Certification Name: Cisco Certified Network Associate
Exam Code: 200-301 CCNA
Duration: 120 minutes
Exam Format: Multiple choice, drag and drop, lab simulations
Target Audience: Entry-level network engineers, help desk technicians, and anyone starting a networking career
🎯 CCNA Certification Objectives
The CCNA certification validates your ability to:
- Install, configure, and troubleshoot small to medium-sized networks
- Understand core networking, security, and automation concepts
- Work with Cisco routers and switches
📘 CCNA Course Modules
🔹 Module 1: Networking Fundamentals
- Networking components (routers, switches, firewalls)
- Types of networks (LAN, WAN, WLAN)
- TCP/IP model vs. OSI model
- IPv4 and IPv6 addressing and subnetting
- Common protocols (HTTP, DNS, DHCP, ARP)
🔹 Module 2: Network Access
- Ethernet and MAC addressing
- Switch operation and configuration
- VLANs and trunking (802.1Q)
- Inter-VLAN routing
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- EtherChannel (LACP, PAgP)
🔹 Module 3: IP Connectivity
- Routing concepts (static vs. dynamic)
- Routing table and path selection
- Configure and verify IPv4 & IPv6 static routes
- Introduction to OSPFv2 (single-area)
- First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP) overview
🔹 Module 4: IP Services
- DHCP (v4 and v6)
- NAT (Static, Dynamic, PAT)
- NTP, Syslog, SNMP
- DNS, TFTP/FTP, and HTTP
🔹 Module 5: Security Fundamentals
- Threats and vulnerabilities
- Secure administrative access (SSH, console, VTY)
- Password policies and port security
- ACLs (Access Control Lists)
- Security best practices
🔹 Module 6: Wireless Fundamentals
- Wireless architecture components
- WLAN types and standards (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
- Configure basic wireless access points (WAPs)
- Wireless security protocols (WPA2, WPA3)
🔹 Module 7: Automation and Programmability
- Traditional vs. controller-based networking
- Cisco DNA Center overview
- REST APIs, JSON, and data formats
- Python and network programmability basics
- SDN (Software-Defined Networking) concepts
🧪 CCNA Exam Topics Weighting
| Topic Area | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| Network Fundamentals | 20% |
| Network Access | 20% |
| IP Connectivity | 25% |
| IP Services | 10% |
| Security Fundamentals | 15% |
| Automation & Programmability | 10% |
🎓 Recommended Training
📘 Cisco Official Course: Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA)
- 🧪 Cisco Packet Tracer or GNS3 for lab practice
- 🧰 Tools: Wireshark, PuTTY, SecureCRT
🧾 Certification Details
- No prerequisites required
- Valid for 3 years
- Renewable via CE credits or retaking the exam