CCNA 200-301
Course Description
CCNA is probably the most popular Cisco certification there is. This course covers the exam topics of the 200-301 CCNA exam, Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions, current version v1.1. We start from the beginning: what a network is, the OSI model, and IP addressing. From there, we work our way through switching, wireless, routing with OSPF, IP services, security, and network automation. You’ll learn how each protocol works and how to configure and verify it on Cisco IOS routers and switches, so you are ready for both the theory and the configuration questions on the exam.
Course Highlights
In this course you will learn:
- Networking basics: the OSI model, TCP and UDP, network topologies, campus design, and cloud and virtualization.
- IPv4 addressing and subnetting, VLSM, and IPv6 addressing.
- How to configure VLANs, trunks, and EtherChannels on Cisco Catalyst switches.
- How spanning tree prevents loops, and how to configure Rapid PVST with features like PortFast and BPDU Guard.
- Wireless LAN fundamentals: service sets, Cisco wireless architectures, AP modes, and WLC configuration with WPA2.
- How routers make forwarding decisions, static routing, and single area OSPF.
- IP services: DHCP, NAT and PAT, NTP, SNMP, syslog, SSH, and QoS.
- Security fundamentals: access-lists, port security, DHCP snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, AAA, and VPNs.
- Automation and programmability: SDN, REST APIs, JSON, Ansible, Terraform, and AI and ML in networking.
Presented to you by instructor Rene Molenaar, CCIE #41726
Course at a glance
- 179 lessons in 13 units, including a hands-on lab and a practice exam.
- Exam: 200-301 CCNA v1.1 (Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions).
- Format: self-paced lessons with Cisco IOS configurations, packet captures, and video.
- Last updated: October 2026.
About the 200-301 CCNA exam
The CCNA certification requires one exam: 200-301 CCNA, Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions. The current version is v1.1. Here are the facts, straight from Cisco.
| Exam code and name | 200-301 CCNA: Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions |
| Version | v1.1. Last date to test: February 2, 2027. |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Price | US$300 (or Cisco Learning Credits) |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Question types | Multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions |
| Results | Pass or fail, shown when you finish the exam. Official results are typically online within 48 hours. |
| Prerequisites | None. Cisco has no formal prerequisites for CCNA. |
| Validity | 3 years. You recertify with Continuing Education credits or by passing exams. |
CCNA v1.1 exam topics and weights
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1.0 Network Fundamentals | 20% |
| 2.0 Network Access | 20% |
| 3.0 IP Connectivity | 25% |
| 4.0 IP Services | 10% |
| 5.0 Security Fundamentals | 15% |
| 6.0 Automation and Programmability | 10% |
CCNA v2.0 is coming. Cisco announced the CCNA v2.0 exam topics on May 20, 2026. The last date to take v1.1 is February 2, 2027, and v2.0 starts on February 3, 2027. The exam code stays 200-301, and it’s still 120 minutes and US$300. The v2.0 domains are 1.0 Network Infrastructure and Connectivity (25%), 2.0 Switching and Network Access (25%), 3.0 IP Routing (20%), 4.0 Network Services and Security (20%), and 5.0 AI, and Network Operations and Management (10%). If you take the exam on or before February 2, 2027, study the v1.1 topics. If you plan to take it later, study for v2.0. Either way, the core stays the same: switching, routing, network services, and security, so nothing you learn now is wasted.
Source: Cisco Learning Network, CCNA v1.1 exam topics and CCNA v2.0 exam topics.
Requirements
- No networking experience required; we start from the beginning.
- Basic computer skills.
- Access to a lab (real gear, an emulator, or a simulator) to practice the configurations. It’s not required, but it makes a big difference.
Course Schedule
What is the CCNA certification?
CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is Cisco’s associate level networking certification. It proves that you understand how networks work and that you can install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot a small to medium sized network with Cisco routers and switches. Many employers use it as a baseline for network jobs.
To earn it, you pass one exam: 200-301 CCNA. The exam covers six domains: network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability. Cisco tests both theory and practical skills, so you need to know how protocols work and also how to configure and verify them, and how to read the output of show commands.
CCNA is for anyone who wants to start a career in networking, like help desk staff, system administrators, and junior network engineers. There are no formal prerequisites. Once you are CCNA certified, the logical next step is CCNP Enterprise, which requires the 350-401 ENCOR exam and one concentration exam, such as 300-410 ENARSI.
CCNA Learning Roadmap
This roadmap follows the CCNA exam domains. Each topic has a short explanation and links to the lessons where we cover it in detail.
Network Fundamentals (20%)
Everything in CCNA builds on the basics of networking. You need to know the OSI model and what happens at each layer, how TCP and UDP differ, and how ARP, ICMP, and DNS help hosts communicate. The exam also covers network topologies, campus network design, the spine and leaf architecture, and the basics of virtualization and cloud computing. And you need to be comfortable on the Cisco IOS command line.
