Reference Cisco Blueprint for 200-301
I can't recommend enough David Bombal's Cisco CCNA 200-301 Exam: Complete Course with practical labs
To Do: Download packet tracer.
If it's your first time to take a Cisco exam, notice the wording explain/describe/compare/configure. Think of our current jobs, as IT engineers.
-How does it fit with your role? Are you ready to begin?
Network Fundamentals
-first let's check Cisco
There's a lot of information out there.
A lot of this you should know this no matter if your role. It's also just really cool to understand.
My favorite sentences:
-if 7 Layer OSI Model: Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away
Physical Data link Network Transmission Session Presentation Application
-Don't Some People Fear Birthdays?
Data Segment Packet Frame Bits
Explain the role and function of network components:
Routers
-how similar/different great comparison
-What makes routers so fast. As strange as it sounds, having more tables is better; RIB/FIB/Adjacency table/CEF.
Kevin Wallace is a great reference
L2 and L3 switches
-What's your role?
-Who do you interact with?
-Do you like MAC or IP addresses better? How about frames or packets?
-Evolution in hardware from repeater, to bridge, to switch that can offer hundreds of multi-speed ports.
-Collision domains(frames colliding) & broadcast domains(send to everyone in group).
-Starting with bridges we can separate collision domains.
-Why broadcast? Because I don't know where to go
-let's take a look at the osi model.
-Layer 2 protocols such as CDP(C for Cisco) or LLDP(std.) provide info such as os, interface & IP. They also help reveal the topology in essence.
Next-generation firewalls and IPS
-Let' check out a Firepower datasheet Reference
-IPS stands for Intrusion Prevention System & IDS stands for Intrusion detection system. Ask yourself, where would you place each of these appliances?
-Notice in Firewall datasheet that IPS license can be purchased, and NGFW can even support deep packet inspection(dpi)
Access points
-Ok, have you ever heard of a wireless Access Point(WAP)? What same/different between a WAP and other devices.
-Wifi standards are a vast topic as well.
Controllers (Cisco DNA Center and WLC)
See Cisco's documentation on Cisco DNA Center
The keyword is business intent and the UI design is broken down between DESIGN/POLICY/PROVISION/ASSURANCE
Endpoints
-This word gets overused as lot.
-Could we just say a device connected to the network? Ok, then are a node and a endpoint the same? Try to think it through...
Servers
Servers are a type of resource. Resources could be phones, printers, memory, and more...
Let's examine Microsoft Servers Reference
-learn the common ports & corresponding applications associated with those ports REF 1340
Describe characteristics of network topology architectures
3 tier Vs. 2 tier
See Cisco Documentation.
It's a lot to digest, but ask yourself which are the advantages / disadvantages of both designed in terms of scale, performance and cost. Is there a reason you would not choose one(special requirements)?
Spine-leaf
Where would you find this, and what's different Vs. other architecture?
Aruba has great documentation too
WAN
The definition I like the best:
"A wide area network(also known as WAN), is a large network of information that is not tied to a single location," says CompTIA
Wikipedia link
Also, get familiar with the term Software Defined WAN or SD WAN.
Small office/home office (SOHO)
Probably already very familiar with it, but easiest way to understand is to visualize it.
Check out images with a google search might help.
On-premises and cloud
Let's go over this together
Compare physical interface and cabling types
RJ45 anyone : resource
Cisco Cable Installation Guide Link
In some network exams like CompTIA Network plus they may expect you to be able to wire a cable, but for CCNA I expect it is enough just to recognize different types such as Crossover Vs Straight-through.
-Twisted pair separate sending/receiving thus separate collision domains.
With most modern devices, the device can automatically recognize the cable type, and handle accordingly.
In real world, you read the manual to device, and do as instructed.
Single-mode fiber, multimode fiber, copper
Let's check out what a cable manufacturer says.
See ofsoptics.com link
Connections (Ethernet shared media and point-to-point)
maybe check out diagrams on google again
Concepts of PoE
Power over Ethernet to power your devices
See wikipedia
Identify interface and cable issues (collisions, errors, mismatch duplex, and/or speed)
Cables handled by end users have a habit of getting damaged. There are tools to validate cables. See link.
Simply put, collisions are when packets are sent out at same time, well, you can guess the rest.
Let's stop and ask ourselves, where would you expect to see collisions? (Discussion topic)
For Mismatch duplex see here.
Try to imagine a busy parent trying to tell a young child a million things to do at once.
Compare TCP to UDP
Ok, lets look online. Here is just one comparison.
I find the easiest way to remember, is try to think of the application, or what is the traffic used for. If it's time sensitive data like live video or voice, it's UDP.
Also, let's ask ourselves is UDP reliable? ⇒No, by itself, UDP is not reliable, but the features in upper layers can ask again for missing data.
Configure and verify IPv4 addressing and subnetting
How to configure an IPv4 address on a Cisco switch? See Here
How to subnet. It takes a little memorization of this. RFC 1878
But let's discuss together. There are a lot of tricks.
When I first learned, I usually tried to recall from memory and write down as much as I could everyday for a month.
There are a lot of tricks we will talk about.
Describe the need for private IPv4 addressing
-Because we keep creating more devices to connect to the internet?
Let's look at that RFC 1878 again. Is there any upper limit?
Ok, do you see the problem now?
By the way, what do you think about this loopback Address, 127.0.0.1? Great idea, right? ⇒ maybe not?
Here is another good cheat sheet with explanation.
You should also know what an APIPA Address is. If you see it, it means your not getting out of your LAN; you are relying on layer 2 networking.
Start quizzing yourself with this wonderful test tool prepared by someone who genuinely wants to make you a better network engineer: davidbombal.com/subnet-quiz/
Configure and verify IPv6 addressing and prefix
See here for example
Describe IPv6 address types examples and IPv4 equivalents here
Unicast (global, unique local, and link local)
Anycast
Multicast
Modified EUI 64
###To be Continued
Verify IP parameters for Client OS (Windows, Mac OS, Linux)
Describe wireless principles
Nonoverlapping Wi-Fi channels
SSID
RF
Encryption
Explain virtualization fundamentals (server virtualization, containers, and VRFs)
Describe switching concepts
MAC learning and aging
Frame switching
Frame flooding
MAC address table
Interesting fact: MAC addresses were developed after IP addressing so messages could get from A to B to C.