Cisco Press CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide 640821 640801 Aug 2003 ISBN 1587200945 pdf

CCNA Self-Study CCNA INTRO

  

Exam Certification Guide

Wendell Odom, CCIE No. 1624

  Cisco Press

  Cisco Press 201 West 103rd Street Wendell Odom Copyright© 2004 Cisco Systems, Inc. Published by: Cisco Press 201 West 103rd Street Indianapolis, IN 46290 USA All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permis-

sion from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 First Printing August 2003 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Number: 2003104998

Warning and Disclaimer

  

This book is designed to provide information about selected topics for the Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies

(INTRO) exam for the CCNA certification. Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as

possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied.

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   iii Publisher: John Wait Cisco Representative: Anthony Wolfenden Editor-In-Chief: John Kane Cisco Press Program Manager:Sonia Torres Chavez Executive Editor: Brett Bartow Cisco Marketing Communications Manager:Scott Miller Managing Editor: Patrick Kanouse Cisco Marketing Program Manager:Edie Quiroz Development Editor: Christopher Cleveland Technical Editors:Elan Beer, Lynn Maynes, Martin Walshaw Project Editor: Marc Fowler Copy Editor: Krista Hansing Team Coordinator: Tammi Barnett Book Designer: Louisa Adair Cover Designer: Louisa Adair Compositor: Mark Shirar Indexer: Tim Wright

  iv About the Author Wendell Odom, CCIE No. 1624, is a senior instructor with Skyline Computer

  (www.skylinecomputer.com), where he currently teaches courses on QoS, CCNA, and CCIE lab preparation. Wendell has worked in the networking arena for 20 years, with jobs in pre- and post-sales technical consulting, teaching, and course development. He has authored portions of more than 12 courses, including topics such as IP routing, MPLS, Cisco WAN switches, SNA protocols, and LAN troubleshooting. He is author of three previous editions of the CCNA Exam Certification Guide as well as the Cisco Press DQOS Exam Certification

  Guide.

About the Technical Reviewers

  Elan Beer, CCIE No. 1837, CCSI No. 94008, is a Senior Consultant and Certified Cisco

  Instructor. Elan’s internetworking expertise is recognized internationally through his global consulting and training engagements. As one of the industry’s top internetworking consultants and Cisco instructors, Elan has utilized his expertise to design, implement, and deploy multiprotocol networks for a wide range of international clientele. As a senior instructor and course developer, Elan has designed and presented public and implementation-specific technical courses spanning many of today’s top technologies. Elan can be reached via e-mail at elan@CiscoConsultants.com.

  Lynn Maynes, CCIE No. 6569, is a senior network engineer with Sprint Managed Network

  Services specializing in network design, architecture and security for large-scale networks worldwide. He has more than 9 years of experience in computer networking and is a co- author of the Cisco Press book CCNA Practical Studies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from Westminster College.

  Martin Walshaw, CCIE No. 5629, CISSP, CCNP, CCDP, is a systems engineer working for

  Cisco Systems in the Enterprise Line of Business in South Africa. His areas of specialty include convergence, security, and content delivery networking, which keeps him busy both night and day. During the last 15 years or so, Martin has dabbled in many aspects of the IT industry, ranging from programming in RPG III and COBOL to PC sales. When Martin is not working, he likes to spend all of his available time with his patient wife, Val, and his sons, Joshua and Callum. Without their patience, understanding, and support, projects such as this would not be possible.

   v Dedications

  Chris Cleveland is the best Development Editor I could imagine working with. So, instead of just the usual “Thanks Chris for doing an excellent job,” I’d like to dedicate this book to Chris. Chris, it’s an absolute pleasure to work with the best in the business —thanks for your fantastic help and support!

