This 5-day course focuses on installing, operating, configuring, and verifying a basic IPv4 and IPv6 network. It includes configuring a LAN switch, an IP router, connecting to a WAN, and identifying basic security threats. The course also covers the skills and knowledge necessary to install, operate, and troubleshoot a small to medium-sized branch office Enterprise network. This accelerated format serves as an alternative to completing ICND1 and ICND2.
Course Outline
Lesson 1: Network Fundamentals
- Explain the role and function of network components
- Routers
- Layer 2 and Layer 3 switches
- Next-generation firewalls and IPS
- Access points
- Controllers (Cisco DNA Center and WLC)
- Endpoints
- Servers
- PoE
- Describe characteristics of network topology architectures
- Two-tier
- Three-tier
- Spine-leaf
- WAN
- Small office/home office (SOHO)
- On-premise and cloud
- Compare physical interface and cabling types
- Single-mode fiber, multimode fiber, copper
- Connections (Ethernet shared media and point-to-point)
- Identify interface and cable issues (collisions, errors, mismatch duplex, and/or speed)
- Compare TCP to UDP
- Configure and verify IPv4 addressing and subnetting
- Describe private IPv4 addressing
- Configure and verify IPv6 addressing and prefix
- Describe IPv6 address types
- Unicast (global, unique local, and link local)
- Anycast
- Multicast
- Modified EUI 64
- 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
Lesson 2: Network Access
- Configure and verify VLANs (normal range) spanning multiple switches
- Access ports (data and voice)
- Default VLAN
- InterVLAN connectivity
- Configure and verify interswitch connectivity
- Trunk ports
- 802.1Q
- Native VLAN
- Configure and verify Layer 2 discovery protocols (Cisco Discovery Protocol and LLDP)
- Configure and verify (Layer 2/Layer 3) EtherChannel (LACP)
- Interpret basic operations of Rapid PVST+ Spanning Tree Protocol
- Root port, root bridge (primary/secondary), and other port names
- Port states (forwarding/blocking)
- PortFast
- Root guard, loop guard, BPDU filter, and BPDU guard
- Describe Cisco Wireless Architectures and AP modes
- Describe physical infrastructure connections of WLAN components (AP, WLC, access/trunk ports, and LAG)
- Describe network device management access (Telnet, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, console, TACACS+/RADIUS, and cloud managed)
- Interpret the wireless LAN GUI configuration for client connectivity, such as WLAN creation, security settings, QoS profiles, and advanced settings
Lesson 3: IP Connectivity
- Interpret the components of routing table
- Routing protocol code
- Prefix
- Network mask
- Next hop
- Administrative distance
- Metric
- Gateway of last resort
- Determine how a router makes a forwarding decision by default
- Longest prefix match
- Administrative distance
- Routing protocol metric
- Configure and verify IPv4 and IPv6 static routing
- Default route
- Network route
- Host route
- Floating static
- Configure and verify single area OSPFv2
- Neighbor adjacencies
- Point-to-point
- Broadcast (DR/BDR selection)
- Router ID
- Describe the purpose, functions, and concepts of first hop redundancy protocols
Lesson 4: IP Services
- Configure and verify inside source NAT using static and pools
- Configure and verify NTP operating in a client and server mode
- Explain the role of DHCP and DNS within the network
- Explain the function of SNMP in network operations
- Describe the use of syslog features including facilities and levels
- Configure and verify DHCP client and relay
- Explain the forwarding per-hop behavior (PHB) for QoS, such as classification, marking, queuing, congestion, policing, and shaping
- Configure network devices for remote access using SSH
- Describe the capabilities and functions of TFTP/FTP in the network
Lesson 5: Security Fundamentals
- Define key security concepts (threats, vulnerabilities, exploits, and mitigation techniques)
- Describe security program elements (user awareness, training, and physical access control)
- Configure and verify device access control using local passwords
- Describe security password policies elements, such as management, complexity, and password alternatives (multifactor authentication, certificates, and biometrics)
- Describe IPsec remote access and site-to-site VPNs
- Configure and verify access control lists
- Configure and verify Layer 2 security features (DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, and port security)
- Compare authentication, authorization, and accounting concepts
- Describe wireless security protocols (WPA, WPA2, and WPA3)
- Configure and verify WLAN within the GUI using WPA2 PSK
Lesson 6: Introducing IPv6
- Explain how automation impacts network management
- Compare traditional networks with controller-based networking
- Describe controller-based, software defined architecture (overlay, underlay, and fabric)
- Separation of control plane and data plane
- Northbound and Southbound APIs
- Explain AI (generative and predictive) and machine learning in network operations
- Describe characteristics of REST-based APIs (authentication types, CRUD, HTTP verbs, and data encoding)
- Recognize the capabilities of configuration management mechanisms, such as Ansible and Terraform
- Recognize components of JSON-encoded data
