Introduction

CCNA certification is a cornerstone of many IT careers. This book is a comprehensive study guide for the CCNA Intro, CCNA ICND and CCNA Certification exams. Its target audience is a high school student, a first year community college or any adult wanting to understand networking better.

About This Book

This book is a free, living book on CCNA Certification that keeps up with the changes in the technology and certification. As a result, it's written as an in-progress WikiBooks collaboration. Anyone is free to add material or fix mistakes. To edit a page simply click the "edit this page" tab at the top. If you find that any of the material is unclear, please click the "discussion" tab at the top of the page and leave a note on that page indicating what is unclear.

You should be aware that, while this book's contributors will attempt to ensure the accuracy of all facts, there may be mistakes present.

About the Material

The CCNA Routing and Switching certification test can be taken in one of two ways:

You can take the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 exam (100-105 ICND1) and the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 exam (200-105 ICND2).
You can take the combined Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated (200-125 CCNA).

These exams replaced the former CCNA exams (640-822, 640-816, and 640-801) in 2013.

The ICND1 exam tests for the ability to manage a small branch office network. The ICND2 exam tests for the ability to manage a small or middle-sized enterprise branch network. The combined CCNA tests all the material covered in the ICND1 and ICND2 exams. (For information about the exam and your options, see Appendix A.)

The contents of this book are split into two sections (ICND1 and ICND2) so those who are taking the individual tests can study for them separately. For those who are taking the combined CCNA exam, study both sections fully.

CCNA Exam Topics

The posted exam topics for all of CCNA certification exams are guidelines. Cisco makes the effort to keep the exam questions within the confines of the stated exam objectives.

ICND1 Exam Topics

Listed below is the exam topics for the ICND1 exam, Although Cisco’s posted exam topics are not numbered, Cisco Press numbers the exam topics for easier reference. The exam topics are as listed on the Cisco website (www.cisco.com/go/ccna). If Cisco does happen to add exam topics at a later date, go to www.ciscopress.com and download additional information about those newly added topics.

ICND1 Exam Topics

Ref No.	Topics
	Describe the operation of data networks
1	Describe the purpose and functions of various network devices
2	Select the components required to meet a given network specification
3	Use the OSI and TCP/IP models and their associated protocols to explain how data flows in a network
4	Describe common networking applications including web applications
5	Describe the purpose and basic operation of the protocol in the OSI and TCP model
6	Describe the impact of applications (Voice over IP and Video over IP) on a network
7	Interpret network diagrams
8	Determine the path between two host across a network
9	Describe the components required for network and Internet communications
10	Identify and correct common network problems at Layers 1,2,3 and 7 using a layered model approach
11	Differentiate between LAN/WAN operation and features
	Implement a small switched network
12	Select the appropriate media, cable, ports, and connectors to connect switches to other network devices and hosts
13	Explain the technology and media access control method for Ethernet technologies
14	Explain the network segmentation and basic traffic management concepts
15	Explain the operation of Cisco switches and basic switching concepts
16	Perform, Save, and verify initial switch configuration tasks including remote access management
17	Verify network status and switch operation using basic utilities (including ping, traceroute, telnet, SSH, arp, and IP config) show and Debug commands
18	Implement and verify basic security for a switch (port security, deactivate ports)
19	Identify, prescribe, and resolve common switched network media issues, configuration issues, auto negotiation, and switch hardware failures
	Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP services to meet network requirements for a small branch office
20	Describe the need and role of addressing in a network
21	Create and apply an addressing scheme to a network
22	Assign and verify valid IP addresses to hosts, servers, and networking devices in a LAN environment
23	Explain the basic uses and operation of NAT in a small network connecting to one ISP
24	Describe and verify DNS operation
25	Describe the operation and benefits of using private and public IP addressing
26	Enable NAT for a small network with a single ISP and connection using SDM and verify operation using CLI and ping
27	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot DHCP and DNS operation on a router (including CLI/SDM)
28	Implement static and dynamic addressing services for hosts ina LAN environment
29	Identify and correct IP addressing issues
30	Describe basic routing concepts (including packet forwarding, router lookup process)
31	Describe the operation of Cisco routers (including router bootup process, POST, and router components)
32	Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect routers to other network devices and hosts
33	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RIPv2
34	Access and utilize the router CLI to set basic parameters
35	Connect, configure, and verify operation status of a device interface
36	Verify device configuration and network connectivity using ping, traceroute, telnet, SSH, or other utilities
37	Perform and verify routing configuration tasks for a static or default route given specific routing requirements
38	Manage IOS configuration files (including save, edit, upgrade, and restore)
39	Manage Cisco IOS
40	Implement password and physical security
41	Verify network status and router operation using utilities (including ping, traceroute, telnet, SSH, arp, and ipconfig), show and debug commands
42	Describe standards associated with wireless media (including IEEE, WiFi, Alliance, and ITU/FCC)
43	Identify and describe the purpose of the components in a small wireless network. (including SSID, BSS, and ESS)
44	Identify the basic parameters to configure on a wireless network to ensure that devices connect to the correct access point
45	Compare and contrast wireless security features and capabilities of WPA security (including open, WEP, and WPA-1/2)
46	Identify common issues with implementing wireless networks
	Identify security threats to a network and describe general methods to mitigate those threats
47	Explain today's increasing network security threats and the need to implement a comprehensive security policy to mitigate the treaths
48	Explain general methods to mitigate common security threats to network devices, hosts, and applications
49	Describe the functions of common security appliances and applications
50	Describe security recommended practices including initial steps to secure network devices
	Implement and verify WAN links
51	Describe different methods for connecting to a WAN
52	Configure and verify a basic WAN serial connection