Acknowledgments

  The technical editing team for this book and its companion volume was fantastic! Not only did they find where I had simply written the wrong technical facts, but they also helped me find new, more interesting, and clearer ways to convey certain facts about networking. Lynn was particular helpful with comments that helped keep small sections in line with the overall theme of the chapter—a skill I’m sure he developed as a result of having written books himself. Martin helped a lot with technical detail and perspectives from what customers see every day today. And Elan excelled in noticing both the small nit-picky errors and the significant technical problems. (And that’s not an insult—every technical author loves help in finding the small problems!) Together, these three gentlemen formed a great team, with complementary skills. Thanks so much, guys! The production team, headed by Patrick Kanouse, did its usual excellent job. Like the behind-the-scenes people in many businesses, their specific efforts may not be obvious to the public, but it’s no less appreciated by me. In particular, Marc Fowler, the project editor, did an incredible job working through these two books on a very tight schedule, with his usual excellent work. You folks make me look good on paper all the time—if only you could be in charge of my wardrobe, too—I’d look good all the time! Brett Bartow, executive editor, did his usual New-York-Yankees-like job in helping steer these two projects to completion. In between talking about sports, Brett worked through the many changes in direction with this book and helped guide us to the right product. And, yes, so the whole world knows, he did pick an Atlanta Braves player, John Smoltz, for his fantasy league baseball team—again proving he’s a really smart guy. Chris “develops” books for Cisco Press. What does that mean? Well, it means that he takes the Word documents and figures from geeky authors, and makes their writing become understandable. He takes the input from technical editors, and combines all the comments into a single word document, making the author’s life easier. He constantly finds ways to rephrase, reword, and improve the manuscript. He manages all the work with the authors. And he always works to optimize the author’s time, taking away some of the unpleasant part of the work, so that the author can worry about the technical details. Chris has worked with me on 6 projects now, and every time, he has done an excellent job. His work ethic goes far beyond the call of duty, and his performance is consistently excellent. To quote a few other authors as well: “Chris has taken all of the difficulty (of writing) out of the picture”, “Chris has absolutely spoiled me and completely amazes me”, and “He even helped me with my daughter’s homework”. Whatever, however, to make the book better, with an eye towards

  vi Contents at a Glance

  Introduction xvii

  PART I: Networking Fundamentals

  3 Chapter 1 Introduction to Computer Networking Concepts

  5 Chapter 2 The TCP/IP and OSI Networking Models

  15 Chapter 3 Data Link Layer Fundamentals: Ethernet LANs

  43 Chapter 4 Fundamentals of WANs

  77 Chapter 5 Fundamentals of IP 109

  Chapter 6 Fundamentals of TCP and UDP 145 PART II: Operating Cisco Devices 169 Chapter 7 Operating Cisco Routers 171 Chapter 8 Operating Cisco LAN Switches 209 PART III: LAN Switching 227 Chapter 9 Cisco LAN Switching Basics 229 Chapter 10 Virtual LANs and Trunking 259 Chapter 11 LAN Cabling, Standards, and Topologies 279 PART IV: TCP/IP 311 Chapter 12 IP Addressing and Subnetting 313 Chapter 13 Basic Router Configuration and Operation 363 Chapter 14 Introduction to Dynamic Routing Protocols 403 PART V: Wide-Area Networking 427 Chapter 15 Remote Access Technologies 429 PART VI: Final Preparation 477 Chapter 16 Final Preparation 479 PART VII: Appendixes 497 Appendix A Answers to the “Do I Know This Already?” Quizzes and Q&A Sections 499 Appendix B Binary/Decimal Conversion Chart 565 Appendix C Using the Simulation Software for Hands-on Exercises 571 Glossary 577

   vii Contents Introduction xvii

  Part I Networking Fundamentals

  3

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  viii

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   ix

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Part II Operating Cisco Devices 169

  

  x

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Part III LAN Switching 227

  

  

  

  

   xi

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  xii

  Part IV TCP/IP 311

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   xiii

  

  

  

  

  

  Part V Wide-Area Networking 427

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  xiv

  Part VI Final Preparation 477 Glossary 577 Index 593

   xv Icons Used in This Book DSU/CSU

Router Bridge Hub DSU/CSU

  Catalyst Switch Multilayer Switch

  ATM Switch

  ISDN/Frame Relay Switch Communication Server

  

Gateway

Access Server PC PC with

  Software Sun Workstation Macintosh

  Terminal File Server

Web

Server

  Cisco Works Workstation Printer Laptop

  

IBM

Mainframe

Front End Processor

  Cluster Controller Modem

  xvi Command Syntax Conventions

  The conventions used to present command syntax in this book are the same conventions used in the Cisco IOS Command Reference. The Command Reference describes these conventions as follows: ■ Vertical bars (|) separate alternative, mutually exclusive elements.

