encrypted, a stolen laptop does not give away its files. But Windows may ask for the 48-digit recovery key after a hardware change, and Microsoft Support cannot retrieve, provide or recreate a lost key.

1. Turn on device encryption or BitLocker.
2. Save the key to the owner's Microsoft account, and print one copy for the owner's safe file. The key can be found later at aka.ms/myrecoverykey.
3. Write on your job card: "Recovery key saved to owner's account and printed, handed to [name], [date]." Never keep customers' keys in your own phone.

Backups that survive ransomware

The 3-2-1 rule still applies: three copies, two media, one offsite. Ransomware encrypts everything it can reach, including a backup drive that is always plugged in. So:

1. Daily automatic backup of staff folders to a cloud service or a backup drive.
2. Weekly offline copy: an external drive that is plugged in, updated and then unplugged and locked away. Rotate two drives if you can.
3. Test monthly: restore three files and open them. A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a backup.
4. Record each test on the backup log.

Ransomware response drill

1. Isolate: unplug the network cable and switch off Wi-Fi on the infected computer. Check other computers.
2. Do not pay and do not delete the ransom note (photograph it).
3. Tell the owner. Report cybercrime to the Cyber Security Authority on 292.
4. Identify which computers and shared folders are affected.
5. Clean or reinstall: run Defender full and offline scans, or do a clean install from your USB installer.
6. Restore files from the offline backup.
7. Change passwords, especially email and admin accounts.
8. Write a short incident report: what happened, how it got in, what you changed.
9. If customers' personal data was taken, the owner should take advice on their duties under the Data Protection Act and inform the Data Protection Commission.

Remote support: ethics

Remote-control tools let you fix a computer from your bench. Use them only when the user asks and is watching, close the session when finished, and never leave remote access installed without the owner's written agreement. Scammers use the same tools; teach customers never to let a stranger connect.

Check yourself

1. Why do staff use standard accounts instead of administrator accounts?
2. Why must one backup copy be unplugged?
3. Where should a BitLocker recovery key be kept?

Competency standard

Range. One ink-tank and one laser printer on the training network; one UPS. Evidence. Printer set-up record; maintenance log; UPS sizing sheet.

Share a printer on the network

1. Connect the printer to the network by cable (better) or Wi-Fi.
2. Give it an address that does not change: either set a DHCP reservation for the printer in the router, or set a fixed address outside the router's DHCP range (Unit 5 explains the plan).
3. Print the printer's network configuration page to check the address.
4. On each computer, add the printer by its address and install the maker's driver for that exact model.
5. Print a test page from every computer.
6. Write the printer's address on a label on the printer and in the network document (Unit 5).

Ink-tank printers

• Use the maker's ink for that model; wrong ink can block the head.
• Print a nozzle check weekly in a busy office, or at least one page a week so the ink does not dry.
• Epson's advice for gaps in the nozzle check: head cleaning up to 3 times, then switch off and wait at least 12 hours; power cleaning needs each tank at least one-third full, with at least 12 hours between power cleanings.

Laser printers

1. Replace the toner cartridge when the print fades; shake the new one gently side to side before fitting.
2. Clear jams by pulling paper in its normal direction of travel.
3. Clean the paper rollers with a slightly damp lint-free cloth if pages do not pick up.
4. Record page counts from the configuration page in the maintenance log; quote toner and drum replacement before they run out.

UPS: keep important devices running

A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) gives a few minutes of battery power in a power cut, so computers can shut down safely and the router, NVR and cameras keep running.

1. List the devices: router, switch, NVR, one computer (not the laser printer: its heater draws too much).
2. Add their power in watts (from the labels).
3. Choose a UPS whose watt rating is comfortably above the total (VA is not the same as watts; read both on the UPS label).
4. Plug it into an existing socket; never wire a UPS into the building's circuits (CEWP work).
5. Test: switch off the wall socket and time how long devices run. Record it.

Check yourself

1. Why should a shared printer have an address that does not change?
2. Why should a laser printer not go on the UPS?
3. What does Epson say to do after three head cleanings with no improvement?

Competency standard

Range. A training office with at least 6 wired points, a patch panel, a switch, a router and two access points. Evidence. Cable test results; labelled patch panel; IP plan; network document; troubleshooting log.

