CCNA 2020 - CCNA 200-301 exam - a complete guide - Cisco

Discover what an IP address is and how it identifies a network device. Verify IPs with ipconfig or ifconfig and ping, and explore default gateway, DHCP, and DNS concepts.

Connect to a Cisco device via a console cable and CLI, then use USB or Bluetooth adapters and a terminal emulator to configure Cisco IOS.

Build a small office network in packet tracer using a router with gigabit ports, configure a dhcp server and pool, and set ip addresses.

Describe the transport layer concepts of tcp and udp, including reliability, connection-oriented handshakes, flow control with windowing, and typical uses like DNS, SSH, Telnet, and streaming.

Explore the data link layer, switches, mac addresses, including 48-bit identifiers, and ARP in local area networks using frames and mac address tables.

Explore the physical layer basics, cabling types, and Ethernet standards, including straight-through and crossover cables, network speeds from fast Ethernet to 100 gigabit, and roll over cables for device management.

Explore how to cable a building with patch panels and a switch. Compare copper, fiber, and coax cables, including cat five/e and cat six, and shielded versus unshielded.

Challenge the OSI model with a hands-on exercise, identifying layer 1 hubs, layer 3 routing decisions, and layer 7 protocols like DNS and http while mapping each concept.

Explore how IP addresses stay constant across networks while MAC addresses are learned locally via ARP, and routers swap MACs when routing frames through a default gateway between networks.

Compare OSI and TCP/IP models, mapping layers, and explain encapsulation by wrapping data in successive headers from application to physical layers.

Configure a router with hostname, domain name, and IP addresses, enable password, and set up remote access via Telnet or SSH, then save the running configuration to startup config.

Recreate a ccna lab in packet tracer with a 2901 router and a PC, using a crossover cable, a static IP, and enabling ssh with rsa keys.

Explore how routers use routing tables to choose paths, comparing static routes with dynamic protocols like RIP, OSPF, and BGP, and understanding metrics and administrative distance.

Learn the trade-offs of static routes, including manual control vs dynamic protocols, and configure a static route on a Cisco router using ip route with next-hop or exit interface.

Learn static routing in a two-router lab that uses loopback interfaces to simulate networks behind R1 and R2, configure addresses, verify with show ip interface brief and show ip route.

Master OSPF concepts, including hello messages, neighbor discovery, and matching timers for rapid failure detection. Learn about the OSPF database, designated router elections, passive interfaces, and router ID via loopback.

Explore advanced OSPF features, including cost as a function of reference bandwidth and interface bandwidth, wildcard masks, and enabling OSPF on interfaces with the network command for precise subnetting.