  ■ Square brackets [ ] indicate optional elements. ■ Braces { } indicate a required choice. ■ Braces within brackets [{ }] indicate a required choice within an optional element. ■

  Boldface indicates commands and keywords that are entered literally as shown. In actual

  configuration examples and output (not general command syntax), boldface indicates commands that are manually input by the user (such as a show command).

  ■ Italics indicate arguments for which you supply actual values.

  Network Cloud Token Ring

  Token Ring Line: Ethernet FDDI FDDI

  Line: Serial Line: Switched Serial

   xvii Introduction: Overview of Certification and How to Succeed

  Congratulations! If you’re reading far enough to look at the introduction to this book, then you’ve probably already decided to go for your Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. Cisco System’s entry-level certification, CCNA, has a reputation as one of the most valuable entry-level certifications in the computing industry. Although getting your CCNA does not guarantee you a first networking job or a new job, it will certainly help convince others that you know what you are talking about.

  Cisco’s CCNA certification proves that you have a firm foundation in the most important components of the Cisco product line—namely, routers and switches. It also proves that you have a broad knowledge of protocols and networking technologies. CCNA is not an easy certification to get, but it is well worth the effort. In a booming economy, CCNA is the first step toward getting a higher salary than your noncertified peers. In a difficult economy, it could be the difference between whether a prospective employer even looks at your résumé. Regardless of your local economy, CCNA does improve how people in the marketplace view your skill level.

  People ask me for career advice from time to time, and my answer is typically the same: If you want to be in the networking industry at all, you need to know Cisco. Cisco has some ridiculous market shares in the router and switch marketplace, with more than 80% market share in some markets. In many geographies and many markets, networking equals Cisco. If you want to be taken seriously as a network engineer, you need a CCNA certification. Frankly, you probably also need to be working toward a more advanced Cisco certification as well—but first things first! CCNA requires some time and effort.

Cisco’s Motivation: Certifying Partners

  Cisco’s primary motivation for creating CCNA and most of the other Cisco certifications is to help determine the skill levels of its partners. Cisco fulfills only a small portion of its orders through direct sale from Cisco; most often, a Cisco reseller is involved. (Cisco calls resellers channel partners.) Also, Cisco encourages partners to perform most consulting and implementation services relating to Cisco products. While working heavily with partners, Cisco needed to know which partners truly had the right skills. So, Cisco created many certifications, including CCNA.

  Cisco measures the technical readiness of channel partners (resellers) and professional services partners in part by requiring specific numbers of Cisco certified employees. For instance, Premier, Silver, and Gold Channel Partners are required to have either two or four CCNAs on staff, along with Cisco professional- and expert-level certified individuals.

  xviii

  So, what does that mean to you? Well, if you already have some Cisco certifications on your résumé, you are more valuable to Cisco partners. In today’s competitive environment, every edge counts—so having the right Cisco certifications can help you get that next job. In particular, the CCNA certification is a prerequisite for almost every Cisco certification, so it is the right place to start.

The CCNA Certification Exams: What, There’s More than One Exam?

  For the first time since Cisco announced CCNA in 1998, the CCNA certification has an option for multiple exams. Before Cisco announced these latest changes around summer of 2003, to get your CCNA certification, you just passed a single “CCNA exam.” With this latest generation of the CCNA, you can either take a single exam to get your CCNA, or you can take two exams, with each of these exams covering a subset of the CCNA exam topics. Table I-1 lists the exams.

