CCNA Course Materials + CiscoIOS

Welcome !

Welcome to the CCNA Exploration Network Fundamentals course. The goal of this course is to introduce you to fundamental networking concepts and technologies. These online course materials will assist you in developing the skills necessary to plan and implement small networks across a range of applications. The specific skills covered in each chapter are described at the start of each chapter.

More than just information
This computer-based learning environment is an important part of the overall course experience for students and instructors in the Networking Academy. These online course materials are designed to be used along with several other instructional tools and activities. These include:

Class presentation, discussion, and practice with your instructor
Hands-on labs that use networking equipment within the Networking Academy classroom
Online scored assessments and a matching grade book
Packet Tracer simulation tool
Additional software for classroom activities

Course Overview

As the course title states, the focus of this course is on learning the fundamentals of networking. In this course, you will learn both the practical and conceptual skills that build the foundation for understanding basic networking. First, you will examine human versus network communication and see the parallels between them. Next, you will be introduced to the two major models used to plan and implement networks: OSI and TCP/IP. You will gain an understanding of the "layered" approach to networks and examine the OSI and TCP/IP layers in detail to understand their functions and services. You will become familiar with the various network devices, network addressing schemes and, finally, the types of media used to carry data across the network.

In this course, you will gain experience using networking utilities and tools, such as Packet Tracer and Wireshark®, to explore networking protocols and concepts. These tools will help you to develop an understanding of how data flows in a network. A special "model Internet" is also used to provide a test environment where a range of network services and data can be observed and analyzed.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 1 presents the basics of communication and how networks have changed our lives. You will be introduced to the concepts of networks, data, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), quality of service (QoS), security issues, network collaboration services, and Packet Tracer activities. In the labs, you will learn how to set up a wiki and establish an instant messaging session.

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2 focuses on how networks are modeled and used. You will be introduced to the OSI and TCP/IP models and to the process of data encapsulation. You will learn about the network tool Wireshark®, which is used for analyzing network traffic, and will explore the differences between a real network and a simulated network. In the lab, you will build your first network - a small peer-to-peer network.

Chapter 3 - Using a top-down approach to teaching networking, Chapter 3 introduces you to the top network model layer, the Application layer. In this context, you will explore the interaction of protocols, services, and applications, with a focus on HTTP, DNS, DHCP, SMTP/POP, Telnet and FTP. In the labs, you will practice installing a web server/client and use Wireshark® to analyze network traffic. The Packet Tracer activities let you explore how protocols operate at the Application layer.

Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 introduces the Transport layer and focuses on how the TCP and UDP protocols apply to the common applications. In the labs and activities, you will incorporate the use of Wireshark®, the Windows utilities command netstat, and Packet Tracer to investigate these two protocols.

Chapter 5 - Chapter 5 introduces the OSI Network layer. You will examine concepts of addressing and routing and learn about path determination, data packets, and the IP protocol. By the end of this chapter, you will configure hosts to access the local network and explore routing tables.