WAN, stands for Wide Area Network. It is different from LAN, or local are network, in that it covers a "wide area" instead of just the local area. A local area being a core of a town, or a headquarters building, for example, and a wide area being a remote site across the street, or … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.2 Describe characteristics of network topology architectures. 1.2.d WAN. →

Spine-leaf design was created to address data center issues. The previous designs, 2-tier and 3-tier were used before Spine-leaf came out. The challenge with the two previous designs is spanning tree issues and first hop redundancy configuration issues. With spine-leaf those issues are removed. The reason is because of the new technologies in the spine-leaf … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.2 Describe characteristics of network topology architectures. 1.2.c Spine-leaf →

Describe characteristics of network topology architectures, 3 tier design. A 3 tier design is the classic, core, distribution, and access layer design, where the core is fast switching, distribution is aggregation and segmenting of networks, policies applied, access control lists, qos etc. Access layer is where the endpoints connect to the network at layer 2. … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.2 Describe characteristics of network topology architectures. 1.2.b 3 tier. →

1.2.a 2 tier A 2 tier network or sometimes called a "collapsed core" network involves the core and distribution layer or "tier" together in one layer or tier, and the access layer in the other layer or tier. See below: In the classic network design, the core is the big, fast switches, the distribution is … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.2 Describe characteristics of network topology architectures. 1.2.a 2 tier →

Servers are also endpoints, but endpoints are not necessarily servers. Servers provide, or "serve" the clients with information, or data, or traffic that they need or want. In the old days there were server farms in a Data Center, and now days there are servers in the cloud, software as a service (SAAS), platform as … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.1 Explain the role and function of network components. 1.1.g Servers. →

Endpoints are pretty much why we have a network. Users utilize endpoints, which includes desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, servers, workstations, and IoT, (internet of things) devices to connect to the network. Endpoints can be hard coded with an ip address or can receive an ip address via dhcp. Endpoints at layer 2 use a mac … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.1 Explain the role and function of network components. 1.1.f Endpoints. →

Since my last blog was an introduction to Access Points and Wireless Lan Controllers, I'd like to just concentrate on Cisco DNA (Digital Network Architecture) Center for this blog. The main feature of Cisco DNA Center is a single pane of glass to manage your network. We can apply policies. We can provision new network … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals. 20%. 1.1 Explain the role and function of network components. 1.1.e Controllers (Cisco DNA Center and WLC). →

Access points are a wireless layer 2 extension to your network, which use the protocol 802.11. There are controller based access points and stand alone access points. Controller based access points give you the feature of managing all your access points and wlans, or "wireless local area networks" on one “pane of glass”. That being … Continue reading 1.0 Network Fundamentals.20%. 1.1 Explain the role and function of network components. 1.1.d Access points. →

Next-generation firewalls and IPS are security devices.  The firewall is placed at the perimeter and the IPS is placed just behind the firewall.  Basically, a firewall is used to protect the network from bad actors.  The firewall name comes from a wall that is used to stop a fire.  When I used to pull cable … Continue reading 1.0NetworkFunadmentals.20%. 1.1 Explain the role and function of network components 1.1.c Next-generation firewalls and IPS →

L2 and L3 switches, having to do with the OSI model of layer 2 being vlans and mac addresses, and layer 3 being routing and ip addressing. Layer 2 switches will only forward frames. You can keep networks separate by using vlans. Layer 3 switches can route, using a routing protocol, such as eigrp, or … Continue reading 1.0 NetworkFundamentals.20%. 1.1 Explain the role and function of network components. 1.1.b L2 and L3 switches. →