  Table I-1 CCNA Exam Names and Numbers

  Exam Exam Name Number Comment Introduction to Cisco Networking 640-821 A subset of the CCNA topics; should be

Technologies (INTRO) exam taken before the ICND exam

Interconnecting Cisco Network 640-811 A subset of the CCNA topics; should be

Devices (ICND) Exam taken after the INTRO exam

CCNA Exam 640-801 Can be taken instead of INTRO and

  ICND exams; covers the same content as the other two exams combined

  So, you either take the CCNA exam or you take both the INTRO and the ICND exam to pass CCNA. Like most Cisco certification exams, the names of the INTRO and the ICND exams come from two Cisco Authorized courses. Cisco’s INTRO course covers a broad range of topics, from Ethernet cabling to virtual private networks (VPNs). The Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices (ICND) course dives more deeply into core Cisco technology and protocols, in particular, switching and routing. Whereas the INTRO course covers a broader range of topics to a small amount of depth, the ICND course covers fewer topics but to more depth. Like their namesakes, the INTRO and ICND exams cover similar depth and breadth. The CCNA exam simply covers everything on both the INTRO and ICND exams. So, if you want to save some cash and you are confident that you are ready to answer questions across the whole range of topics for CCNA, you can take just the CCNA exam itself. Alternately, you can focus on the INTRO exam first, master those topics, pass the exam, and then move

   xix Format of the CCNA Exams

  The INTRO, ICND, and CCNA exams all follow the same general format. When you get to the testing center and check in, the proctor will give you some general instructions and then take you into a quiet room with a PC. When you’re at the PC, you have a few things to do before the timer starts on your exam—for instance, you can take a sample quiz, just to get accustomed to the PC and to the testing engine. Anyone who has user-level skills in getting around a PC will have no problems with the testing envinronment.

  When you start the exam, you will be asked a series of questions. You answer the question and then move on to the next question. The exam engine does not let you go back and change

  your answer. Yes, that’s true—when you move on to the next question, that’s it for the earlier question.

  The exam questions can be in the following format:

  ■ Multiple choice ■ Fill-in-the-blank ■ Drag-and-drop ■ Simulated lab

  The multiple choice format simply requires that you point and click on a circle beside the correct answer(s). If more than one answer is required, the questions traditionally have told you how many answers to choose. Fill-in-the-blank questions require that you type in the answer, so you must get the answer exactly correct.

  Drag-and-drop questions require you to left-click and hold, move a button or icon to another area, and release the clicker to place the object somewhere else—typically into a list. So, for some questions, to get the question correct, you might need to put a list of five things into the proper order.

  Finally, the type of question that gives most people a scare before the exam is the simulated lab question. The exam engine actually gives you an interface into a network with several routers, and you must log in and troubleshoot a scenario. To solve the problem, you need to be able to navigate through the user interface, know several commands, and possibly configure something that has been misconfigured. You should also save your configurations, unless the question tells you not to save it, just in case.

  The best way to prepare for simulated lab questions is to practice with real gear. You can actually find sites where CCNA lab access is free over the Internet—I did a search from www.google.com tonight, searching for “free CCNA labs,” and the first three hits were (seemingly) legitimate offers for free lab access for CCNA study. You can also use a simulator

  xx

  product, such as Cisco Press’s CCNA Router and Switch eSIM. A special version of Boson’s Netsim product, compiled specifically for this book, is also included on the CD that comes with this book.

What’s on the CCNA Exam(s)?

  Ever since I was in grade school, whenever the teacher announced that we were having a test soon, someone would always ask, “What’s on the test?” Even in college, people would try to get more infomrmation about what would be on the exams. At heart, the goal is to know what to study hard, what to study a little, and what to not study at all.

  Cisco does want you to know what topics to study and wants you to be well prepared for your exams. However, Cisco does not want to be so specific that you could just memorize a certain set of facts and pass the exams. In short, Cisco wants you to pass the exams because you know your stuff, not because you memorized a set of questions that someone posted (possibly illegally) on an Internet site. So, what can be said about the content of the exams? First, Cisco posts exam topics for each exam. This official posting is the basis for what Cisco intends to put on the exams, so you should pay particularly close attention to this list. Also, the breadth and depth of topics on the exams tend to match the Cisco Authorized courses with which they are associated, so it is useful to know the outlines for those courses. Finally, Cisco designs the Cisco Networking Academy Program (CNAP) course materials with CCNA in mind. Looking at all these sources can help give you insight into CCNA.

