CCNA (200-301) v1.1 Certification Exam Preparation

We go deep into IPv4 and IPv6 address conventions, TCP/UDP, and Cisco network topologies.

We set up the lab we will expand up throughout this course. Beginning with a simple layer-2 switch and two desktop PCs, we learn how all networked devices auto-generate an IPv6 link-local address that can be used right away with no further configuration. Note: IPv4 is the default address protocol for all networks. But IPv6 can be used by enabling to be used it on each device. Download the Lab #3 pdf for more about IPv6, SLAAC, an NDP.

In this section we learn about routing and switching, what packets and frames are, MAC addresses, wireless basics, VMs, and hypervisors.

Dynamic Host Control Protocol is essential to assigning IP addresses to numerous networked devices. In this lesson, we learn how to build a DHCP server and how to configure a way to relay DHCP requests via the IP Helper Address.

In this section we turn our attention to security, TACACS and RADIUS, ACLs, Next Generation Firewall appliances, and more.

In this lesson, we learn how to configure local login for both authentication and authorization on network components.

Remote login is an important tool for network engineers. In this lesson, we learn how to configure an SSH connection for logging in remotely to a network.

In this lesson, we learn how to configure the two types of Access Lists used for network security.

DHCP snooping provides a layer of cybersecurity by utilizing Option 82, a protocol which inserts 6-10 bytes of information into a packet header to verify a legitimate DHCP server activity. In this lesson, I show you how to configure DHCP Snooping with, and without, Option 82.

The Gateway of Last resort is NOT the "default gateway". It is a way of telling a router to simply forward packets to unknown networks to the next available router. It's like saying, "I don't know how to get there. You handle it." This is used to direct traffic to an ISP's routers, or within networks with multiple routers to find any path to the gateway.

In this lesson we configure the routing protocol OSPF (Open Shortest Path First), learn how it works, and learn new show commands to monitor its operation. Note: Don't forget to download the Exam Worksheet pdf.

VLANs and VTP.

In this lesson, we learn how to configure VLANs and Native VLANs, and what a Native VLAN is (and why we might use them).

QoS (Quality of Service) allows us to prioritize how our network handles specific kinds of traffic. In this lesson, I will teach you how to create a QoS policy to favor audio/video streaming while allowing other forms of data traffic to simply share bandwidth as normal. Note: QoS used to use the ToS (Type of Service) header. But has since been updated and replaced by Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP).

In this brief lesson, we learn how to set the exec timeout to infinity so we can stay logged in indefinitely when we have a lot of network maintenance to do. Of course, when finished with a big project, we should always reset the exec-timeout to is default of 300 seconds (5 minutes).

In this lab we will learn how to configure NAT (Network Address Translation) to allow private devices to use their IPv4 addresses on a public network by using Port Address Translation in overload mode. This allows many devices to use a gateway router's logical ports as session modifiers to a private IP address. I will also teach you 2 new show commands to monitor NAT/PAT activities.

Network cabling, connectors, PoE, and PPP, are the focus of this lesson.

In this brief lesson, we visit an actual IDF and see one form factor of a media converter.

Spanning Tree Protocol, along with its functions are explained in this Q&A lecture.

In this lesson, we learn about Spanning Tree Protocol: what it is, why we need it, how it works, and how to modify it to function according to the network requirements. We cover BPDUs, Bridge I.D., and priority values.

Finishing the Spanning-Tree Protocol, we learn the Portfast configuration to save connection time when adding host devices.

Etherchannel is a great way to increase bandwidth (throughput), and it works by combining physical links into one big logical link. In this lesson we learn how to configure Etherchannel with the non-proprietary aggregation protocol known as LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol). We will also learn new show commands.

Exam tip!: PAgP (Port Aggregation Control Protocol) is Cisco's proprietary etherchannel protocol. It does the same thing as LACP. But LACP is preferred because it will work with all manufacturers' network components.

Wireless is the focus of this lesson section. We begin here with the basics, such as the two most used frequency bands, moving forward to the next section and more complex subjects like AP modes and SSIDs.