Chapter 4 of 6 · Cisco CCST 100-150 Networking
Infrastructure
Status lights, cabling from a diagram, device ports, routing concepts and switching concepts.
- 5topics
- 20 minfast track
- 2diagrams and exhibits
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Status Lights on Cisco DevicesLearn to read the link and system status lights on a Cisco switch or router, what green, amber, solid and blinking mean, and how…4 min
- 2Cabling Devices from a Network DiagramLearn to read a simple network diagram and pick patch, console and power cables for switches and routers, including straight…4 min
- 3Ports on Network DevicesIdentify the console, serial, fiber, Ethernet, SFP, USB and PoE ports on Cisco switches and routers, and learn what each port is…4 min
- 4Basic Routing ConceptsUnderstand the default gateway, local and remote networks, how a router forwards packets, and how layer 2 and layer 3 switches…Diagram4 min
- 5Basic Switching Concepts, MAC Tables and VLANsLearn how a switch builds a MAC address table, what MAC address filtering does, and how VLANs split a switch into separate…Diagram4 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
Infrastructure is about the devices that make up a network and how to work with them.
It covers the hands on side of the job. You learn to read the lights on a device, to cable devices from a drawing, and to name the ports on them.
It then explains the ideas behind what routers and switches do. These are routing, default gateways, MAC address tables and VLANs.
How the topics fit together
The first three pages are about the physical device, and the last two are about how it behaves.
The first page shows how to read the status lights and report them. The second page covers cabling from a network diagram, including patch cables, power and rack layout.
The third page names the ports on switches and routers. The fourth page explains routing, including the default gateway and the difference between layer 2 and layer 3 switches. The fifth page explains switching, including the MAC address table, MAC filtering and VLANs.
The routing and switching pages explain why the cabling matters. A cable in the wrong port, or a port in the wrong VLAN, often looks like a routing problem.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams, tables and example commands.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
If you can, look at a real switch or router, or at photos of one. Naming each port and light on a real device is the best revision for the first three pages.
Read the last two pages with the addressing chapter at hand. Routing and switching depend on the subnet ideas that chapter explains.
Ready for more practice?
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