INTRO Exam Topics

  Carefully consider the exam topics posted by Cisco on its web site as you study, particularly for clues as to how deeply you should know each topic. The exam topics use action words that follow a quasi-standard called Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain. Bloom’s taxonomy defines a standard for word usage for when educators create objectives for courses. Objectives written according to Bloom’s taxonomy define what the learner (student) should be able to accomplish after taking the class. So, when you look at an exam topic, look for the action word. If you want to see a description of Bloom’s taxonomy, search the Internet, and you will find a lot of matches. My favorite quick list of terms is at http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/bloom.html.

  The action word in the exam topic gives you a good hint about the level of knowledge and skill you will need to have before taking the exam. For instance, a course objective that uses the word list as the action word then means that you should be able to list the features, but

   xxi

  an action word such as configure means that you should know all the related configuration commands and how to use them. Troubleshoot might mean that you need to know what all the show and debug commands do for a particular topic. So, what does Bloom’s taxonomy mean in terms of how you study for the exam? It means that you should focus on the action words in the exam topics and make sure that you can do those things for the stated topics. For instance, if an exam topic says something like “Configure RIP,” then do not study just RIP concepts, but also study the configuration details because the exam topic specifically tells you that you need to know how to perform configuration. In addition, Cisco adds a disclaimer that the posted exam topics for all of its certification exams are guidelines. Cisco makes the effort to keep the exam questions within the confines of the stated exam objectives, but doing this for every question and every exam is difficult. Thus, you could see questions that fall outside both the scope and the depth implied by the exam topics. However, if you follow the Cisco exam topic “guidelines,” you should have a good understanding of the breadth and depth of topics on the exam. Table I-2 lists the exam topics for the INTRO exam. You can find the ICND exam topics in the Introduction to the CCNA ICND Exam Certification Guide and on www.cisco.com. Note that although Cisco’s posted exam topics are not numbered, we do number them in the

  Cisco Press Exam Certification Guide series for easier reference. Also note that Cisco has

  historically changed exam topics without changing the exam number, so do not be alarmed if small changes in the exam topics occur over time. When in doubt, go to www.cisco.com, click Learning and Events, and select Career Certifications and Paths.

  Table I-2

  INTRO Exam Topics Exam Topic Reference Number Exam Topic Design & Support

  1 Use a subset of Cisco IOS commands to analyse and report network problems

  2 Use embedded layer 3 through layer 7 protocols to establish, test, suspend or disconnect connectivity to remote devices from the router console

  3 Determine IP addresses Implementation & Operation

  4 Establish communication between a terminal device and the router

  IOS, and use IOS for system analysis

  

5 Manipulate system image and device configuration files

  xxii Table I-2

  INTRO Exam Topics (Continued) Exam Topic Reference Number Exam Topic

  6 Perform an initial configuration on a router and save the resultant configuration file

  7 Use commands incorporated within IOS to analyse and report network problems

  8 Assign IP addresses

  9 Describe and install the hardware and software required to be able to

communicate via a network

  10 Use embedded data link layer functionality to perform network neighbor discovery and analysis from the router console

  11 Use embedded layer 3 through layer 7 protocols to establish, test, suspend or disconnect connectivity to remote devices from the router console Technology

  12 Demonstrate the mathematical skills required to work seamlessly with integer decimal, binary and hexadecimal numbers and simple binary logic (AND)

  13 Define and describe the structure and technologies of computer networks

  14 Describe the hardware and software required to be able to

communicate via a network

  15 Describe the physical, electrical and mechanical properties and standards associated with optical, wireless and copper media used in networks

  16 Describe the topologies and physical issues associated with cabling common LANs

  17 Identify the key characteristics of common wide area networking (WAN) configurations and technologies , and differentiate between these and common LAN technologies.

