Networking Academy CCNAv7

Welcome to the first course of the Cisco Networking Academy CCNAv7 curriculum,
Introduction to Networks (ITN). This is the first of three courses that are aligned to
the CCNA Certification Exam. ITN contains 17 modules, each with a series of topics.
In Introduction to Networks, you will gain a basic understanding of the way
networks operate. You will learn about network components and their functions, as
well as how a network is structured, and the architectures used to create networks,
including the internet.
But ITN is about more than learning networking concepts. By the end of this
course, you will be able to build local area networks (LANs), configure basic settings
on routers and switches, and implement internet protocol (IP).
In ITN, every concept that you learn and skill that you develop will be used in the
rest of the CCNA curriculum. Now is the time to supercharge your networking
career and let Cisco Networking Academy help you to reach your goal!
 Module Title: Networking Today
Module Objective: Explain the advances in modern network technologies.

Networks Affect our Lives Explain how networks affect our daily lives.

Network Components Explain how host and network devices are used.

Network Representations and Topologies Explain network representations and how they are used in network
topologies.

Common Types of Networks Compare the characteristics of common types of networks.

Internet Connections Explain how LANs and WANs interconnect to the internet.

Reliable Networks Describe the four basic requirements of a reliable network.

Network Trends Explain how trends such as BYOD, online collaboration, video, and cloud
computing are changing the way we interact.

Network Security Identify some basic security threats and solution for all networks.

The IT Professional Explain employment opportunities in the networking field.

 Network Components

Host Roles
• If you want to be a part of a global online community, your computer, tablet,
or smart phone must first be connected to a network. That network must be
connected to the internet. This topic discusses the parts of a network. See if
you recognize these components in your own home or school network!
• All computers that are connected to a network and participate directly in
network communication are classified as hosts. Hosts can be called end
devices. Some hosts are also called clients. However, the term hosts
specifically refers to devices on the network that are assigned a number for
communication purposes. This number identifies the host within a particular
network. This number is called the Internet Protocol (IP) address. An IP
address identifies the host and the network to which the host is attached.
• Servers are computers with software that allow them to provide information,
like email or web pages, to other end devices on the network. Each service
requires separate server software. For example, a server requires web server
software in order to provide web services to the network. A computer with
server software can provide services simultaneously to many different clients.

• As mentioned before, clients are a type of host. Clients have software for
requesting and displaying the information obtained from the server, as shown
in the figure.
HOST ROLE
Peer-to-Peer
End Devices
Intermediary Devices
Network Media
 Communication transmits across a network on media. The media provides the
channel over which the message travels from source to destination.

Modern networks primarily use three types of media to interconnect devices, as

shown in the figure:

 Metal wires within cables - Data is encoded into electrical impulses.

 Glass or plastic fibers within cables (fiber-optic cable) - Data is encoded into
pulses of light.
 Wireless transmission - Data is encoded via modulation of specific frequencies of
electromagnetic waves.
 Network Representations and Topologies

• Network architects and administrators must

be able to show what their networks will look
like. They need to be able to easily see which
components connect to other components,
where they will be located, and how they will
be connected. Diagrams of networks often use
symbols.
 A diagram provides an easy way to understand how devices connect in a
large network. This type of “picture” of a network is known as a topology
diagram. The ability to recognize the logical representations of the
physical networking components is critical to being able to visualize the
organization and operation of a network.

In addition to these representations, specialized terminology is used to

describe how each of these devices and media connect to each other:
• Network Interface Card (NIC) - A NIC physically connects the end device to
the network.
• Physical Port - A connector or outlet on a networking device where the
media connects to an end device or another networking device.
• Interface - Specialized ports on a networking device that connect to
individual networks. Because routers connect networks, the ports on a
router are referred to as network interfaces.

