Courses and timetable

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CCNA Exploration

The Cisco CCNA® Exploration curriculum provides a comprehensive overview of networking; from fundamentals to advanced applications and services. It is based on a top-down approach to networking that is popular in many colleges and universities. This course emphasizes theoretical concepts and practical application, while providing opportunities for students to gain the skills and hands-on experience needed to design, install, operate, and maintain networks.

CCNA Exploration offers in-depth theory, challenging labs, and a detailed overview of protocol operations. It is designed for students with advanced problem-solving and analytical skills, such as degree candidates in engineering, math, or science, or for working professionals who would like to advance their careers or gain certification. CCNA Exploration helps students prepare for successful IT careers in small-to-medium businesses, as well as enterprise and service provider environments.

Features

Target Audience

The target audience is anyone who desires a practical, technical introduction to the field of networking. This includes high school students, community college students, and lifelong-learning students who are interested in careers as network technicians, network engineers, network administrators, and network help-desk staff.

Course Description

Network Fundamentals is the first course and it has no prerequisites. It is a prerequisite for the other three courses. Routing Protocols and Concepts is the preferred second course in the sequence.

Industry Standard Certification

The CCNA Exploration curriculum prepares students for the Cisco CCNA® network associate certification exam. CCNA is the industry standard, foundational certification for networking careers. Students need to complete all four courses of CCNA Exploration to fully prepare for the CCNA exam.

Skills and Competencies

CCNA 1: Network Fundamentals
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to perform the following tasks:

• Explain the importance of data networks and the Internet in supporting business communications and everyday activities
• Explain how communication works in data networks and the Internet
• Recognize the devices and services that are used to support communications across an Internetwork
• Use network protocol models to explain the layers of communications in data networks
• Explain the role of protocols in data networks
• Describe the importance of addressing and naming schemes at various layers of data networks
• Describe the protocols and services provided by the application layer in the OSI model and describe how this layer operates in sample networks
• Analyze the operations and features of the transport layer protocols and services
• Analyze the operations and feature of the network layer protocols and services and explain the fundamental concepts of routing
• Design, calculate, and apply subnet masks and addresses to fulfill given requirements
• Describe the operation of protocols at the OSI data link layer and explain how they support communications
• Explain the role of physical layer protocols and services in supporting communications across data networks
• Explain fundamental Ethernet concepts such as media, services, and operation
• Employ basic cabling and network designs to connect devices in accordance with stated objectives
• Build a simple Ethernet network using routers and switches
• Use Cisco CLI commands to perform basic router and switch configuration and verification

CCNA 2: Routing Protocols and Concepts
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to perform the following functions:

• Describe the purpose, nature, and operations of a router
• Explain the critical role routers play in enabling communication
• Describe the purpose and nature of routing tables
• Describe how a router determines a path and switches packet switching
• Configure and verify router interfaces
• Describe the purpose and procedure for configuring static routes
• Describe the role of dynamic routing protocols and place these protocols in the contex t of modern network design
• Describe how metrics are used by routing protocols and identify the metric types used by dynamic routing protocols
• Identify the characteristics of distance vector routing protocols
• Describe the network discovery process of distance vector routing protocols using Routing Information Protocol (RIP)
• Describe the functions, characteristics, and operations of the RIPv1 protocol
• Compare and contrast classful and classless IP addressing
• Describe classful and classless routing behaviors in routed networks
• Design and implement a classless IP addressing scheme for a given network
• Demonstrate comprehensive RIPv1 configuration skills
• Apply the basic RIPv2 configuration commands and evaluate RIPv2 classless routing updates
• Describe the main features and operations of the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
• Use advanced configuration commands with routers implementing EIGRP
• Describe the basis features and concepts of link-state routing protocols
• Describe the purpose, nature, and operations of the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF ) Protocol

CCNA 3: L AN Switching and W ireless
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to perform the following functions:

• Identify and correct common network problems at layers 1 ,2 ,3 and 7 using a layered model approach
• Interpret network diagrams
• Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect switches to other network devices and hosts.
• Explain the technology and media access control method for Ethernet networks.
• Explain basic switching concepts and the operation of Cisco switches.
• Perform and verify initial switch configuration task s including remote access management.
• Describe enhanced switching technologies (VTP, RSTP, VLAN, PVSTP, 802.1q)
• Describe how VLANs create logically separate network s and the need for routing between them.
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot VLANs
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot trunk ing on Cisco switches
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot interVLAN routing
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot VTP
• Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RSTP operation
• Interpret the output of various show and debug commands to verify the operational status of a Cisco switched network
• Verify network status and switch operation using basic utilities (ping, traceroute, telnet, SSH, arp, ipconfig), SHOW & DEBUG commands.
• Identify, prescribe, and resolve common switched network media issues, configuration issues, autonegotiation, and switch hardware failures
• Manage Cisco IOS
• Manage IOS configuration files. (save, edit, upgrade, restore)
• Describe standards associated with wireless media (IEEE WI-FI Alliance, ITU/FCC)
• Identify and describe the purpose of the components in a small wireless network . (SSID, BSS, ESS)
• Identify the basic parameters to configure on a wireless network to ensure that devices connect to the correct access point.
• Compare and contrast wireless security features and capabilities of WPA security(open, WEP, WPA-1/2)
• Identify common issues with implementing wireless networks. (Interference, Misconfiguration)

CCNA 4: WAN
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to perform the following functions:

• Describe the impact of applications (Voice Over IP and Video Over IP) on a network
• Identify and correct common network problems at layers 1 ,2 ,3 and 7 using a layered model approach
• Interpret network diagrams
• Describe the components required for network and Internet communications.
• Implement basic switch security (port security, trunk access, management vlan other than vlan1 ,etc.)
• Explain the operation and benefits of using DHCP and DNS.
• Configure, verify and troubleshoot DHCP and DNS operation on a router.(CLI/SDM)
• Describe today's increasing network security threats and explain the need to implement a comprehensive security policy to mitigate the threats
• Explain general methods to mitigate common security threats to network devices, hosts, and applications.
• Describe the functions of common security appliances and applications
• Describe security recommended practices including initial steps to secure network devices
• Describe the purpose and types of ACLs.
• Configure and apply ACLs based on network filtering requirements (CLI/SDM)
• Configure and apply an ACLs to limit telnet and SSH access to the router using (SDM/CLI)
• Verify and monitor ACLs in a network environment.
• Troubleshoot ACL issues.
• Explain the basic operation of NAT.
• Configure NAT for given network requirements using (CLI/SDM)
• Troubleshoot NAT issues
• Describe different methods for connecting to a WAN
• Configure and verify a basic WAN serial connection
• Configure and verify a PPP connection between Cisco routers
• Configure and verify Frame Relay on Cisco routers
• Troubleshoot WAN implementation issues
• Describe VPN technology (importance, benefits, role, impact, components)

Packet Tracer
The curriculum encourages students to explore networking concepts with tools such as Packet Tracer, a powerful network simulation program developed by Cisco that allows students to experiment with network behavior and ask “what if” questions.