Zero to Hero: CCNA v1.1 Sprint
Your 50-day interactive calendar. Track progress, access labs, and master the new exam objectives.
Week 1: Hardware & Architecture
Welcome to Network
Routers vs Switches, NGFW, IPS. Home vs Enterprise gear.
Topologies
2-Tier, 3-Tier, Spine-Leaf, SOHO, and Cloud architectures.
Physical Layer
Fiber types, Copper, PoE, Interface errors (CRC/Runts).
TCP vs UDP
Reliable vs Best-effort. “Phone call vs Postcard”.
Week 2: Mastering IP
IPv4 Deep Dive I
Private vs Public IPs. Basic Subnetting concepts.
IPv4 Deep Dive II
VLSM calculations. Troubleshooting IP configs on OS.
Embracing IPv6
Unicast, Link Local, EUI-64. No more ARP.
Week 3: Wireless & Virtualization
Wi-Fi Fundamentals
Channels (2.4/5GHz), SSID, RF basics, Encryption.
Virtualization
VMs, Containers, VRFs. MAC Address learning.
Week 4: VLANs & Trunks
VLAN Config
Voice vs Data VLANs. Broadcast domain splitting.
Trunks (802.1Q)
Tagging, Native VLAN mismatches, DTP negotiation.
Neighbor Discovery
CDP vs LLDP. Mapping the network without a map.
Week 5: Redundancy & STP
EtherChannel
LACP configuration. Bundling links for speed.
STP Basics
Root Bridge election. Port Roles: Root, Desg, Alt.
Advanced STP
Rapid PVST+, BPDU Guard, Root Guard protections.
Week 6: Wireless Arch
WLC & AP Modes
CAPWAP tunnels. Local Mode vs FlexConnect.
WLC GUI Config
QoS profiles, Security settings, WLAN setup.
Mgmt Access
Console, SSH, HTTPs. AAA (TACACS+/RADIUS).
Week 7: Routing Fundamentals
Routing Table
Admin Distance (AD) and Metrics. Who wins?
Decisions
Longest Prefix Match logic explained.
Static Routing
Network, Host, and Default routes (IPv4/IPv6).
Floating Statics
Backup routes via AD manipulation.
Week 8: OSPF & Redundancy
OSPFv2 Theory
Router ID, Adjacencies, DR/BDR, State Machine.
OSPFv2 Config
Single Area 0. Broadcast vs Point-to-Point.
FHRP (HSRP)
Gateway Redundancy. The concept of Virtual IP.
Week 9: Essential Services
NAT & PAT
Inside Source NAT. Converting Private to Public.
DHCP & DNS
DHCP Relay (ip helper). DNS operation.
Monitoring
Syslog Levels (0-7), NTP sync, SNMP.
QoS & FTP
Marking, Shaping, Policing. FTP/TFTP.
Week 10: Locking it Down
Threats
Vulnerabilities vs Exploits. Security Awareness.
Access Control
MFA, Biometrics, Password encryption.
VPNs & ACLs I
IPSec (Site-to-Site). Standard ACLs.
ACLs II
Extended ACLs. Blocking HTTP, allowing ICMP.
L2 Security
DHCP Snooping, ARP Inspection, Port Security.
AAA & WPA
Radius/Tacacs+. WPA2/WPA3 Security.
Week 11: Modern Architecture
Automation
Controller-based networking vs Traditional.
SDN Basics
Overlay, Underlay, Fabric. VXLAN explained.
APIs (REST)
CRUD operations. HTTP Verbs (GET/POST/PUT).
Week 12: Code & AI
JSON Data
Objects, Arrays, Keys. Finding syntax errors.
Config Tools
Ansible vs Terraform. Push vs Pull. Agents.
AI in NetOps
Generative vs Predictive AI. Cisco Catalyst Center.
Week 13: Mega Labs & Review
Lab: Switch
Mega Lab: VLANs, Trunks, and STP.
Lab: Route
Mega Lab: OSPF, Static Routes, Floating Statics.
Lab: Secure
Mega Lab: ACLs (Std/Ext) and NAT/PAT.
Lab: Auto
Interpreting JSON and API outputs.
Exam Prep
Practice tests, speed subnetting drills, review.
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