Note: The terms port and interface are often used interchangeably.
 Topology Diagrams

• Topology diagrams are mandatory

documentation for anyone working with a
network. They provide a visual map of how
the network is connected. There are two types
of topology diagrams:

• physical and
• logical.
Physical Topology Diagrams
• Physical topology diagrams illustrate the
physical location of intermediary devices and
cable installation, as shown in the figure. You
can see that the rooms in which these devices
are located are labeled in this physical
topology.
Logical Topology Diagrams
• Logical topology diagrams illustrate devices,
ports, and the addressing scheme of the
network, as shown in the figure. You can see
which end devices are connected to which
intermediary devices and what media is being
used.
 Common Types of Networks
Small Home Networks
Small home networks connect a few computers to each other and to the internet.
 Small Office and Home Office Networks
The SOHO network allows computers in a home office or a remote office to connect to a
corporate network, or access centralized, shared resources.
 Medium to Large Networks
Medium to large networks, such as those used by corporations and schools, can have many locations with hundreds or thousands of interconnected hosts.
 World Wide Networks
The internet is a network of networks that connects hundreds of millions of computers world-wide.
The figure shows the world wide networks showing a global map with five buildings
 LANs and WANs

Network infrastructures vary greatly in terms of:

• Size of the area covered
• Number of users connected
• Number and types of services available
• Area of responsibility

A LAN is a network infrastructure that provides access to users and end devices in a
small geographical area

A WAN is a network infrastructure that provides access to other networks over a wide
geographical area, which is typically owned and managed by a larger corporation
or a telecommunications service provider.
The Internet
 Intranets and Extranets
There are two other terms which are similar to the term internet:

intranet and extranet.

Intranet is a term often used to refer to a private connection of LANs and

WANs that belongs to an organization. An intranet is designed to be accessible
only by the organization's members, employees, or others with authorization.

An organization may use an Extranet to provide secure and safe access to

individuals who work for a different organization but require access to the
organization’s data.
Here are some examples of extranets:
• A company that is providing access to outside suppliers and contractors
• A hospital that is providing a booking system to doctors so they can make
appointments for their patients
• A local office of education that is providing budget and personnel information
to the schools in its district
The Converging Network
 Reliable Networks
Network Architecture

As networks evolve, we have learned that there

are four basic characteristics that network
architects must address to meet user
expectations:
• Fault Tolerance
• Scalability
• Quality of Service (QoS)
• Security
 Fault Tolerance

A fault tolerant network is one that limits the

number of affected devices during a failure. It
is built to allow quick recovery when such a
failure occurs.
 Fault Tolerance
A fault tolerant network is one that limits the number of affected devices during a
failure. It is built to allow quick recovery when such a failure occurs.
 Scalability
A scalable network expands quickly to support new users and applications. It does this
without degrading the performance of services that are being accessed by existing users.
 Quality of Service
Quality of Service (QoS) is an increasing requirement of networks today. New applications available to users over
networks, such as voice and live video transmissions, create higher expectations for the quality of the delivered
services
 Network Security
The network infrastructure, services, and the data contained on network-attached devices are crucial personal
and business assets. Network administrators must address two types of network security concerns: network
infrastructure security and information security.
 Network administrators must also protect the information
contained within the packets being transmitted over the
network, and the information stored on network attached
devices. In order to achieve the goals of network security,
there are three primary requirements.

• Confidentiality - Data confidentiality means that only the

intended and authorized recipients can access and read
data.
• Integrity - Data integrity assures users that the information
has not been altered in transmission, from origin to
destination.
• Availability - Data availability assures users of timely and
reliable access to data services for authorized users.
 Network Security
Security Threats
There are several common external threats to networks:
• Viruses, worms, and Trojan horses - These contain malicious software or
code running on a user device.
• Spyware and adware - These are types of software which are installed on a
user’s device. The software then secretly collects information about the
user.
• Zero-day attacks - Also called zero-hour attacks, these occur on the first day
that a vulnerability becomes known.
• Threat actor attacks - A malicious person attacks user devices or network
resources.
• Denial of service attacks - These attacks slow or crash applications and
processes on a network device.
• Data interception and theft - This attack captures private information from
an organization’s network.
• Identity theft - This attack steals the login credentials of a user in order to
access private data.
 Security Solutions

