Basics of Cisco Network Associates Course

Lesson 1 • Network Media and Cabling

Covers copper, fiber, and wireless media types and their appropriate use cases. Prepares students to select and identify correct cabling for network installations.

Lesson 2 • Network Devices and Their Roles

Identifies hubs, switches, routers, and access points and explains each device's function. Provides context for understanding device placement in network diagrams.

Lesson 3 • Data Transmission Basics

Explains how data moves across a network using signals, bandwidth, and encoding. Connects physical transmission concepts to higher-layer communication.

Lesson 4 • Network Diagrams and Documentation

Teaches reading and creating logical and physical network diagrams using standard symbols. Supports accurate documentation practices used throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • Encapsulation and Data Units

Explains how data is wrapped with headers at each layer during encapsulation and unwrapped on receipt. Clarifies the terms segment, packet, frame, and bit.

Lesson 2 • TCP/IP Model and Protocol Suite

Maps the four-layer TCP/IP model to OSI layers and identifies key protocols at each layer. Establishes the practical model used in modern internet and enterprise networks.

Lesson 3 • Layer 2 Addressing and Ethernet

Covers MAC addressing, Ethernet frame structure, and Layer 2 communication rules. Connects physical media to logical addressing used by switches.

Lesson 4 • Layer 3 Addressing and IP Basics

Introduces IP addressing at the network layer and explains how packets are routed between networks. Bridges Layer 2 concepts to the routing topics covered in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Variable Length Subnet Masking

Introduces VLSM to allocate address space efficiently across subnets of different sizes. Builds on fixed-length subnetting to support real-world hierarchical addressing.

Lesson 2 • IPv4 Address Planning and Verification

Applies subnetting skills to create a complete address plan for a small network. Introduces verification commands to confirm addressing on Cisco devices.

Lesson 3 • Subnet Masks and CIDR Notation

Explains how subnet masks define network and host boundaries and introduces slash notation. Enables students to read and write address prefixes used in routing tables.

Lesson 4 • IPv4 Address Classes and Types

Defines Class A, B, and C address ranges and distinguishes public from private addresses. Sets the foundation for understanding address allocation and subnetting.

Lesson 1 • IOS Command-Line Interface Navigation

Covers IOS exec modes, privilege levels, and navigation shortcuts. Enables students to move efficiently between modes and use help features.

Lesson 2 • Saving and Managing Configurations

Explains the difference between running and startup configurations and how to save, erase, and restore them. Prevents configuration loss and supports device recovery.

Lesson 3 • Verification and Troubleshooting Commands

Introduces show and debug commands used to verify device state and diagnose issues. Connects configuration tasks to the verification habits used by network professionals.

Lesson 4 • Basic Device Configuration Commands

Applies essential IOS commands to set hostnames, passwords, banners, and interface addresses. Directly prepares students for lab exercises on routers and switches.

Lesson 1 • Ethernet Switching Operation

Explains how switches learn MAC addresses, build tables, and forward frames. Provides the operational foundation for all switch configuration topics.

Lesson 2 • Trunk Links and 802.1Q Tagging

Covers trunk port configuration and the 802.1Q encapsulation standard for carrying multiple VLANs. Connects VLAN design to inter-switch and switch-to-router links.

Lesson 3 • VLAN Concepts and Configuration

Defines VLANs, their benefits, and how to create and assign them on Cisco switches. Enables logical network segmentation independent of physical topology.

Lesson 4 • Spanning Tree Protocol Fundamentals

Introduces STP to prevent Layer 2 loops in redundant switched networks. Explains root bridge election, port roles, and port states.

Lesson 1 • Static Route Configuration

Covers the syntax and options for configuring static routes on Cisco routers. Enables students to manually define paths between networks in lab and production scenarios.

Lesson 2 • Routing Verification and Troubleshooting

Applies show and debug commands to verify routing table entries and trace packet paths. Builds systematic troubleshooting habits for routing issues.

Lesson 3 • Routing Fundamentals and the Routing Table

Explains how routers use routing tables to forward packets and the sources of routing information. Establishes the conceptual basis for all routing configuration tasks.

Lesson 4 • Floating Static Routes

Explains how to configure backup routes using higher administrative distance values. Provides a simple redundancy mechanism before dynamic routing protocols are introduced.

Lesson 1 • OSPF Operation and Configuration

Covers OSPF neighbor relationships, LSA flooding, and SPF calculation for single-area networks. Students configure and verify OSPFv2 on Cisco routers.

Lesson 2 • Dynamic Routing Protocol Concepts

Compares dynamic routing protocols by type, metric, and convergence behavior. Provides the decision framework for protocol selection used throughout this chapter.

Lesson 3 • EIGRP Operation and Configuration

Explains EIGRP's DUAL algorithm, neighbor tables, and topology table for loop-free routing. Students configure and verify EIGRP in a lab environment.

Lesson 4 • Routing Protocol Verification and Comparison

Compares OSPF and EIGRP behavior and applies verification commands to confirm correct operation. Reinforces protocol selection skills with real configuration output analysis.

Lesson 1 • Layer 2 Security Threats and Mitigations

Addresses VLAN hopping, DHCP spoofing, and ARP poisoning attacks with specific countermeasures. Completes the security chapter by protecting the switching layer.

Lesson 2 • Switch Port Security

Configures port security to restrict switch ports by MAC address and define violation actions. Protects the access layer from unauthorized device connections.

Lesson 3 • Network Security Fundamentals

Identifies common network threats, attack vectors, and the principles of defense-in-depth. Frames the security mindset applied throughout all configuration tasks in this chapter.

Lesson 4 • Standard and Extended ACLs

Explains ACL logic, numbering, and placement rules, then applies standard and extended ACLs to filter traffic. Enables students to control traffic flow based on source, destination, and protocol.