What this book covers

Chapter 1, Introduction to Networking, introduces various network protocols, devices, and components, and network topology architectures.

Chapter 2, Getting Started with Cisco IOS Devices, introduces Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS). You will learn how to access the device, perform initial configurations, and learn how to verify the device's settings. Additionally, you will learn how to build your personal learning environment to reduce your expenditure in terms of purchasing expensive equipment.

Chapter 3, IP Addressing and Subnetting, covers different classes of IP addresses and their assignments. The second half of the chapter will teach you how to use subnetting to break down a large network into smaller subnetworks.

Chapter 4, Detecting Physical Issues, Wireless Architectures, and Virtualization, covers various Layer 1 issues and takes a deep dive into understanding Cisco Wireless Architectures and deployment models. Additionally, this chapter covers the concept of virtualization and virtual machines.

Chapter 5, Implementing VLANs, Layer 2 Discovery Protocols, and EtherChannels, introduces you to Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), configuring and troubleshooting VLANs on a Cisco network, setting up inter-switch connectivity by configuring Trunk links, and configuring inter-VLAN routing to allow multiple VLANs to inter-communicate. Additionally, you will learn how to use various Layer 2 discovery protocols to map devices on a network and use EtherChannels to perform link aggregation.

Chapter 6, Understanding and Configuring Spanning-Tree, covers the importance of designing a proper switch network showing devices should be interconnected to ensure redundancy. Furthermore, the chapter introduces you to a Layer 2 loop prevention mechanism known as the Spanning-Tree Protocol (STP). You will learn about the operations, configurations, and troubleshooting of STP in a Cisco environment.

Chapter 7, Interpreting Routing Components, focuses on the importance of routing and discusses how routers make their forwarding decisions. You will learn all about the components of the routing table and the factors that help a router to choose a preferred path for forwarding packets to their destination.

Chapter 8, Understanding First Hop Redundancy, Static and Dynamic Routing, continues the discussion on routing but takes a more technical approach, such as demonstrating how to implement static and dynamic routing protocols to ensure IP connectivity between multiple networks in a Cisco environment.

Chapter 9, Configuring Network Address Translation (NAT), focuses primarily on Network Address Translation (NAT). The chapter will take you from an introduction to use cases onto the configuration of various types of NAT and troubleshooting techniques.

Chapter 10, Implementing Network Services and IP Operations, introduces you to various network and IP services that are required on almost all enterprise networks and are required knowledge for network engineers. This chapter covers technologies such as NTP, DHCP, DNS, Syslog, and QoS.

Chapter 11, Exploring Network Security, discusses various topics, such as cybersecurity threats and issues many professionals face each day, such as threats, vulnerabilities, exploits, user training, security awareness, and countermeasures.

Chapter 12, Configuring Device Access Control and VPNs, focuses on securing your Cisco switches and routers and configuring secure device access. Additionally, this chapter introduces you to remote access and how to configure Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Chapter 13, Implementing Access Control Lists, covers ACLs, which are a mandatory topic for everyone who is starting or is already in the field of networks or security. ACLs are Layer 3 security controls. When implemented on a route, they create a firewall-centric device to filter unwanted traffic.

Chapter 14, Implementing Layer 2 and Wireless Security, introduces you to various Layer 2 attacks on an enterprise network and explains how to implement countermeasures to create a secure network environment.

Chapter 15, Network Automation and Programmability Techniques, broaches the fact that the world of networking is moving toward automation and network engineers will now need to learn how automation can improve efficiency in network deployment and management. This chapter introduces you to network automation techniques and programmability.

Chapter 16, Mock Exam 1, includes a simple mock test containing questions that will help you to prepare for the Cisco CCNA 200-301 examination and will help you identify any topics you need to spend additional time learning about and practicing.

Chapter 17, Mock Exam 2, includes another mock test containing questions that will help you to prepare for the Cisco CCNA 200-301 examination and will help you identify any topics you need to spend additional time learning about and practicing.