Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Understanding Network Fundamentals

Core Network Components and Architectures

• Gaining deep understanding of different types of networks: LAN, WAN, WLAN, and their respective uses and scaling properties.
• Identifying and explaining the functions of various network components, including routers, switches, firewalls, access points, and endpoints like servers and workstations.
• Analyzing and differentiating common network topologies such as star, mesh, bus, and ring, and their implications for performance and redundancy.

Network Models and Protocols

• Mastering the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, detailing the function of each of its seven layers and how data encapsulation occurs.
• Understanding the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) model, comparing it with the OSI model, and recognizing its real-world application in modern networks.
• Explaining the purpose and operation of fundamental protocols such as TCP for reliable data transfer and UDP for connectionless communication.
• Identifying and differentiating various IP services and applications, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, DNS, DHCP, and SSH, and their default port numbers.

Network Cabling and Physical Infrastructure

• Identifying different cable types, including copper (e.g., Cat5e, Cat6, coaxial) and fiber optic (e.g., single-mode, multi-mode), and their appropriate use cases in a network.
• Understanding the standards and specifications for Ethernet cabling, including straight-through and crossover cables, and their application for connecting different devices.
• Explaining the concepts of bandwidth, throughput, and latency, and how physical infrastructure impacts these performance metrics.

Implementing Network Access

Configuring and Verifying VLANs and Trunks

• Mastering the creation and configuration of Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) on Cisco switches to logically segment networks.
• Assigning switch ports to specific VLANs and understanding the implications for broadcast domains and security.
• Implementing and verifying trunk links using 802.1Q encapsulation to carry traffic for multiple VLANs across inter-switch connections.
• Configuring and troubleshooting DTP (Dynamic Trunking Protocol) and native VLAN mismatches.

Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) Operations

• Understanding the necessity of STP (802.1D) to prevent Layer 2 loops in switched networks.
• Explaining the STP election process for root bridge, root ports, designated ports, and blocked ports.
• Configuring and verifying various STP enhancements, including Rapid STP (RSTP - 802.1w) for faster convergence and PortFast for immediate port activation.

EtherChannel and Link Aggregation

• Implementing EtherChannel technology to bundle multiple physical links into a single logical link, increasing bandwidth and providing redundancy.
• Configuring EtherChannel using both PAgP (Port Aggregation Protocol) and LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) modes.
• Verifying EtherChannel operation and troubleshooting common configuration issues.

Wireless LAN Concepts

• Understanding fundamental WLAN components such as access points (APs), Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs), and clients.
• Differentiating between various wireless standards (e.g., 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax) and their impact on speed and range.
• Configuring basic WLAN settings, including SSIDs, authentication methods (WPA2, WPA3), and encryption types.

Establishing IP Connectivity

IPv4 and IPv6 Addressing and Subnetting

• Mastering IPv4 addressing schemes, including public and private IP addresses, and understanding address classes.
• Performing complex IPv4 subnetting using VLSM (Variable Length Subnet Masking) to efficiently allocate IP addresses for various network sizes.
• Understanding IPv6 addressing, including global unicast, link-local, and unique local addresses, and the differences in address representation.
• Implementing and verifying IPv6 stateless address autoconfiguration (SLAAC) and DHCPv6 for address assignment.

IP Routing Concepts

• Explaining the core principles of IP routing, including how routers make forwarding decisions based on destination IP addresses.
• Understanding the components of a routing table, including destination networks, next-hop addresses, and administrative distance.
• Differentiating between directly connected routes, static routes, and dynamic routing protocols.

Configuring Static Routing

• Implementing static routes for both IPv4 and IPv6 to direct traffic to specific destinations in small to medium-sized networks.
• Configuring default routes to send traffic to an internet gateway or for unknown destinations.
• Troubleshooting common static routing issues such as incorrect next-hop addresses or missing routes.

Implementing Dynamic Routing with OSPF

• Understanding the operational principles of OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) as a link-state routing protocol.
• Configuring single-area OSPFv2 for IPv4 and OSPFv3 for IPv6 on Cisco routers.
• Verifying OSPF neighbor adjacencies, understanding the OSPF LSA (Link State Advertisement) types, and examining the OSPF routing table.
• Troubleshooting OSPF issues, including adjacency problems and route advertisement failures.

Deploying IP Services

Network Address Translation (NAT)

• Understanding the purpose and benefits of NAT in conserving public IPv4 addresses and enhancing security.
• Configuring Static NAT, Dynamic NAT, and Port Address Translation (PAT) on Cisco routers to allow internal hosts to access external networks.
• Verifying NAT operation and troubleshooting common NAT configuration errors.

DHCP, DNS, and NTP Services

• Configuring a DHCP server on a Cisco router to dynamically assign IPv4 addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS server information to client devices.
• Implementing DHCP relay agents to forward DHCP requests across network segments to a central DHCP server.
• Understanding the role of DNS (Domain Name System) in resolving domain names to IP addresses and configuring DNS client settings.
• Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize device clocks across the network for accurate logging and timestamps.

First Hop Redundancy Protocols (FHRPs)

• Explaining the need for FHRPs to provide default gateway redundancy for hosts on a LAN.
• Configuring and verifying HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) on Cisco routers to create a virtual default gateway.
• Understanding the election process and failover mechanisms for HSRP.

Network Management Protocols

• Understanding the principles of SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) for monitoring and managing network devices.
• Configuring SNMP agents on devices and explaining the roles of managers, agents, and MIBs (Management Information Bases).
• Implementing NetFlow for network traffic analysis and understanding the data it provides.

Ensuring Security Fundamentals

Implementing Access Control Lists (ACLs)

• Mastering the configuration of Standard and Extended IPv4 ACLs to filter network traffic based on source IP, destination IP, port numbers, and protocols.
• Applying ACLs to router interfaces for traffic filtering and understanding their processing order.
• Configuring and applying Named ACLs for improved readability and management.
• Understanding the process of troubleshooting ACLs, including implicit deny rules and placement best practices.

Layer 2 Security Features

• Implementing Port Security on Cisco switches to restrict access to a switch port based on MAC addresses, preventing unauthorized devices from connecting.
• Understanding how to configure sticky MAC addresses, maximum MAC addresses, and various violation modes (e.g., shutdown, restrict, protect).
• Mitigating common Layer 2 attacks such as MAC address flooding and VLAN hopping.

VPN Concepts

• Understanding the basic concepts of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for secure remote access and site-to-site connectivity.
• Differentiating between various VPN types, including IPsec VPNs and SSL VPNs.

Threats and Vulnerabilities

• Identifying common network security threats such as malware, phishing, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Understanding fundamental security practices like strong password policies, regular software updates, and defense-in-depth strategies.

Exploring Automation and Programmability

Network Automation Concepts

• Understanding the benefits and drivers for network automation, including reducing manual errors and increasing operational efficiency.
• Differentiating between traditional network management and controller-based networking (Software-Defined Networking - SDN).
• Explaining the role of northbound and southbound APIs in SDN architectures.

REST APIs and Data Formats

• Understanding the fundamental principles of Representational State Transfer (REST) APIs for interacting with network devices and controllers.
• Working with common data formats used in network automation, specifically JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), for data representation and exchange.
• Interpreting JSON data structures and understanding how they are used for device configuration and monitoring.

Configuration Management Tools Overview

• Recognizing the existence and purpose of configuration management tools like Ansible, Puppet, and Chef in automating device configurations.
• Understanding the concept of idempotency in automation scripts.

Programmability Protocols

• Understanding the function of NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol) and RESTCONF as modern programmatic interfaces for network devices.
• Differentiating these from traditional CLI-based management and SNMP.