Networking — Complete Exam Notes
(Original)
OSI and TCP/IP Models
Know the seven OSI layers and mapping to TCP/IP. Understand typical exam tasks: identify
where
encryption or routing occurs.
Common protocols: ARP at link layer, IP at network layer, TCP/UDP at transport layer,
HTTP/HTTPS at
application layer.
Troubleshooting steps often start from physical/link checks, then IP addressing, routing
tables, and
finally application protocols.
IP Addressing and Subnetting
Understand IPv4 subnet calculations, CIDR notation, and common subnet masks. Practice
dividing
networks into subnets to meet host requirements.
IPv6 considerations: address types (global unicast, link-local), prefix lengths, and simplified
header design.
Exam-style task: given address block /22, create subnets for departments with 100, 50, and
10 hosts.
Routing Fundamentals
Static vs dynamic routing: advantages and disadvantages; examples of dynamic protocols:
OSPF, BGP.
Understand route selection: administrative distance, metrics, and longest prefix match.
BGP is crucial for multi-homing and provider relationships; key exam points include path
attributes
and route propagation control.
Switching and VLANs
Layer 2 switching fundamentals: MAC address tables, flooding, and STP for loop prevention.
VLANs provide Layer 2 segmentation; trunking protocols (802.1Q) and native VLAN
concepts are often
tested.
EtherChannel and link aggregation provide increased bandwidth and redundancy—
understand
configuration basics and failure modes.
Wireless Networking and Access Control
Wi-Fi standards (802.11 family), frequency bands, channel planning, and interference
mitigation are
typical topics.
Authentication options: WPA2/WPA3, enterprise authentication with RADIUS, and 802.1X
port-based
controls.
Design considerations include coverage vs capacity, roaming, and backhaul provisioning.
Network Security
Firewalls operate at different layers—packet filters, stateful firewalls, next-gen firewalls
with
application awareness.
IDS/IPS provide detection and prevention; placement in network taps and monitoring
zones matters for
visibility.
Zero Trust networking principles remove implicit trust and require continuous verification
and
segmentation.
Load Balancing and High Availability
Load balancers distribute traffic using algorithms like round-robin, least connections, and
health-
check-driven routing.
Session persistence and SSL/TLS termination are common configuration choices; consider
trade-offs
for end-to-end encryption.
HA designs include active-active and active-passive patterns with health checks and failover
orchestration.
WAN Technologies and SD-WAN
WAN options include MPLS, broadband, LTE, and dedicated circuits; each offers different
SLAs and
cost structures.
SD-WAN provides policy-driven path selection and centralized management, often
improving resilience
for branch connectivity.
Exam scenarios might ask for hybrid WAN designs combining MPLS with internet breakout
for SaaS
traffic optimization.
Network Services in Cloud Environments
In cloud contexts, virtual networks, peering, transit gateways, and service endpoints replace
physical constructs.
Understand how NAT, IGWs, and route tables work in provider virtual networks and how to
connect to
on-prem resources securely.
Practice: design a hybrid network that segments management, application, and data traffic
across
subnets and security zones.
Troubleshooting Methodology
A methodical approach: gather symptoms, isolate the scope, verify basic connectivity,
examine
configurations, and test hypotheses.
Tools: ping, traceroute, tcpdump/wireshark, ARP tables, routing table dumps, and log
analysis.
Exam task: diagnose intermittent packet loss given a sequence of observed symptoms and
logs.
Lab Scenario 1: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 1: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
1.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 2: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 2: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
2.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 3: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 3: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
3.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 4: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 4: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
4.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 5: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 5: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
5.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 6: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 6: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
6.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 7: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 7: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
7.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 8: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 8: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
8.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 9: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 9: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency, throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
9.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.
Lab Scenario 10: Design & Troubleshoot
Scenario description 10: requirements, constraints, and target metrics (latency,
throughput).
Design steps: address planning, device selection, redundancy, and failover strategies for
scenario
10.
Troubleshooting checklist: tests to run, expected results, and escalation points.