  18 Describe the purpose and fundamental operation of the internetwork operating system (IOS)

  19 Describe the role of a router in a WAN.

  20 Identify the major internal and external components of a router, and describe the associated functionality

  21 Identify and describe the stages of the router boot-up sequence

  22 Describe how the configuration register and boot system commands modify the router boot-up sequence

   xxiii Table I-2

  INTRO Exam Topics (Continued) Exam Topic Reference Number Exam Topic

  23 Describe the concepts associated with routing, and the different methods and protocols used to achieve it

  24 Describe how an IP address is associated with a device interface, and the association between physical and logical addressing

  26 Compare and contrast collision and broadcast domains, and describe the process of network segmentation

  27 Describe the principles and practice of switching in an Ethernet network

  28 Explain how collisions are detected and handled in an Ethernet system

  29 Explain the fundamental concepts associated with the Ethernet media access technique

  30 Describe how the protocols associated with TCP/IP allow host communication to occur

  31 Describe the operation of the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and identify the reasons, types and format of associated error and control messages

  32 Describe the principles and practice of packet switching utilizing the Internet Protocol (IP)

  33 Describe, compare and contrast network communications using two examples of layered models (OSI and IETF)

  34 Describe the fundamental concepts associated with transport layer protocols, and compare the connectionless approach to transport

with the connection oriented one

  35 List the major TCP/IP application protocols, and briefly define their features and operation

  36 Describe the operation of the major transport layer protocols TCP and UDP and the interaction and carriage of application layer data

  37 Perform an initial configuration on a switch and save the resultant configuration file

  xxiv Cross-Reference Between Exam Topics and Book Parts

  15

  1

  11

  4

  29

  1

  12

  4

  30

  1 13 1 – 5

  31

  4 14 1 - 5 32 1, 4

  1

  3 10 2, 4

  33

  1 16 1, 3

  34

  1 17 1, 5

  35

  1

  18

  2

  36

  1

  37

  2

  28

  27

  Table I-3 provides a cross-reference between the exam topics and the book parts in which they are covered.

  2

  Interestingly, the CCNA (640-801) exam topics posted by Cisco are not simply the combination of the INTRO exam topics and the ICND exam topics. If you look closely, the CCNA exam topics match more closely to the ICND exam topics than they do to the INTRO exam topics.

  So, for those of you planning to take the single CCNA exam, what does that mean? Well, for practical purposes, the CCNA exam covers all the topics covered on both the INTRO and

  ICND exams. However, the length of the CCNA exam does not allow Cisco to ask you about

  Table I-3

  INTRO Exam Topics Cross-Reference to Parts in the CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide

Exam Topic Part Exam Topic Part

1 2, 3, 4 19 1, 5

  2

  2

  20

  2

  3

  4

  21

  4

  4 8 2, 4 26 1, 3 9 2, 3, 4, 5

  2

  22

  2

  5

  2

  23

  4

  6

  2

  24

  4 7 2, 3, 4

  25

CCNA Exam Topics

   xxv

  8 Configure IP addresses, subnet masks, and gateway addresses on routers and hosts

  15 Perform an initial configuration on a switch

  14 Perform an initial configuration on a router

  13 Manage system image and device configuration files

  12 Customize a switch configuration to meet specified network requirements

  11 Implement a LAN

  10 Configure a switch with VLANS and inter-switch communication

  9 Configure a router for additional administrative functionality

  7 Configure routing protocols given user requirements

  every possible fact. So, you should expect the CCNA exam to include questions that cover more advanced topics, many of which require that you know the more basic facts. For instance, rather than ask a question about how to do binary math, which is specifically mentioned for the INTRO exam topics, you might have to derive subnet numbers – which requires you to use binary math. Another example: instead of describing LAN cabling, you might have a question about troubleshooting a LAN topology, and need to decide if an incorrect type of cable was used. So, while the exam topics do not exactly match up, but you essentially need to know all the same concepts on both the INTRO and ICND exams in order to succeed on the CCNA exam. Table I-4 lists the CCNA exam topics at time of publication. As always, look to www.cisco.com for the latest posted information about the CCNA, INTRO, and ICND exams!