Structured cabling

Instead of long cables from every computer straight into a switch, an office uses:

• wall sockets at the desks (keystone jacks in face plates);
• fixed cable in trunking from each socket back to a patch panel;
• short patch cords from the patch panel to the switch.

The standard allows up to 90 m of fixed cable plus patch cords, 100 m in total, and patch cords no longer than 5 m. Use pure copper cable: the standard requires copper conductors, so copper-clad aluminium does not comply.

Terminate a keystone jack or patch panel port:

1. Strip about 3 cm of jacket; keep the pairs twisted as close to the jack as possible.
2. Follow the colour label printed on the jack for T568B (the same standard as the plugs; Source: Wiki TIA-568).
3. Lay each wire in its slot and press it down with the punch-down tool, cutting side facing outwards.
4. Fit the cap or dust cover; clip the jack into the face plate.
5. Test every run from wall socket to patch panel with the cable tester.
6. Label both ends with the same number (for example "R1-05": room 1, point 5).

Good practice: keep data cables away from mains cables (cross them at right angles if you must), do not pull cables tight around sharp corners, do not crush them with staples, and leave a little slack at each end.

The IP plan

Most small offices use one network such as 192.168.1.0 with the mask 255.255.255.0 (a "/24"), which gives addresses 192.168.1.1 to 192.168.1.254 for devices (.0 and .255 are reserved). These are private addresses.

Set the router's DHCP pool to .50–.199. Give printers and the NVR reservations or fixed addresses in .20–.49. Write every fixed address in the network document.

Wi-Fi coverage with access points

1. Walk the building with a phone Wi-Fi analyser app; note weak spots.
2. Place access points (APs) where people work, connected by cable back to the switch (not by Wi-Fi "repeaters" if you can avoid it).
3. Give all APs the same network name and password so phones move between them.
4. On 2.4 GHz, use channels that do not overlap for neighbouring APs; the usual 20 MHz set is 1, 6 and 11.
5. Set up a guest network for visitors, separate from the office network, with its own password.
6. Secure every router and AP: new admin password, firmware updated, WPA3 where possible, WPS off, remote management off, firewall on.

Troubleshoot with the tools

An address starting 169.254 means the device did not get an address from DHCP.

The network document

Hand every customer a network document (printed and as a PDF), kept by the owner:

Check yourself

1. What is the longest patch cord the standard allows, and the longest total link?
2. Why keep printers and the NVR outside the DHCP pool?
3. Why use the same Wi-Fi name on all APs?

Competency standard

Range. An 8-camera IP system design; a 4-camera IP installation on the training site. Evidence. Site plan; PoE and storage calculations; configured system; privacy plan; handover pack.

Choose the right camera

IP ratings: the first digit is protection from dust (6 = dust-tight) and the second from water: 5 = water jets from a 6.3 mm nozzle, 6 = powerful jets from a 12.5 mm nozzle, 7 = immersion up to 1 m for 30 minutes. For outdoor cameras in Ghana's rains, IP66 or better is a sensible choice.

PoE budget

Each IP camera takes power from its switch or NVR port. Standard 802.3af ports give up to 15.4 W at the port and 802.3at ports 30 W. A PoE switch or NVR also has a total PoE budget written in its specifications, often less than every port at full power.

Storage for the agreed days

Compression matters: H.265 gives 25–50% better compression than H.264 at the same quality. Use surveillance-rated drives; 4 TB surveillance drives were advertised in Ghana for about GH¢2,800 in October 2026.

Method (from Level 1): GB per day per camera = bit rate in Mbps × 86,400 ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000. Multiply by cameras and by days.

Install and configure an IP system, step by step

1. Design: site plan with camera numbers, types, positions, cable runs (under 90 m fixed), and fixed IP addresses from the office IP plan.
2. Bench test every camera on the NVR before installation.
3. Activate each camera and the NVR with a new strong password; change any default password at once.
4. Update firmware on the NVR and cameras from the maker's site.
5. Install at height using the ladder rules, with a partner.
6. Run Cat6 pure copper cable; terminate with RJ45 or keystone; test every run.
7. Set each camera's address, time (same as the NVR), H.265, resolution, frame rate and recording schedule.
8. Set the NVR to overwrite when full and check the days of recording after 24 hours of real running.
9. Set masking on any camera that would see into a neighbour's property or a private area.
10. Put the NVR and PoE switch on the UPS (Unit 4).

