Goal: Prepare the necessary tools for CCNA labs and review basic networking concepts.

• Network Components: Routers, switches, firewalls, controllers, and endpoints
• Next-Generation Firewalls and IPS
• Network Topology Architectures: Two-tier, three-tier, spine-leaf, WAN, and SOHO
• Physical Interfaces and Cabling: Ethernet, fiber, connectors, and Ethernet standards
• CLI Basics

Labs:

• Install a network simulator (Cisco Packet Tracer or GNS3)
• Practice CLI commands

• IPv4 and IPv6 addressing
• Subnetting and VLSM
• MAC addressing
• Data encapsulation

• Routing Protocols
• Static and Dynamic Routing
• Distributed Routing

• NAT Basics
• Static and Dynamic NAT
• Port Address Translation (PAT)

• Switching concepts
• VLANs and trunking
• Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
• EtherChannel

• Firewalls and Access Control Lists
• Crypto Basics
• Secure Network Design

• Troubleshooting Techniques
• Debugging and Logging Tools
• Troubleshooting Network Devices

• Network Performance Metrics
• Optimizing Network Performance
• Ensuring Network Reliability

• MPLS, Metro Ethernet, and VPNs
• IPv6 Deployment and Transition Strategies

• Troubleshooting Techniques and Case Studies

• Introduction to automation tools (Ansible, Terraform)
• REST APIs and JSON Data
• Network programmability concepts

• Generative AI and Predictive AI in networking
• Use of AI in network security
• Data analytics for network optimization

• Automation and its impact on network management
• Controller-based networking vs traditional networking
• SDN, Overlays, Underlays, and API-driven networking

• Practice Exams and Troubleshooting Labs
• Exam-taking strategies and review
• Final Q&A session