Job Opportunities as a CCNA qualified professional:
As a CCNA certified professional, you can find job opportunities in various domains such as networking, cybersecurity, cloud computing, telecommunications, and more. Some of the job roles you can explore as a CCNA certified professional include:
- Network Administrator
- Network Engineer
- Network Analyst
- Systems Administrator
- Technical Support Engineer
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- Cloud Engineer
- VoIP Engineer
- Wireless Network Engineer
- Network Consultant
The average salary for a CCNA certified professional varies depending on the job role, location, and experience. According to Payscale, the average salary for a CCNA certified professional in the US is around $72,000 per year. However, salaries can range from around $50,000 to $120,000 per year, depending on the job role and location. Please note that a college degree is required most of the times as a basic entry level qualification by most corporates.
Most frequently asked interview questions:
- is the purpose of subnetting?
Answer: Subnetting is used to divide a larger network into smaller subnetworks, which helps to improve network performance, reduce network congestion, and enhance network security. - What is the difference between a router and a switch?
Answer: A router is a networking device that connects two or more different networks and forwards packets between them based on the destination IP address. A switch is a networking device that connects multiple devices within a single network and forwards frames based on the destination MAC address. - What is a VLAN?
Answer: A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical group of devices within a physical network that communicate with each other as if they are on the same network segment, even if they are physically separated. VLANs help to improve network performance, security, and manageability. - What is STP?
Answer: STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) is a network protocol that prevents network loops by disabling redundant paths in a network topology. It ensures that there is only one active path between any two network devices, which helps to avoid network congestion and packet loss. - What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
Answer: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is a connection-oriented protocol that guarantees the delivery of packets and ensures data integrity. UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is a connectionless protocol that does not guarantee the delivery of packets and does not provide data integrity. - What is a MAC address?
Answer: A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier assigned to each network interface controller (NIC) by the manufacturer. It is used to identify devices on a network at the data link layer. - What is NAT?
Answer: NAT (Network Address Translation) is a network protocol that translates private IP addresses into public IP addresses for communication over the Internet. It allows multiple devices on a private network to share a single public IP address. - What is a subnet mask?
Answer: A subnet mask is a 32-bit value that is used to divide an IP address into network and host portions. It identifies which bits in an IP address are used to represent the network address and which bits are used to represent the host address. - What is ICMP?
Answer: ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network protocol used to send error messages and operational information about network conditions, such as ping requests and replies. - What is OSPF?
Answer: OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a routing protocol used to exchange routing information between routers and calculate the shortest path to a destination network. It is a link-state protocol that supports load balancing, redundancy, and fast convergence. - What is BGP?
Answer: BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a routing protocol used to exchange routing information between different autonomous systems (AS) in the Internet. It is a path-vector protocol that selects the best path based on various attributes, such as AS path length, next hop, and local preference. - What is a default gateway?
Answer: A default gateway is a network device that provides a path for network traffic to leave a local network and reach destinations on other networks. It is usually the IP address of the router interface that connects the local network to other networks. - What is a routing table?
Answer: A routing table is a database used by routers to store information about the best path to reach network destinations. It includes information such as the destination IP address, subnet mask, next hop, and interface. - What is a DNS server?
Answer: A DNS (Domain Name System) server is a network service that translates domain names into IP addresses. It allows users to access websites and
- What is BGP and what is it used for?
Answer: BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a routing protocol used to exchange routing information between different autonomous systems (AS) on the internet. It is used by internet service providers (ISPs) and large enterprises to connect their networks with each other. - What are the different types of BGP messages?
Answer: The different types of BGP messages are Open, Update, Notification, and Keepalive. - What is the difference between iBGP and eBGP?
Answer: iBGP (Internal BGP) is used for exchanging routing information between routers within the same autonomous system (AS). eBGP (External BGP) is used for exchanging routing information between routers in different autonomous systems. - What is a BGP route reflector?
Answer: A BGP route reflector is a mechanism used in large BGP networks to reduce the amount of iBGP peering required by route reflector clients. It reflects routes received from one iBGP peer to other iBGP peers, reducing the need for each iBGP peer to have a full mesh of iBGP peers. - What is OSPF and what is it used for?
Answer: OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a link-state routing protocol used to exchange routing information between routers within the same autonomous system (AS). It is commonly used in large enterprise networks. - What is the difference between OSPF area 0 and other areas?
Answer: OSPF area 0 is the backbone area of an OSPF network, and all other areas must be connected to it. Other areas can be used to partition the network into smaller areas to reduce the size of the routing tables and improve convergence. - What is an OSPF router ID?
Answer: An OSPF router ID is a unique identifier assigned to each router running OSPF in an autonomous system. It is used to identify the router in the OSPF domain and is typically the highest IP address on the router. - What is the difference between OSPF point-to-point and point-to-multipoint network types? Answer: OSPF point-to-point network type is used for networks that connect two routers directly, while OSPF point-to-multipoint network type is used for networks that connect one router to multiple routers.
- What is MPLS and what is it used for?
Answer: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) is a technique used in high-performance telecommunications networks to speed up the flow of network traffic by forwarding packets based on labels rather than routing tables. It is used by service providers to offer quality of service (QoS) guarantees and traffic engineering capabilities. - What is a label-switched path (LSP)?