Remote viewing without opening the door

Owners want to watch on their phones. Do it safely:

The owner's CCTV privacy plan

Under Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), people have the right to see personal data held about them, and data must be protected from loss, damage and unauthorised access. The Data Protection Commission says all data controllers and processors must register with it; its 2025 fee regulations (L.I. 2512) list GH¢156 for a small data controller (annual turnover of GH¢90,000 or below). Help the owner write a one-page plan, modelled on good examples such as a Ghanaian school's CCTV notice (60 days' retention, notices on site, no cameras in washrooms or hostels, viewing only by named officers with passwords):

1. Purpose: why the cameras are there (for example safety of staff and stock).
2. Areas covered and areas never covered.
3. Signs at entrances.
4. Retention: number of days, then automatic overwrite.
5. Who may view live and recorded footage (names or job titles).
6. Requests: how a person can ask to see footage of themselves; how police requests are handled (written request, log of what was copied, by whom, when).
7. Security: passwords, locked NVR, firmware updates.
8. Review date.

The UK data regulator (a foreign example) says surveillance should be lawful, necessary and proportionate, and recording where people do not expect it is especially intrusive.

The handover pack

Check yourself

1. Why must you check the total PoE budget, not just the per-port power?
2. Why avoid opening router ports for remote viewing?
3. Name five parts of the owner's CCTV privacy plan.

Competency standard

Range. The trainee's own business plan for the next 12 months. Evidence. Price list; draft agreement; marketing plan.

Location settings that give good returns

Price from your costs

Prices of kits and drives change; check on the day.

A simple maintenance agreement

Market yourself to organisations

• A one-page capability sheet: services, photos of neat work (no customer screens or footage), your training, references.
• Google Business Profile, verified, so offices find you on Maps.
• WhatsApp Business catalogue with packages: "Office health check", "SSD speed-up", "4-camera IP system".
• Visit school heads, church administrators, hotel managers and office managers with your capability sheet. Offer a free health check of one computer and one camera.
• Ask every satisfied customer for a written reference and a referral.

Accessibility

Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) requires anyone who provides a service to the public to provide facilities that make it accessible to persons with disability. The Assemblies' share of the Common Fund for persons with disabilities rose from 3% to 5% from 2026.

Workable tasks: diagnosis, laptop repair at a bench with knee space, Windows and backup set-up, printer servicing, patch-panel termination, router and NVR configuration, writing network documents and privacy plans, and phone support. Deaf technicians can use written job cards and WhatsApp; blind and low-vision technicians can configure Windows and many routers with a screen reader and magnifier. Ladder work and cable pulling in ceilings suit team members who can climb safely. Plan the team so each person does what they do well.

Check yourself

1. Why are maintenance contracts good for a technician's business?
2. Name four things a maintenance agreement must state.
3. What should your capability sheet never show?

1. Name the six steps of the fault-finding method.
2. What are the ±5% limits of the +12 V rail?
3. What does a SMART Reallocated Sectors warning mean for the customer?
4. Where do you put thermal paste, and how much?
5. Why may you need to turn off Secure Boot, and what must you do afterwards?
6. Why do staff use standard accounts?
7. How do you protect backups from ransomware?
8. Why should a laser printer not be on a UPS?
9. What is the maximum fixed cable length and total link length for Ethernet cabling?
10. Write a simple IP plan for a /24 office network.
11. 6 cameras at 6 W and 2 at 12 W on an NVR with a 65 W budget: is it enough with 20% spare?
12. What must an owner's CCTV privacy plan say about retention and requests?

Best next reads: your NVR, camera and router manuals; the processor maker's specification pages; CISA's home network and backup guides; the Data Protection Commission's website; the Hub's Workplace Safety Level 2 and Basic ICT Skills Level 2 manuals.

What this module does not cover: mains electrical wiring (CEWP electricians only); opening power supplies or hard drives; board-level soldering (see Phone and Electronics Repair Level 2); VLANs, firewalls and larger sites, supervising staff and registering a business (see Level 3).

Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.