Network Fundamentals and CCNA Preparation

Section 1: Network Components and Devices

• What each device does: switches, routers, firewalls and access points

• Corporate network topologies and layered design that can grow

• Cabling, port types and choosing for distance and speed

• The CCNA exam scope and the question styles you will face

Section 2: Layered Models and Data Flow

• The OSI and TCP/IP models and how their layers map to each other

• Encapsulation layer by layer and what really happens when data is sent

• The protocols to know at each layer and what each one does

• Lab: capture packets and walk through the layers until the path is clear

Section 3: IP Addressing and Subnetting

• IPv4 structure, network and host portions, and what a subnet mask means

• Subnetting fluently: host counts, usable ranges and broadcast addresses

• Variable length subnetting to use address space efficiently

• Lab: calculate and assign an addressing plan for a simulated corporate network

Section 4: IPv6 and Initial Device Configuration

• IPv6 address structure, address types and shorthand notation

• Automatic address assignment and running IPv4 and IPv6 side by side

• First access to a device, base configuration and saving the config

• Lab: configure IPv4 and IPv6 addresses on devices and test connectivity

Section 5: How Switches Work

• The MAC address table and how a switch learns and forwards frames

• Collision domains versus broadcast domains

• Port configuration, speed settings and verifying link status

• Lab: configure a switch and inspect the MAC address table it builds

Section 6: VLANs and Trunking

• What VLANs are and why organizations separate network segments

• Creating VLANs, assigning ports and configuring trunks between switches

• The management VLAN and related security practices

• Lab: create several VLANs and connect two switches with a trunk

Section 7: Spanning Tree and Link Aggregation

• Layer two loops and how spanning tree prevents them

• Root bridge election and tuning so paths follow the design

• Bundling links to add bandwidth and resilience

• Lab: build a network with redundant paths and watch behaviour when a link drops

Section 8: Inter-VLAN Routing

• Why different VLANs cannot talk and how routing connects them

• Configuring inter-VLAN routing on a router and on a layer three switch

• Planning addressing and gateways for each segment systematically

• Lab: get hosts in different VLANs communicating and verify the path

Section 9: Routing Principles and Static Routes

• The routing table and how a router decides where to send traffic

• Route preference and the longest prefix match rule

• Configuring static routes and a default route

• Lab: configure static routes so multiple networks can reach each other

Section 10: Dynamic Routing with OSPF

• Static versus dynamic routing and when each fits

• How OSPF works: forming adjacencies and calculating paths

• Configuring single-area OSPF and verifying neighbors and routes

• Lab: configure OSPF across several routers and test when the primary path fails

Section 11: NAT and Internet Connectivity

• Why NAT exists and the differences between translation types

• Configuring NAT so the internal network can reach the internet

• Publishing an internal service to the outside safely

• Lab: configure NAT and test internet access from the internal network

Section 12: DHCP, DNS and Core Services

• How DHCP works and configuring automatic addressing per segment

• Relaying DHCP requests when the server sits in another segment

• The role of DNS and NTP in a corporate network and their base configuration

• Lab: configure DHCP per VLAN and verify the addresses hosts receive

Section 13: Wireless Networking

• Radio principles, channels and how interference degrades quality

• Wireless deployment models and the role of a wireless controller

• Wireless security standards and choosing the right one

• Lab: configure an access point and attach clients to a designated VLAN

Section 14: Network Security

• Common threats to corporate networks and defenses at each layer

• Managing device administrator accounts and secure device access

• Switch port protection and restricting which devices may connect

• Firewall concepts and encrypted remote access

Section 15: Access Control Lists

• How ACLs work and the order in which conditions are evaluated

• Writing standard and extended ACLs and placing them correctly

• Common mistakes and verifying an ACL does what you intended

• Lab: write ACLs restricting traffic between segments and test the result

Section 16: Operations and Troubleshooting

• A systematic troubleshooting method working up the layers

• The verification commands you will use daily and how to read their output

• Logging, device monitoring and backing up configurations

• Lab: fix a network the instructor has deliberately broken until it works again

Section 17: Automation and API-Driven Network Management

• Why configuring devices one at a time by hand no longer scales

• Software-defined networking and separating the control plane from the devices

• Managing devices through APIs and the data formats involved

• Configuration management tooling and what it gives a network team

Section 18: Enterprise Network Design

• Layered design and placing devices so the network can grow

• Planning addressing and VLAN segmentation properly from the start

• Designing redundant paths with no single point of failure

• Workshop: design an office network from a real brief and defend your choices

Section 19: Building a Complete Network

• Assembling every topic into one network that works end to end

• Verifying section by section that every path behaves as designed

• Producing network documentation and diagrams the team can use

• Workshop: build a complete working network from scratch

Section 20: Mock Exam and Study Plan

• CCNA exam structure, exam technique and time management

• Walking through option elimination question by question on the mock exam

• The topics candidates most often miss and how to revise them in the final week

• Workshop: sit a full mock exam with explained answers and build your study plan