ICND2 Exam Topics

Ref No.	Topics
	Configure, Verify and Troubleshoot a switch with VLANs and interswitch communications
101	Describe enhanced switching technologies (including VTP,RSTP, VLAN, PVSTP, and 802.1q)
102	Describe how VLANs create logically separate networks and the need for routing between them
103	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot VLANs
104	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot trunking on Cisco switches
105	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot interVLAN routing
106	COnfigure, verify, and troubleshoot VTP
107	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RSTP operation
108	Interpret the output of various show and debug commands to verify the operation status of a Cisco switched network
109	Implement basic switch security (including port security, unassigned ports, trunk access, etc)
	Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP services to meet network requirements in a medium-sized enterprise branch office network
110	Calculate and apply a VLSM IP addressing design to a network
111	Determine the appropriate classless addressing scheme using VLSM and summarization to satisfy addressing requirements in a LAN/WAN environment
112	Describe the technological requirement for running IPv6 (including protocols, Dual stack, tunneling, etc)
113	Describe IPv6 address
114	Identify and correct common problems associated with IP addressing and host configurations
	Configure and trouble shoot basic operation and routing on Cisco devices
115	Compare and contrast methods of routing and routing protocols
116	Configure, verify, and troubleshoot OSPF
117	Configure, verify and troubleshoot EIGRP
118	Verify configuration and connectivity using ping, traceroute, and telnet or SSH
119	Troubleshoot routing implementation issues
120	Verify router hardware and software operating using show and debug commands
121	Implement basic router security
	Implement, verify, and troubleshoot NAT and ACLs in a medium-size enterprise branch office network
122	Describe the purpose and type of access control lists
123	Configure and apply access control lists based on network filtering requirements
124	Configure and apply an access control list to limit telnet and SSH access to the router
125	Verify and monitor ACL's in a network environment
126	Troubleshoot ACL implementation issues
127	Explain the basic operation of NAT
128	Configure Network Address Translate for a given network requirements using CLI
129	Troubleshoot NAT implementation issues
	Implementation and verify WAN links
130	Configure and verify frame relay on Cisco routers
131	Troubleshoot WAN implementation issues
132	Describe VPN technology (including importance, benefits, role, impact, and components)
133	Configure and verify the PPP connection between Cisco routers

Perspectives on Networking

Ethernet networks use cards inside each computer. These cards have unique numeric addresses. Ethernet cables connect PCs to ethernet hubs; Hubs on the other hand repeat every signal received out on all their available ports. Cabling is typically run in a star configuration.

The following are basic terminology in the networking world:

Client/Server Networking: The term client/server refers to a model utilizing networked client and server computers and application software. Web, FTP, email, DNS and many other database applications are client-server systems.

Peer-to-Peer Networking: Peer to peer networks share responsibility for processing data among all of the connected devices. Peer-to-peer networking (also known simply as peer networking) differs from client-server networking in several respects.

Network Name: A network name is a string that computing devices use to identify a specific computer network. Network names are typically different from names of individual computers or the addresses computers use to identify each other.

Network Performance Measured: The performance or "speed" of a computer network is normally measured in units of bits per second (bps). This quantity can represent either an actual data rate or a theoretical limit to available network bandwidth. The related units of Kbps, Mbps, Gbps represent increasingly larger multiples of bps.

WWW: The term "WWW" (World Wide Web) refers to the open development phase of the Internet in the 1990s. The WWW comprises a global network of Web sites accessible on the Internet.

URL: URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) identify by name Web servers and individual Web pages stored on those servers, anywhere on the Internet.

URI: A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) names both local and remote Internet resources similar to URLs.