CCNAv7-2: Switching, Routing and Wireless Essentials (SRWE)

Welcome to Switching Concepts!

You can connect and configure switches, that’s great! But even a network with the newest technology develops its own problems eventually. If you have to troubleshoot your network, you need to know how switches work. This module gives you the fundamentals of switches and switch operation. Luckily, switch operation is easy to understand!

Welcome to VLANs!

Imagine that you are in charge of a very large conference. There are people from all over who share a common interest and some who also have special expertise. Imagine if each expert who wanted to present their information to a smaller audience had to do that in the same large room with all the other experts and their smaller audiences. Nobody would be able to hear anything. You would have to find separate rooms for all the experts and their smaller audiences. The Virtual LAN (VLAN) does something similar in a network. VLANs are created at Layer 2 to reducing or eliminate broadcast traffic. VLANs are how you break up your network into smaller networks, so that the devices and people within a single VLAN are communicating with each other and not having to manage traffic from other networks. The network administrator can organize VLANs by location, who is using them, the type of device, or whatever category is needed. You know you want to learn how to do this, so don’t wait!

Welcome to Inter-VLAN Routing!

Now you know how to segment and organize your network into VLANs. Hosts can communicate with other hosts in the same VLAN, and you no longer have hosts sending out broadcast messages to every other device in your network, eating up needed bandwidth. But what if a host in one VLAN needs to communicate with a host in a different VLAN? If you are a network administrator, you know that people will want to communicate with other people outside of your network. This is where inter-VLAN routing can help you. Inter-VLAN routing uses a Layer 3 device such as a router or a Layer 3 switch. Let’s take your VLAN expertise and combine it with your network layer skills and put them to the test!

Welcome to STP Concepts!

A well-designed Layer 2 network will have redundant switches and paths to ensure that if one switch goes down, another path to a different switch is available to forward data. Users of the network would not experience any disruption of service. Redundancy in a hierarchical network design fixes the problem of a single point of failure, yet it can create a different kind of problem called Layer 2 loops.

What is a loop? Imagine that you are at a concert. The singer’s microphone and the amplified loudspeaker can, for a variety of reasons, create a feedback loop. What you hear is an amplified signal from the microphone that comes out of the loudspeaker which is then picked up again by the microphone, amplified further, and passed again through the loudspeaker. The sound quickly becomes very loud, unpleasant, and makes it impossible to hear any actual music. This continues until the connection between the microphone and the loudspeaker is cut.

A Layer 2 loop creates similar chaos in a network. It can happen very quickly and make it impossible to use the network. There are a few common ways that a Layer 2 loop can be created and propagated. Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is designed specifically to eliminate Layer 2 loops in your network. This module discusses causes of loops and the various types of spanning tree protocols. It includes a video and a Packet Tracer activity to help you understand STP concepts.

Welcome to EtherChannel!

Your network design includes redundant switches and links. You have some version of STP configured to prevent Layer 2 loops. But now, like most network administrators, you realize that you could use more bandwidth and redundancy in your network. Not to worry, EtherChannel is here to help! EtherChannel aggregates links between devices into bundles. These bundles include redundant links. STP may block one of those links, but it will not block all of them. With EtherChannel your network can have redundancy, loop prevention, and increased bandwidth!

There are two protocols, PAgP and LACP. This module explains them both and also shows you how to configure, verify and troubleshoot them! A Syntax Checker and two Packet Tracer activities help you to better understand these protocols. What are you waiting for?

Welcome to DHCPv4!

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) dynamically assigns IP addresses to devices. DHCPv4 is for an IPv4 network. (Don’t worry, you’ll learn about DHCPv6 in another module.) This means that you, the network administrator, do not have to spend your day configuring IP addresses for every device on your network. In a small home or office, that would not be very difficult, but any large network might have hundreds, or even thousands of devices.

In this module, you will learn how to configure a Cisco IOS router to be a DHCPv4 server. Then you will learn how to configure a Cisco IOS router as a client. This module includes a few Syntax Checkers and a Packet Tracer activity to help you try out your new knowledge. DHCPv4 configuration skills will significantly reduce your workload, and who doesn’t want that?

Welcome to SLAAC and DHCPv6!

SLAAC and DHCPv6 are dynamic addressing protocols for an IPv6 network. So, a little bit of configuring will make your day as a network administrator lot easier. In this module, you will learn how to use SLAAC to allow hosts to create their own IPv6 global unicast address, as well as configure a Cisco IOS router to be a DHCPv6 server, a DHCPv6 client, or a DHCPv6 relay agent. This module includes a lab where you will configure DHCPv6 on real equipment!

Welcome to FHRP Concepts!

