• Understand the operation of data networks.

• Know the purpose and functions of network devices such as routers, switches, bridges and hubs.

• Be able to select components to meet a specific network requirement.

• Understand how certain applications can impact network performance.

• Know the protocols, purpose and operation of both the OSI and TCP/IP models.

• Describe the data flow between two hosts on a network
• Be able to choose the most appropriate cables, media, ports and connectors to connect network devices and hosts to a LAN.

• Understand the media access control method for Ethernet.

• Describe the basic switching concepts and the operation of switches.

• Configure and verify switch configuration including remote access management.

• Verify a network and switch operation using basic utilities such as ping, telnet and SSH.

• Describe VLANs and the need for routing between VLANs.

• Understand network segmentation and traffic management.

• Be able to configure and verify VLANs.

• Configure and verify trunking on Cisco switches.

• Understand advanced switching technologies:

1. RSTP

2. PVSTP

3. EtherChannel

• Be able to configure and verify PVSTP operation.
• Describe the process of root bridge election.

• Describe the need for public and private addresses for IPv4.

• Understand IPv6 addresses.

• Describe the appropriate IPv6 addressing scheme for a LAN/WAN environment.

• Describe the appropriate IPv4 addressing scheme for a LAN/WAN environment, including VLSM and summarization.

• Identify the appropriate IPv4 addressing scheme using VLSM and summarization to satisfy addressing requirements in a LAN/WAN environment.
• Describe the technologies required to run IPv6 and IPv4 concurrently such as dual stack.

• Understand the basic routing concepts.

• Understand the boot process of a Cisco router.

• Configure and verify a basic router configuration using the command line interface.

• Configure and verify both serial and Ethernet interfaces.

• Be able to verify the network connectivity and configuration of a router.

• Configure a static or default route given specific requirements, then verify.

• Manage Cisco IOS files and image(s).

• Understand Cisco IOS licensing.

• Understand and distinguish different methods of routing and routing protocols.

• Configure and verify EIGRP in a single autonomous system.

• Configure and verify OSPF (v2 and v3) in a single area.

• Configure and verify interVLAN routing using router-on-a-stick.
• Be able to configure SVI interfaces.

• Configure and verify DHCP on a Cisco router.

• Understand the features and applications of each type of ACL.

• Be able to configure and verify ACLs.

• Understand the basic operation of NAT.

• Configure and verify NAT based on a set of network requirements.

• Be able to configure and verify NTP as a client.

• Recognize high availability FHRP.

• Understand, configure and verify Syslog and utilize Syslog output.
• Understand SNMP v2 and v3.