Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking

Explore the OSI model’s seven layers from physical to application and how engineers use it to describe and troubleshoot networks and standardize hardware and software alongside TCP/IP.

outline the OSI model layers seven, six and five, detailing the application layer protocols such as http, https, ftp, dns, tftp, snmp, smtp, and roles of presentation and session layers.

Compare tcp and udp at transport layer: tcp delivers reliable, connection-oriented communication with flow control, while udp offers faster, connectionless delivery; review ports (80, 443, 25, 110, 3389, 53, 2021).

Explain how layer 3 routes to a destination, contrast it with layer 4 as the vehicle, and show how layer 2 switches use mac addresses and ARP to reach gateway.

Explains the OSI model layer one, the physical layer, focusing on copper and fibre optic cables, straight-through and crossover cables, and basic cabling standards.

Learn practical building cabling with racks, patch panels, and patch cords. Compare copper and fiber cables, shielded versus unshielded, media converters, PoE, and essential tools.

Explore the OSI and TCP/IP models, compare their seven-layer structure, and understand encapsulation as layered headers wrapped from application to data link.

Explore local area networks and wide area networks, distinguishing LANs and WANs, and learn how switches, routers, firewalls, DMZs, and intranet, extranet, and Xtronaut connections work.

Compare physical and logical topologies, highlighting star, ring, bus, tree, and mesh designs, plus wireless point-to-point and ad hoc networks, with the access, distribution, and core layers guiding design.

Explore virtualization basics, including virtual machines, hypervisors, type one vs type two, and cloud services delivering software as a service and scalable vms.

Explore cloud service models through a pizza analogy, illustrating on-prem versus cloud, and how IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS shift responsibilities to providers.

Explore how dhcp automates ip address assignment and configuration, and how dns resolves host names to ip addresses using common records and servers, with a brief look at ntp.

Compare secure and insecure versions of common protocols—telnet, ftp, http, SSH—and use Wireshark in a hands-on lab to capture messages, test ports, and assess when a secure version is needed.

Learn how IPv4 uses 32‑bit addresses in four octets, verify addresses with ipconfig or ifconfig, and use subnet masks to determine whether hosts belong to the same network.

Master subnetting concepts by converting binary to decimal subnet masks, determining a subnet size for five networks, and identifying network, broadcast, and usable IP ranges from 192.168.1.0/24.

Hide private IP addresses behind a single public IP so devices behind a router access the internet; use a NAT table to manage static NAT, dynamic NAT, and PAT.

Explore IPv6 as the successor to IPv4, with 128-bit addresses, a simplified header, built-in IPsec, no broadcast, link-local and unique local addresses, global unicast, anycast, and short form address rules.

Explore how wireless networks operate by examining 802.11 standards, 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies, and dual-band SSIDs, and learn practical lab insights.

Learn wireless security essentials, including interference, securing initial connections with WPA3 and WPA2, enterprise radius authentication, 802.1x, and improvements like SRP and brute-force protection.

Explore configuring a new Asus wireless router and understand gigabit speeds vs megabits per second, including operation modes: router, repeater, access point, media bridge, ai mesh, and real-world expectations.

Configure a wireless router by creating 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, enabling 160 bandwidth for wifi 6, and securing with WPA2 personal; test DHCP and wired vs wireless speeds.

Master a structured troubleshooting framework: identify the problem and scope, collect logs, test theories, plan and implement a single change at a time, escalate when needed, and document outcomes.

Learn eight essential network troubleshooting tools for Windows and Linux, including ping, ipconfig, ifconfig, traceroute, pathping, nslookup, dig, hostname, and netstat.

Learn to use nmap on Linux to scan networks and identify open ports, then explore Angry IP Scanner on Windows for host discovery and port checks, with safety notes.

Investigate how managed switches rely on MAC addresses rather than IP addresses, and how ARP uses Wireshark to map IP to MAC by visualizing ARP requests and broadcasts.

Configure and manage VLANs on a Cisco switch to isolate devices for security and compliance, assign access ports, and use 802.1Q trunks for inter-VLAN communication.

Explore half duplex and full duplex, how hubs broadcast to all without mac addresses, and how switches create per-port collision domains while routers stop broadcasts to define broadcast domains.

Explore how routers connect LANs and act as gateway to the internet, and compare static and dynamic routing, including RIP, ERP, OSPF, and BGP, with routing tables guiding path decisions.

Explore security concepts, including authentication, authorization, accounting, and multi-factor authentication, with tacacs for commands, and cover attack vectors like viruses, social engineering, and man-in-the-middle, plus firewalls and intrusion prevention systems.

Understand the CIA triad of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. See real-world examples like BitLocker encryption, VPNs, and hash verification that protect data and ensure uptime.

Explore how private and public keys enable digital signatures and certificates to prove sender identity, provide proof of delivery, and ensure non-repudiation of actions.

Learn how to create and manage secure passwords using strategies like passphrases, password managers (Keepass), and master passwords; apply Windows server GPO password policies, complexity rules, and periodic updates.

Explore network testing with Speedtest.net and iperf, using a client–server setup to measure latency, download, and upload speeds, and learn practical options for Cisco CCST exam readiness.

Navigate Cisco router modes from user to privileged and global configuration, set IP addresses, enable routing protocols, and verify connectivity with show commands and ping.

Master essential show commands to verify interfaces, IP addresses, and device configurations, including show ip interface brief, show interfaces, show running-config, and copy running-config startup-config.

Learn to enable and configure remote desktop protocol (RDP) on a Windows server, assign access, and connect with mstsc, then compare with Windows 10 and transition to tightvnc.

Explore remote access tools like TeamViewer, RDP, and VNC, learn to bypass firewalls and routers with TeamViewer, and set up a VNC server and viewer with a password on LAN.