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Cisco CCNA 200-301 Study Guide

Cisco Certified Network Associate 200-301

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 200-301 is Cisco's associate-level exam for the core skills of a network engineer: switching and routing, IP services, wireless, security basics and network automation. It is the exam behind the CCNA certification and a common first step towards network engineering roles and Cisco's professional-level exams.

  • Exam code 200-301
  • Associate level
  • 6 exam domains

This guide is free, with no sign-up. It explains every Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam topic in plain English, one chapter at a time. Read them in order or jump straight to the topic you need.

  • 6chapters
  • 57topics
  • 20diagrams and exhibits
  • 5 h 3 minfast track
Start with Network Fundamentals
  • Every topic follows the same simple pattern: what it is, how it works, common mistakes
  • Diagrams and real command output where a picture explains it best
  • Exam tips and worked subnetting and IPv6 practice, with answers

How the exam is weighted

Each domain is worth this share of the exam, so spend your study time in proportion. Select a domain to open its chapter.

Chapters

Open a chapter to see its topics and how long each takes.

1Network Fundamentals17 topics · 1 h 30 min fast trackDevices, topologies, cabling, TCP and UDP, IPv4, IPv6, wireless, virtualization and switching.
  1. 1Network Components and Their Roles6 min
  2. 2Network Topology Architectures6 min
  3. 3Physical Interfaces and Cabling Types5 min
  4. 4Interface and Cable Issues6 min
  5. 5Comparing TCP and UDP5 min
  6. 6IPv4 Addressing and Subnetting6 min
  7. 7The Need for Private IPv4 Addressing6 min
  8. 8IPv6 Addressing and Prefixes6 min
  9. 9IPv6 Address Types5 min
  10. 10Verifying IP Parameters on Client Operating Systems5 min
  11. 11Wireless Principles5 min
  12. 12Virtualization Fundamentals5 min
  13. 13Switching Concepts5 min
  14. 14IPv4 Subnetting Practice: Find the Subnet5 min
  15. 15VLSM and Address Planning Practice4 min
  16. 16IPv6 Addressing Practice: Shorten, Expand and Subnet5 min
  17. 17IPv6 Address Types and EUI-64 Practice5 min
Read the chapter overview →
2Network Access9 topics · 52 min fast trackVLANs, trunking, discovery protocols, EtherChannel, Spanning Tree and the wireless LAN topics.
  1. 1VLANs, Access Ports and Inter-VLAN Routing6 min
  2. 2Trunk Ports, 802.1Q and the Native VLAN6 min
  3. 3Layer 2 Discovery with CDP and LLDP5 min
  4. 4EtherChannel with LACP6 min
  5. 5Rapid PVST+ Spanning Tree Operations6 min
  6. 6Cisco Wireless Architectures and AP Modes5 min
  7. 7Physical Connections for WLAN Components6 min
  8. 8AP and WLC Management Access6 min
  9. 9WLAN Configuration in the Controller GUI6 min
Read the chapter overview →
3IP Connectivity5 topics · 30 min fast trackThe routing table, forwarding decisions, static routing, single-area OSPF and gateway redundancy.
  1. 1Components of the Routing Table6 min
  2. 2How a Router Makes a Forwarding Decision6 min
  3. 3IPv4 and IPv6 Static Routing6 min
  4. 4Single-Area OSPFv26 min
  5. 5First Hop Redundancy Protocols6 min
Read the chapter overview →
4IP Services9 topics · 40 min fast trackNAT, NTP, DHCP, DNS, SNMP, syslog, QoS, SSH and file transfer, and how the topics fit together.
  1. 1Inside Source NAT: Static and Pools6 min
  2. 2NTP in Client and Server Mode4 min
  3. 3The Role of DHCP and DNS5 min
  4. 4The Function of SNMP4 min
  5. 5Syslog Facilities and Severity Levels4 min
  6. 6DHCP Client and Relay Configuration5 min
  7. 7QoS Per-Hop Behavior4 min
  8. 8Remote Access with SSH4 min
  9. 9TFTP and FTP in the Network4 min
Read the chapter overview →
5Automation and Programmability7 topics · 37 min fast trackAutomation, controllers, SDN, AI, REST APIs, Ansible, Terraform and JSON.
  1. 1How Automation Changes Network Management5 min
  2. 2Traditional Networks vs Controller-Based Networking5 min
  3. 3Software-Defined Architecture: Overlay, Underlay and Fabric6 min
  4. 4AI and Machine Learning in Network Operations5 min
  5. 5Characteristics of REST-Based APIs6 min
  6. 6Configuration Management with Ansible and Terraform5 min
  7. 7Interpreting JSON Encoded Data5 min
Read the chapter overview →
6Security Fundamentals10 topics · 54 min fast trackThreats, passwords, VPNs, ACLs, Layer 2 protections, AAA and wireless security topics.
  1. 1Key Security Concepts5 min
  2. 2Security Program Elements5 min
  3. 3Device Access Control with Local Passwords5 min
  4. 4Security Password Policies and Alternatives5 min
  5. 5IPsec Remote Access and Site-to-Site VPNs6 min
  6. 6Access Control Lists6 min
  7. 7Layer 2 Security Features6 min
  8. 8Authentication, Authorization and Accounting6 min
  9. 9Wireless Security Protocols: WPA, WPA2 and WPA35 min
  10. 10Configuring a WPA2 PSK WLAN in the GUI5 min
Read the chapter overview →

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The full Cisco CCNA 200-301 question bank has 1,206 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.

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