IPv4 and IPv6 Addressing
IP addressing is part of the Network Fundamentals domain, and you’ll use it in almost every other topic. Subnetting is a skill you need to do quickly and without mistakes, so practice it until it’s automatic. Subnetting in decimal is the fast way to do it, and VLSM lets you use subnets of different sizes. For IPv6, you need to know how to shorten addresses, the different address types, and how hosts get an address with EUI-64 and stateless autoconfiguration.
Network Access (20%): Switching
Switches learn MAC addresses and forward Ethernet frames within a LAN. With VLANs, we split a switch into separate broadcast domains, and with 802.1Q trunks, we carry multiple VLANs between switches; untagged frames belong to the native VLAN. EtherChannel bundles physical links into one logical link. Spanning tree prevents loops in a switched network, and you need to know how it elects a root bridge, how Rapid PVST works, and what PortFast and BPDU Guard do.
Network Access (20%): Wireless
Wireless is the other half of the Network Access domain. We start with how wireless LANs work and the 802.11 service sets. Then we look at Cisco’s wireless architectures, WLC deployment models, and AP modes. Finally, we configure a wireless LAN controller and secure a WLAN with WPA2 PSK.
IP Connectivity (25%)
This is the largest domain of the exam. You need to know how routers and routing work, read a routing table, and understand how a router picks a route with the longest prefix match and administrative distance. We configure static routes, including default and floating static routes, for IPv4 and IPv6. OSPF is the dynamic routing protocol we focus on, and you learn how to configure it and how neighbors, the DR and BDR election, and the router ID work. We also cover first hop redundancy, which gives hosts a backup default gateway.
IP Services (10%)
IP services are the protocols that keep a network running. DHCP hands out IP addresses, and a DHCP relay agent forwards requests to a server in another subnet. NAT and PAT let private addresses reach the Internet, and NTP keeps the clock of every device in sync. We use SNMP and syslog to monitor the network, and SSH for secure remote access. QoS lets us classify, mark, shape, and police traffic so that important traffic like voice gets priority.
Security Fundamentals (15%)
Before you can secure a network, you need to know the threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures. On routers, we filter traffic with standard and extended access-lists. On switches, we protect access ports with port security, DHCP snooping, and Dynamic ARP Inspection. You also learn how AAA and 802.1X control who gets access, how VPNs protect traffic over the Internet, and how wireless security works.
Automation and Programmability (10%)
Networks are getting larger, and configuring every device by hand on the CLI doesn’t scale. You need to understand how SDN separates the control plane from the data plane, and how device programmability lets SDN controllers talk to devices through APIs. We cover REST APIs, data models and formats like JSON, and configuration management tools like Ansible and Terraform. Finally, we look at how AI and machine learning are used in networking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want to work in networking. The CCNA is still one of the best-known entry-level networking certifications, and the skills it covers, like switching, routing, IP services, and security, apply to every vendor’s gear. Just don’t expect the certificate alone to do all the work: pair it with hands-on lab practice so you can show you know how to configure and troubleshoot a network.
It can help you get one, but it’s rarely enough on its own. Many people land their first networking job, like help desk, NOC, or a junior network role, with a CCNA and little experience, but employers also look for hands-on skills and some IT background. Build a home lab, document what you’ve done, and be ready to explain how things work in an interview.
It’s an associate-level exam, but it isn’t easy. If you start from zero, subnetting, the configuration questions, and the sheer number of topics are what trip most people up. People who pass usually say the questions are fair if you really understand the topics and have practiced them in a lab, instead of just memorizing them.
It depends on your background and how much time you have each day, but as a rule of thumb, plan on about 150 to 200 hours. If you’re new to networking, you’ll be at the higher end; if you already work with networks, it can go faster. Studying a bit every day and labbing every topic works better than cramming. Read how to study for CCNA.
No, Cisco has no formal prerequisites for CCNA, and our course starts from the beginning. Hands-on practice does make a big difference, so build a lab with real hardware, an emulator, or a simulator. See how to build a CCNA lab.
For most CCNA topics, yes. Packet Tracer supports the commands you need for switching, routing, and most IP services, and it’s free. It doesn’t support every feature or show output exactly like real gear, so if you want more realism, an emulator with real Cisco images or a few used switches and routers is a good next step. See how to build a CCNA lab.
If you can be ready by February 2, 2027, there’s no need to wait: both versions give you the same CCNA certification. If you won’t be ready by then, study for v2.0 instead. The exam code, duration, and price stay the same, and the six domains become five, with a new domain for AI, network operations, and management. Switching, routing, services, and security are still the core, so nothing you learn now is wasted.
The 200-301 CCNA exam costs US$300, or you can pay with Cisco Learning Credits, and it takes 120 minutes. The price and length stay the same for CCNA v2.0.