  6 Choose WAN services to meet customer requirements

Implementation and Operation

  5 Develop an access list to meet user specifications

  4 Design a simple internetwork using Cisco technology

  3 Select an appropriate routing protocol based on user requirements

  2 Design an IP addressing scheme to meet design requirements

  1 Design a simple LAN using Cisco Technology

  Exam Topic Reference Number Exam Topic Planning and Design

  Table I-4 CCNA Exam Topics

  16 Implement access lists

  xxvi

  

25 Describe network communications using layered models

  CCNA Exam Topics (Continued)

  32 Evaluate key characteristics of WANs Table I-4

  31 Evaluate rules for packet control

  30 Describe the components of network devices

  29 Evaluate TCP/IP communication process and its associated protocols

  28 Evaluate the characteristics of routing protocols

  27 Compare and contrast key characteristics of LAN environments

  26 Describe the Spanning Tree process

  24 Perform simple WAN troubleshooting Technology

  Another way to get some direction about the topics on the exams is to look at the course outlines for the related courses. Cisco offers the Introduction to Cisco Networking (INTRO) and Interconnection Cisco Network Devices (ICND) courses through its Certified Learning Solutions Providers (CLSP); CLSPs, in turn, work with other learning partners as well.

  23 Troubleshoot an access list

  22 Troubleshoot a device as part of a working network

  21 Troubleshoot IP addressing and host configuration

  20 Troubleshoot routing protocols

  19 Perform LAN and VLAN troubleshooting

  

18 Utilize the OSI model as a guide for systematic network

troubleshooting

  Exam Topic Reference Number Exam Topic Troubleshooting

INTRO and ICND Course Outlines

  These outlines can be found at www.cisco.com.

  The INTRO course covers a much broader set of topics than does ICND, but for the topics it covers, ICND covers the topics to much greater detail. In particular, ICND includes a lot more information about commands used on routers and switches to configure and troubleshoot the various features.

   xxvii About the CCNA INTRO Exam Certification Guide and CCNA

ICND Exam Certification Guide

  As mentioned earlier in this introduction, you can take both the INTRO and ICND exams to acquire CCNA certification, or you can take a single CCNA exam. Because of the significantly expanded topics as compared with the previous CCNA exam, there was simply too much material for a single book. So, we simply created two books—one for the INTRO exam and one for the ICND exam. The contents of the two books, however, were actually designed for both the single-exam and dual-exam audience. For those of you preparing just for the INTRO exam, you can read just this book. Similarly, if you have passed the INTRO exam and you want to study for the

  ICND exam, you can use just the other book. However, if you are studying for the CCNA exam, you can use both books, and alternate between reading different parts of each book to optomize your effort in preparing for the exam. This introduction includes a reading plan for anyone taking the CCNA exam, directing you on the order in which to read the chapters in the two books. Essentially, you would read the first three parts of this book and then start alternating, reading an entire part of the other book, coming back here for a part, going back to the other book, and so on, for most of the parts of both books. The parts are named so that it is obvious which sections to read as you move between the books. By doing so, you complete all the coverage in a particular technical area before moving on to another.

Objectives and Methods

  The most important and somewhat obvious objective of this book is to help you pass the

  INTRO exam or the CCNA exam. In fact, if the primary objective of this book were different, the book’s title would be misleading! However, the methods used in this book to help you pass the exams are also designed to make you much more knowledgeable about how to do your job.

