Learning Objectives
After taking this course, you should be able to:
- Identify the components of a computer network and describe their basic characteristics
- Understand the model of host-to-host communication
- Describe the features and functions of the Cisco IOS Software
- Describe LANs and the role of switches within LANs
- Describe Ethernet as the network access layer of TCP/IP and describe the operation of switches
- Install a switch and perform the initial configuration
- Describe the TCP/IP internet Layer, IPv4, its addressing scheme, and subnetting
- Describe the TCP/IP Transport layer and Application layer
- Explore functions of routing
- Implement basic configuration on a Cisco router
- Explain host-to-host communications across switches and routers
- Identify and resolve common switched network issues and common problems associated with IPv4 addressing
- Describe IPv6 main features, addresses and configure and verify basic IPv6 connectivity
- Describe the operation, benefits, and limitations of static routing
- Describe, implement and verify VLANs and trunks
- Describe the application and configuration of inter-VLAN routing
- Explain the basics of dynamic routing protocols and describe components and terms of OSPF
- Explain how STP and RSTP work
- Configure link aggregation using EtherChannel
- Describe the purpose of Layer 3 redundancy protocols
- Describe basic WAN and VPN concepts
- Describe the operation of ACLs and their applications in the network
- Configure internet access using DHCP clients and explain and configure NAT on Cisco routers
- Describe the basic QoS concepts
- Describe the concepts of wireless networks, which types of wireless networks can be built and how to use WLC
- Describe network and device architectures and introduce virtualization
- Introduce the concept of network programmability and SDN and describe the smart network management solutions like Cisco DNA Center, SD-Access and SD-WAN
- Configure basic IOS system monitoring tools
- Describe the management of Cisco devices
- Describe the current security threat landscape
- Describe threat defense technologies
- Implement a basic security configuration of the device management plane
- Implement basic steps to harden network devices
- What is a computer network?
- Components of a network
- Characteristics of a network
- Physical vs. Logical Topologies
- Interpreting a network diagram
- Impact of user applications on the network
- Host-to-host communications overview
- ISO OSI reference model
- TCP/IP protocol Suite
- Peer-to-peer communications
- Encapsulation and de-encapsulation
- TCP/IP stack vs OSI reference model
- Cisco IOS software features and functions
- Cisco IOS software CLI functions
- Cisco IOS software models
- Discovery 1: Get started with Cisco CLI
- Local area networks
- LAN components
- Need for switches
- Characteristics and features of switches
- Ehernet LAN connection media
- Ethernet frame structure
- LAN communication types
- MAC addresses
- Frame switching
- Discovery 2: Observe how a switch operate
- Duplex communication
- Switch installation
- Connecting to a console port
- Switch LED indicators
- Basic show commands and information
- Discovery 3: Perform basic switch configuration
- Implement the initial switch configuration
- Internet protocol
- Decimal and binary number systems
- Binary-to-decimal conversion
- Decimal-to-binary conversion
- IPv4 address representation
- IPv4 header fields
- IPv4 address classes
- Subnet masks
- Subnets
- Implementing subnetting: Bowwing bits
- Implementing subnetting: Determining the addressing scheme
- Benefits of VLSM and Implementing VLSM
- Private vs. Public IPv4 addresses
- Reserved IPv4 addresses
- Verifying IPv4 address of a host
- TCP/IP transport layer functions
- Reliable vs. Best-effort transport
- TCP characteristics
- UDP characteristics
- TCP/IP application layer
- Introducing HTTP
- Domain name system
- Explaining DHCP for IPv4
- Discovery 4: Inspect TCP/IP applications
- Role of a router
- Router components
- Router functions
- Routing table
- Path determination
- Initial router setup
- Configuring router interfaces
- Configuring IPv4 addresses on router interfaces
- Checking interface configuration and status
- Discovery 5: Configure an interface on a Cisco router
- Exploring connected devices
- Using Cisco Discovery Protocol
- Configure and verify LLDP
- Disconvery 6: Configure and verify layer 2 discovery protocols
- Implement an initial router configuration
- Layer 2 addressing
- Layer 3 addressing
- Default gateways
- Address resolution protocol
- Discovery 7: Configure default gateway
- Host-to-host packet delivery
- Discovery 8: Explore packet forwarding
- Troubleshooting methods
- Troubleshooting tools
- Troubleshooting common switch media issues
- Troubleshooting common switch port issues
- Discovery 9: Troubleshoot switch media and port issues
- Discovery 10: Troubleshoot port duplex issues
- Troubleshooting common problems associated with IPv4 addressing
- IPv4 address exhaustion workarounds
- IPv6 features
- IPv6 addresses and address types
- Comparison of IPv4 and IPv6 header
- Internet control message protocol version 6
- Neighbor discovery
- IPv6 address allocation
- Discovery 11: Configure basic IPv6 connectivity
- Verification of end-to-end IPv6 connectivity
- Routing Operation
- Static and dynamic routing comparison
- When to use static routing
- IPv4 static route configuration
- Default routes
- Verifying static and default route configuration
- Discovery 12: Configure and verify IPv4 static routes
- Configuring IPv6 static routes
- Discovery 13: Configure IPv6 static routes
- Implement IPv4 static routing
