CCNA Study Notes (Condensed Revision)
These are condensed revision notes for CCNA 200-301, organised by exam domain — the facts you review in the final week, each linking to its full tutorial when you need the depth. Pair them with the printable PDFs.
Network fundamentals — key facts
- OSI: Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away (L1→L7) — full model.
- TCP = reliable, ordered, 3-way handshake; UDP = fast, connectionless — compare.
- Private ranges: 10/8, 172.16/12, 192.168/16 (RFC 1918); APIPA 169.254/16 = DHCP failed.
- Subnetting: hosts = 2^host-bits − 2; block size = 256 − mask octet — cheat sheet, full guide.
Network access — key facts
- Trunks carry all VLANs tagged 802.1Q; the native VLAN goes untagged.
- STP blocks loops: lowest bridge ID = root; PortFast + BPDU Guard on access ports — STP guide.
- EtherChannel: LACP active/passive — guide.
- Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz = range, channels 1/6/11; 5 GHz = speed — bands, standards.
IP connectivity — key facts
- Route selection: longest prefix wins, then AD (connected 0, static 1, OSPF 110, EIGRP internal 90) — routing table.
- OSPF neighbours need matching: area, subnet, timers, auth, MTU — checklist.
- 0.0.0.0/0 = default route; HSRP virtual gateway — FHRP.
IP services — key facts
- DHCP DORA: Discover, Offer, Request, Ack — process.
- PAT = many private IPs → one public via ports — NAT vs PAT.
- Syslog severities 0–7 (Emergency→Debug) — syslog; SNMPv3 = secure version.
Security fundamentals — key facts
- AAA = Authentication, Authorization, Accounting — AAA; RADIUS for access, TACACS+ for device admin — compare.
- ACLs: top-down, first match, implicit deny — how ACLs work.
- Port security limits MACs; 802.1X authenticates devices; DHCP snooping blocks rogue servers.
- WPA3 > WPA2 (SAE handshake) — compare.
Automation — key facts
- Controller-based = central control plane (DNA Center) vs distributed — SDN vs traditional.
- REST APIs: GET/POST/PUT/DELETE, JSON payloads — APIs, JSON/YAML.
- Config management: Ansible (agentless, YAML playbooks) — Ansible.
How to use these notes
These notes are the final-week review layer, not the learning layer. Learn each topic from its full tutorial and labs, test with mock exams, then loop these notes daily in exam week. Print the companion PDF cheat sheets for offline revision.
Frequently asked questions
Are these notes enough to pass the CCNA?
No — they are a revision layer for the final weeks. Learn each topic from full tutorials and hands-on labs first, then use these condensed notes to keep everything fresh.
Can I download CCNA notes as PDF?
Yes — the free downloads page has printable PDF cheat sheets (subnetting, ports, and the CCNA study checklist) that pair with these notes for offline revision.
What should I memorise for the CCNA exam?
The subnetting values (mask octets and block sizes), administrative distances, DORA, syslog severities, ACL logic, STP roles, and the AAA/security acronyms — all summarised above with links to depth.
How do I revise in the final week before CCNA?
Daily: one full mock test, review every wrong answer against the relevant tutorial, drill 10 subnetting questions, and read these notes end to end once.
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