  This book uses several key methodologies to help you discover the exam topics on which you need more review, to help you fully understand and remember those details, and to help you prove to yourself that you have retained your knowledge of those topics. So, this book does not try to help you pass the exams only by memorization, but by truly learning and understanding the topics. The CCNA certification is the foundation for many of the Cisco professional certifications, and it would be a disservice to you if this book did not help you truly learn the material. Therefore, this book helps you pass the CCNA exam by using the following methods:

  ■ Helping you discover which exam topics you have not mastered ■ Providing explanations and information to fill in your knowledge gaps

  xxviii ■ Supplying exercises that enhance your ability to recall and deduce the answers to test

  questions

  ■ Providing practice exercises on the topics and the testing process via test questions on

  the CD

Book Features

  To help you customize your study time using these books, the core chapters have several features that help you make the best use of your time:

  ■ “Do I Know This Already?” Quizzes—Each chapter begins with a quiz that helps you

  determine the amount of time you need to spend studying that chapter. If you follow the directions at the beginning of the chapter, the “Do I Know This Already?” quiz directs you to study all or particular parts of the chapter.

  ■ Foundation Topics—These are the core sections of each chapter. They explain the

  protocols, concepts, and configuration for the topics in that chapter. If you need to learn about the topics in a chapter, read the “Foundation Topics” section.

  ■ Foundation Summary—Near the end of each chapter, a summary collects the most

  important information from the chapter summarized in lists, tables, and figures. The “Foundation Summary” section is designed to help you review the key concepts in the

  chapter if you scored well on the “Do I Know This Already?” quiz. This section is an excellent tool for last-minute review.

  ■ Q&A—Each chapter ends with a Q&A section that forces you to exercise your recall of

  the facts and processes described inside that chapter. The questions are generally harder than the actual exam, partly because the questions are in short-answer format instead of multiple choice. These questions are a great way to increase the accuracy of your recollection of the facts.

  ■ CD-based practice exam—The companion CD contains a large number of questions not

  included in the book, as well as all the questions from the “Do I Know This Already” quizzes. You can answer these questions by using the simulated exam feature or the topical review feature. This is the best tool for helping you prepare for the test-taking process.

  ■ Hands-on practice using Boson Netsim™ LE—The CD also includes the Boson Netsim

  for CCNA INTRO Learning Edition network simulator, supporting the ability to perform many of the commands covered in the book. In particular, you can perform many of the practice scenarios and hands-on lab exercises also included on the CD, as well as several from the book. Appendix C details how to access the simulator, and what lab exercises can be performed. (The version of the Boson NetSim software included

   xxix

  with this book is a limited functionality version. In order to access all functions and features of the software, you must purchase a full license for the software from Boson Software, Inc.)

  ■ CD-based practice scenarios—The companion CD contains a CD-only appendix B

  (which is a totally different appendix as compared with the printed appendix B in the book) which has several practice scenarios. These scenarios include several problem statements, with solutions, in order to help you pull both concepts and configuration commands together. These scenarios are useful for building your hands-on skills, even if you do not have lab gear. You can also perform some of these scenarios using the Boson NetSim LE network simulator, or using your own lab gear.

  ■ CD-based lab exercises—The companion CD contains a CD-only appendix C (which is

  a totally different appendix as compared with the printed appendix C in the book) which has several lab exercises. These lab exercises guide you through the steps used to perform the most popular configuration tasks. Like the scenarios, CD-only appendix C includes the answers to the labs, making it useful to just read the materials for extra reinforcement of the commands. You can also perform these labs using the Boson NetSim LE network simulator, or using your own lab gear.

  ■ CD-based subnetting practice—The companion CD contains an appendix that has 25

  additional subnetting practice problems. Each problem shows the solutions for the subnet number, broadcast address, and valid IP addresses in each subnet. With this extra practice, you can be ready to answer subnetting questions quickly and accurately on the INTRO, ICND, and CCNA exams.

How This Book Is Organized

  This book contains 15 core chapters—Chapters 1 through 15, with Chapter 16 including some summary materials and suggestions for how to approach the actual exams. Each core chapter covers a subset of the topics on the INTRO exam. The core chapters are organized into sections. The core chapters cover the following topics:

  Part I: Networking Fundamentals ■

  Chapter 1, “Introduction to Computer Networking Concepts”—This chapter provides a very basic introduction for those who are brand new to networking.

  ■

  Chapter 2, “The TCP/IP and OSI Networking Models”—Chapter 2 introduces the