Your network is up and running. You’ve conquered Layer 2 redundancy without any Layer 2 loops. All your devices get their addresses dynamically. You are good at network administration! But, wait. One of your routers, the default gateway router in fact, has gone down. None of your hosts can send any messages outside of the immediate network. It’s going to take a while to get this default gateway router operating again. You’ve got a lot of angry people asking you how soon the network will be ‘back up.’

You can avoid this problem easily. First Hop Redundancy Protocols (FHRPs) are the solution you need. This module discusses what FHRP does, and all of the types of FHRPs that are available to you. One of these types is a Cisco-proprietary FHRP called Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP). You will learn how HSRP works and then complete a Packet Tracer activity where you will configure and verify HSRP. Don’t wait, get started!

Welcome to LAN Security Concepts!

If your career path is in IT, you won’t just be building or maintaining networks. You will be responsible for the security of your network. For today’s network architects and administrators, security is not an afterthought. It is a top priority for them! In fact, many people in IT now work exclusively in the area of network security.

Do you understand what makes a LAN secure? Do you know what threat actors can do to break network security? Do you know what you can do to stop them? This module is your introduction to the world of network security, so don’t wait, click Next!

Welcome to Switch Security Configuration!

An important part of your responsibility as a network professional is to keep the network secure. Most of the time we only think about security attacks coming from outside the network, but threats can come from within the network as well. These threats can range anywhere from an employee innocently adding an Ethernet switch to the corporate network so they can have more ports, to malicious attacks caused by a disgruntled employee. It is your job to keep the network safe and ensuring that business operations continue uncompromised.

How do we keep the network safe and stable? How do we protect it from malicious attacks from within the network? How do we make sure employees are not adding switches, servers and other devices to the network that might compromise network operations?

This module is your introduction to keeping your network secure from within!

Welcome to WLAN Concepts!

Do you use a wireless connection at home, work or school? Ever wonder how it works?

There are many ways to connect wirelessly. Like everything else involving networks, these connection types are best used in particular situations. They require specific devices and are also prone to certain types of attacks. And of course, there are solutions to mitigate these attacks. Want to learn more? The WLAN Concepts module gives you the foundational knowledge you need to understand what Wireless LANs are, what they can do, and how to protect them.

If you are curious, don’t wait, get started today!

Welcome to WLAN Configuration!

Some of us remember getting on the internet using dial up. Dial up involved using your landline phone. Your landline phone was unavailable to make or receive calls while you were on the internet. Your dial up connection to the internet was very slow. It basically meant that, for most people, your computer was always in one place in your home or school.

Then we were able to connect to the internet without using our landlines. But our computers were still hardwired to the devices that connected them to the internet. Today we can connect to the internet using wireless devices that lets us take our phones, laptops, and tablets almost anywhere. It’s nice to have this freedom of movement, but it requires special end and intermediary devices and a good understanding of wireless protocols. Want to know more? Then this is the module for you!

Welcome to Routing Concepts!

No matter how effectively you set up your network, something will always stop working correctly, or even stop working completely. This is a simple truth about networking. So, even though you already know quite a bit about routing, you still need to know how your routers actually work. This knowledge is critical if you want to be able to troubleshoot your network. This module goes into detail about the workings of a router. Jump in!

Welcome to IP Static Routing!

There are so many different ways to dynamically route a packet that you might wonder why anybody would take the time to manually configure a static route. It is kind of like handwashing all of your clothes when you have a perfectly good washing machine. But you know that some clothing items cannot go in the washing machine. Some items benefit from being washed by hand. There is a similarity in networking. As it turns out, there are many situations where a manually configured a static route is your best option.

There are different kinds of static routes, and each is perfect for solving (or avoiding) a specific type of network problem. Many networks use both dynamic and static routing, so network administrators need to know how to configure, verify, and troubleshoot static routes. You are taking this course because you want to become a network administrator, or you want to improve your existing network administrator skills. You will be glad you took this module, because you will use these skills frequently! And because this module is about configuring static routes, there are several Syntax Checker activities, followed by a Packet Tracer and a Lab where you can hone your skills!

Welcome to Troubleshoot Static and Default Routes!

Well done! You have come to the final module in the Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials v7.0 (SRWE) course. This course gave you the in-depth knowledge and skills you need to set up switches and routers (including wireless devices) on your growing network. You really are good at network administration!

But what makes a good network administrator into a great one? The ability to effectively troubleshoot. The best way to gain network troubleshooting skills is simple: always be troubleshooting. In this module, you will troubleshoot both static and default routes. There is a Syntax Checker, a Packet Tracer, and a hands-on Lab where you can hone your troubleshooting skills. Let’s get to it!