- Implement IPv6 static routing
- VLAN Introduction
- Creating a VLAN
- Assigning a port to a VLAN
- Trunking with 802.1Q
- Configuring an 802.1Q trunk
- Discovery 14: Configure VLAN and trunk
- VLAN design considerations
- Troubleshoot VLANs and trunk
- Purpose of Inter-VLAN routing
- Options for the Inter-VLAN routing
- Discovery 15: Configure a router on a stick
- Implement multiple VLANs and basic routing between the VLANs
- Dynamic routing protocols
- Path selection
- Link-State routing protocol overview
- Link-State routing protocol data structures
- Introducing OSPF
- Establishing OSPF neighbor adjacencies
- OSPF neighbor states
- SPF algorithm
- Building a Link-State database
- Discovery 16: Configure and verify single-area OSPF
- Routing for IPv6
- Physical redundancy in a LAN
- Issues in redundant topologies
- Spanning tree operation
- Types of spanning tree protocols
- PortFast and BPDU guard
- Rapid spanning tree protocol
- EtherChannel overview
- EtherChannel configuration options
- Configuring and verifying EtherChannel
- Discovery 17: Configure and verify EtherChannel
- Improve redundant switched topologies with EtherChannel
- Need for default gateway redundancy
- Understanding FHRP
- Understanding HSRP
- Introduction to WAN technologies
- WAN devices and demarcation point
- WAN topology options
- WAN connectivity options
- Virtual private networks
- Enterprise-manged VPNs
- Provider-managed VPNs
- ACL overview
- ACL operation
- ACL wildcard masking
- Wildcard mask abbreviations
- Types of basic ACLs
- Configuring standard IPv4 ACLs
- Configuring extended IPv4 ACLs
- Verifying and modifying IPv4 ACLs
- Applying IPv4 ACLs to filter network traffic
- Discovery 18: Configure and verify IPv4 ACLs
- Implement numbered and named IPv4 ACLs
- Discovery 19: Configure a provider-assigned IPv4 address
- Introducing network address translation
- NAT terminology and translation mechanisms
- Benefits and drawbacks of NAT
- Static NAT and port forwarding
- Dynamic NAT
- Port address translation
- Configuring and verifying inside IPv4 NAT
- Discovery 20: Configure static NAT
- Discovery 21: Configure dynamic NAT and PAT
- Implement PAT
- Converged networks
- Quality of service defined
- QoS policy
- QoS mechanisms
- QoS models
- Deploying end-to-end QoS
- Wireless technologies
- WLAN architechtures
- WiFi channels
- AP and WLC management
- Discovery 22: Log into the WLC
- Discovery 23: Monitor the WLC
- Discovery 24: Configure a dynamic (VLAN) interface
- Discovery 25: Configure a DHCP scope
- Discovery 26: Configure a WLAN
- Discovery 27: Define a RADIUS server
- Discovery 28: Explore management options
- Introduction to network design
- Enterprise three-tier hierarchical network design
- Spine-leaf network design
- Cisco enterprise architecture model
- Cloud computing overview
- Network device architecture
- Virtualization fundamentals
- Overview of network programmability in enterprise networks
- Software-defined networking
- Common programmability protocols and methods
- Configuration management tools
- Introducing Cisco DNA center
- Discovery 29: Explore the Cisco DNA center
- Introducing Cisco SD-Access
- Introducing Cisco SD-WAN
- Introducing Syslog
- Syslog message format
- SNMP overview
- Enabling network time protocol
- Discovery 30: Configure and verify NTP
- Configure system message logging
- Cisco IOS intergrated file system adn devices
- Stages of the router power-on boot sequence
- Loading and managing system images files
- Loading Cisco IOS configuration files
- Validating Cisco IOS images using MD5
- Managing Cisco IOS images and device configuration files
- Discovery 31: Create the Cisco IOS impage backup
- Discovery 32: Upgrade Cisco IOS image
- Security threat landscape overview
- Malware
- Hacking tools
- Denial of service and distributed denial of service
- Spoofing
- Reflection and amplification attacks
- Social engineering
- Evolution of Phishing
- Password attacks
- Reconnaissance attacks
- Buffer overflow attacks
- Man-in-the-middle attacks
- Vectors of data loss and exfiltration
- Other considerations
- Information security overview
- Firewalls
- Intrusion prevention systems
- Protection against data loss and phishing attacks
- Defending against DoS and DDoS attacks
- Introduction to cryptographic technologies
- IPsec security services
- Secure sockets Layer and transport layer security
- Wireless security protocols
- Discover 33: Configure WLAN using WPA2 PSK using the GUI
- Network device security overview
- Securing access to privileged EXEC mode
- Securing console access
- Securing remote access
- Discover 34: Secure console and remote access
- Configuring the login banner
- Limiting remote access with ACLs
- Discovery 35: Enable and limit remote access connectivity
- External authentication options
- Secure device administrative access
- Securing unused ports
- Infrastructure ACL
- Disabling unused services
- Port security
- Discovery 36: Configure and verify port security
- Mitigating VLAN attacks
- DHCP snooping
- Dynamic ARP inspection
- Mitigation STP attacks
- Implement device hardening
- The self-study material can be done at your own pace after the instructor-led portion of the course
The job roles best suited to the material in this course are:
- Entry-level network engineer
- Network administrator
- Network support technician
- Help desk technician
Prerequisites
While there are no prerequisites for this course, please ensure you have the right level of experience to be successful in this training:
- Basic computer literacy
- Basic PC operating system navigation skills
- Basic internet usage skills
- Basic IP address knowledge