These are the basic security components for a

home or small office network:
• Antivirus and antispyware - These applications
help to protect end devices from becoming
infected with malicious software.
• Firewall filtering - Firewall filtering blocks
unauthorized access into and out of the
network. This may include a host-based firewall
system that prevents unauthorized access to
the end device, or a basic filtering service on
the home router to prevent unauthorized
access from the outside world into the network.
• Dedicated firewall systems - These provide more
advanced firewall capabilities that can filter large
amounts of traffic with more granularity.
• Access control lists (ACL) - These further filter
access and traffic forwarding based on IP
addresses and applications.
• Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) - These
identify fast-spreading threats, such as zero-day
or zero-hour attacks.
• Virtual private networks (VPN) - These provide
secure access into an organization for remote
workers.
Module Practice and Quiz
 Basic Switch and End Device Configuration

Operating Systems
All end devices and network devices require an operating system (OS)

• the portion of the OS that interacts directly with computer hardware is

known as the kernel.

• The portion that interfaces with applications and the user is known as the
shell.

• The user can interact with the shell using a command-line interface (CLI) or a
graphical user interface (GUI).
 GUI

• A GUI such as Windows, macOS, Linux KDE,

Apple iOS, or Android allows the user to
interact with the system using an environment
of graphical icons, menus, and windows.
• Note: The operating system on home routers
is usually called firmware. The most common
method for configuring a home router is by
using a web browser-based GUI.
 Purpose of an OS
Network operating systems are similar to a PC operating system.
Through a GUI, a PC operating system enables a user to do the
following:

• Use a mouse to make selections and run programs

• Enter text and text-based commands
• View output on a monitor

A CLI-based network operating system (e.g., the Cisco IOS on a

switch or router) enables a network technician to do the
following:

• Use a keyboard to run CLI-based network programs

• Use a keyboard to enter text and text-based commands
• View output on a monitor
Navigate Between IOS Modes
• Enter privileged EXEC mode using the enable command.

• Return to user EXEC mode using the disable command.

• Re-enter privileged EXEC mode.

• Enter global configuration mode using the configure terminal command.

• Exit global configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode using the exit command.

• Re-enter global configuration mode.

• Enter line subconfiguration mode for the console port using the line console 0 command.

• Return to global configuration mode using the exit command.

• Enter VTY line subconfiguration mode using the line vty 0 15 command.

• Return to global configuration mode.

• Enter the VLAN 1 interface subconfiguration mode using the interface vlan 1 command.

• From interface configuration mode, switch to line console subconfiguration mode using the line console 0 global configuration
command.

• Return to privileged EXEC mode using the end command.

You successfully navigated between the various IOS command line modes.
Basic IOS Command Structure
 Basic Device Configuration
Device Names

• Start with a letter

• Contain no spaces
• End with a letter or digit
• Use only letters, digits, and dashes
• Be less than 64 characters in length
Configure Passwords
Encrypt Passwords
Banner Messages
• Enter global configuration mode.
• Name the switch “Sw-Floor-1”.
• Secure user EXEC mode access by entering line console 0,
assign the password cisco, enable login, and return to the
global configuration mode using exit.
• Secure privileged EXEC mode access using the password class.
• Secure the VTY lines 0 through 15, assign the password cisco,
enable login, and return to the global configuration mode
using exit.
• Encrypt all plaintext passwords.
• Create a banner message using the “#” symbol as the delimiter.
The banner should display exactly: Warning! Authorized access
only!
• You successfully completed the basic requirements to access
and secure a device.
 Save Configurations

