Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA)

You build the conceptual and physical foundation behind every corporate network. The module deep-dives the OSI and TCP/IP reference models, correlating each layer with real-world traffic observed in Wireshark captures, and details the role of switches, routers, firewalls, access points, WLCs, and endpoints within a hierarchical access/distribution/core topology. It covers IPv4 addressing with VLSM and CIDR, binary and decimal subnetting, IPv6 (link-local, global unicast, EUI-64, SLAAC), cabling types (UTP Cat5e/6/6A, single-mode and multi-mode fiber, SFP/SFP+ connectors), and the criteria for choosing between star, partial-mesh, and spine-leaf topologies.

Focus on the L2 data plane of the enterprise network: how to segment traffic, avoid loops, aggregate bandwidth, and extend the network to wireless clients. You configure per-port and voice VLANs, trunk links with 802.1Q (including native VLAN and DTP), run and troubleshoot Rapid Spanning Tree (root bridge election, PortFast, BPDU Guard), implement static EtherChannel, LACP, and PAgP, and learn the split-MAC architecture of Cisco enterprise Wi-Fi with lightweight APs, WLC controllers, and the CAPWAP protocol, along with WPA2/WPA3-Enterprise authentication modes.

Here you move from switching to routing and learn how a packet chooses the best path between networks. The module covers the anatomy of the routing table (longest match, AD, metric), IPv4 and IPv6 static routes (including default route and floating static), and dives into single-area OSPFv2: packet types (Hello, DBD, LSR, LSU, LSAck), adjacency formation, DR/BDR on broadcast networks, cost by bandwidth, and troubleshooting with show ip ospf neighbor/interface. You also configure HSRP for gateway high availability with preempt and priority.

The services that make the network usable. You configure and troubleshoot DHCP (IOS server, relay agent, exclusions, and leases), resolve names with DNS, translate addresses with static NAT, dynamic NAT, and PAT/overload, synchronize clocks with NTP client/server, instrument the environment with SNMPv2c/v3 and Syslog (severities 0–7, central server), and apply marking QoS (DSCP, CoS), classification, policing, and shaping to prioritize voice and video on congested links.

Security posture applied to the infrastructure. The module covers the AAA pillars (authentication, authorization, and accounting) with RADIUS and TACACS+, management-plane hardening (VTY lines, SSH, banner, password encryption), data-plane protection with Port-Security (sticky MAC, violation modes), DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, standard and extended IPv4/IPv6 ACLs (numbered and named), and the concept of site-to-site IPsec and remote-access VPNs to connect branches and remote users.

The modern layer of the CCNA: how networking teams move from configuring box-by-box to operating via APIs and code. You compare traditional architectures with SDN and controllers (Cisco DNA Center, SD-Access, SD-WAN), understand the anatomy of a REST API (HTTP verbs, status codes, headers, authentication), work with JSON and YAML payloads, write simple Python scripts that consume network APIs, and get to know declarative configuration tools like Ansible (idempotent playbooks) and the NETCONF/RESTCONF protocols with YANG modeling.