• startup-config - This is the saved configuration

file that is stored in NVRAM. It contains all the
commands that will be used by the device upon
startup or reboot. Flash does not lose its
contents when the device is powered off.
• running-config - This is stored in Random Access
Memory (RAM). It reflects the current
configuration. Modifying a running configuration
affects the operation of a Cisco device
immediately. RAM is volatile memory. It loses all
of its content when the device is powered off or
restarted.
 Switch Virtual Interface Configuration

• To access the switch remotely, an IP address

and a subnet mask must be configured on the
SVI. To configure an SVI on a switch, use
the interface vlan 1 global configuration
command. Vlan 1 is not an actual physical
interface but a virtual one
Quiz - Basic Switch and End Device Configuration
 Communications Fundamentals
• Message source (sender) - Message sources
are people, or electronic devices, that need to
send a message to other individuals or
devices.
• Message Destination (receiver) - The
destination receives the message and
interprets it.
• Channel - This consists of the media that
provides the pathway over which the message
travels from source to destination.
 Rule Establishment
Protocols must account for the following
requirements to successfully deliver a message
that is understood by the receiver:

• An identified sender and receiver

• Common language and grammar
• Speed and timing of delivery
• Confirmation or acknowledgment requirements
 Network Protocol Requirements
Common computer protocols include the
following requirements:

• Message encoding
• Message formatting and encapsulation
• Message size
• Message timing
• Message delivery options
 Message Delivery Options

there three types of data communications

include:

• Unicast - Information is being transmitted to a

single end device.
• Multicast - Information is being transmitted to
a one or more end devices.
• Broadcast - Information is being transmitted
to all end devices.
Protocols
TCP/IP Protocol Suite
Check Your Understanding - Protocol Suites
The OSI Reference Model
Data Access
Addresses
An IP address contains two parts:
• Network portion (IPv4) or Prefix (IPv6) - The left-
most part of the address that indicates the network
in which the IP address is a member. All devices on
the same network will have the same network
portion of the address.
• Host portion (IPv4) or Interface ID (IPv6) - The
remaining part of the address that identifies a
specific device on the network. This portion is
unique for each device or interface on the network.
• Note: The subnet mask (IPv4) or prefix-length (IPv6) is used to identify the
network portion of an IP address from the host portion.
Devices on the Same Network
MAC addresses are physically embedded on the Ethernet
NIC.
• Source MAC address - This is the data link address, or the
Ethernet MAC address, of the device that sends the data
link frame with the encapsulated IP packet. The MAC
address of the Ethernet NIC of PC1 is AA-AA-AA-AA-AA-
AA, written in hexadecimal notation.

• Destination MAC address - When the receiving device is

on the same network as the sending device, this is the
data link address of the receiving device. In this example,
the destination MAC address is the MAC address of the
FTP server: CC-CC-CC-CC-CC-CC, written in hexadecimal
notation.
 Devices on a Remote Network
Role of the Network Layer Addresses

• Source IPv4 address - The IPv4 address of the

sending device, the client computer PC1:
192.168.1.110.

• Destination IPv4 address - The IPv4 address of

the receiving device, the server, Web Server:
172.16.1.99.
The IP packet is encapsulated in a data link
frame that contains the following data link
information:
• Source data link address - The physical
address of the NIC that is sending the data link
frame.
• Destination data link address - The physical
address of the NIC that is receiving the data
link frame. This address is either the next hop
router or the address of the final destination
device.
Data Link Addresses
Quiz - Protocols and Models
 Bandwidth Terminology
Latency
• Latency refers to the amount of time, including
delays, for data to travel from one given point to
another.
Throughput
• Throughput is the measure of the transfer of bits
across the media over a given period of time.
Goodput
• Goodput is the measure of usable data
transferred over a given period of time.
Straight-through and Crossover UTP Cables
Cable Pinouts
Binary Number System
Binary and IPv4 Addresses
Check Your Understanding - Binary Number System
 Quiz
• For example, consider that
11000000.10101000.00001011.00001010 is
the binary IPv4 address of a host.

convert the binary address to decimal

Decimal to Binary Conversions