Answer: A label-switched path (LSP) is a path through an MPLS network that is defined by a label. Traffic is forwarded through the network based on the label assigned to it, rather than by examining the destination IP address in a routing table. - What is the difference between LDP and RSVP-TE in MPLS? Answer: LDP (Label Distribution Protocol) is a protocol used to distribute labels in an MPLS network, while RSVP-TE (Resource Reservation Protocol-Traffic Engineering) is used to establish explicit paths through the network for traffic that requires a specific quality of service (QoS) or bandwidth.
- What is MPLS VPN? A
nswer: MPLS VPN is a service offered by service providers that allows customers to connect their geographically dispersed sites to a virtual private network (VPN) over a service
CCNA interview questions on VLANs:
- What is a VLAN?
Answer: A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical grouping of devices on a network based on their function, location, or other criteria, regardless of their physical location. - What are the benefits of using VLANs?
Answer: VLANs provide several benefits, including improved network performance, increased security, simplified network management, and greater flexibility. - What is a trunk port?
Answer: A trunk port is a switch port that is configured to carry traffic from multiple VLANs. It is typically used to connect two switches or to connect a switch to a router. - How is VLAN tagging used on trunk ports?
Answer: VLAN tagging is used on trunk ports to identify the VLAN to which each packet belongs. This is done by adding a VLAN tag to each packet, which includes information about the VLAN ID. - What is a native VLAN?
Answer: The native VLAN is the VLAN that is not tagged on a trunk port. It is used to carry untagged traffic, such as traffic from devices that are not configured for VLANs. - What is a VLAN access port?
Answer: A VLAN access port is a switch port that is configured to carry traffic for a single VLAN only. It is typically used to connect end devices, such as computers or printers, to the network. - What is a VLAN ID?
Answer: A VLAN ID is a unique numerical identifier that is assigned to each VLAN on a network. It is used to differentiate between traffic belonging to different VLANs. - What is VLAN pruning?
Answer: VLAN pruning is a feature that allows switches to limit the distribution of broadcast traffic to only those VLANs that have active ports. This helps to improve network performance and reduce unnecessary traffic. - What is the difference between a VLAN and a subnet?
Answer: A VLAN is a logical grouping of devices on a network based on their function, location, or other criteria, while a subnet is a logical grouping of IP addresses. VLANs are used to group devices at the data link layer, while subnets are used to group devices at the network layer. - What is the difference between a VLAN access port and a VLAN trunk port?
Answer: A VLAN access port is a switch port that is configured to carry traffic for a single VLAN only, while a VLAN trunk port is a switch port that is configured to carry traffic from multiple VLANs.
- What is VTP?
Answer: VTP stands for VLAN Trunking Protocol, which is a Cisco proprietary protocol used to manage VLAN configurations and propagate VLAN information across a network. - What are the different VTP modes?
Answer: There are three VTP modes:
- Server: In this mode, you can create, modify, and delete VLANs and the changes are propagated to all switches in the VTP domain.
- Client: In this mode, you cannot create, modify, or delete VLANs and you must rely on VTP messages from the VTP server.
- Transparent: In this mode, the switch forwards VTP messages, but does not participate in VTP updates. VLANs can be created, modified, and deleted, but the changes are not propagated to other switches.
- What is VTP pruning?
Answer: VTP pruning is a feature that restricts the flooding of broadcast, multicast, and unknown unicast traffic across a VLAN trunk link to only those switches that have ports in the VLAN. This helps to reduce unnecessary traffic on the network. - What is the VTP domain name?
Answer: The VTP domain name is a text string used to identify a group of switches that belong to the same VTP management domain. All switches in the same VTP domain should have the same VTP domain name. - What is the purpose of the VTP password?
Answer: The VTP password is used to secure the VTP domain and prevent unauthorized changes to the VLAN configuration. If a VTP password is set on a VTP server, the password must be provided to make changes to the VLAN database. - How do you configure a switch as a VTP server?
Answer: To configure a switch as a VTP server, use the following command:
Switch(config)
- How do you configure a switch as a VTP client?
Answer: To configure a switch as a VTP client, use the following command:
Switch(config)
- How do you configure a switch as a VTP transparent? Answer: To configure a switch as a VTP transparent, use the following command:
Switch(config)# vtp mode transparent
- How do you enable VTP pruning? Answer: To enable VTP pruning, use the following command:
Switch(config)
- How do you set a VTP password? Answer: To set a VTP password, use the following command:
Switch(config)
Replace “password” with the desired password.
Interview questions on subnetting in IPv4:
- What is subnetting and why is it used?
Answer: Subnetting is the process of dividing a larger network into smaller subnetworks or subnets. It is used to improve network performance, manage network traffic, and increase security by isolating different network segments. - What is the purpose of a subnet mask?
Answer: A subnet mask is used to identify which part of an IP address identifies the network and which part identifies the host. It is a 32-bit number that is used in conjunction with the IP address to determine the network and host portions. - How many bits are there in an IPv4 address?
Answer: There are 32 bits in an IPv4 address. - How many bits are used for the network portion and how many bits are used for the host portion in a Class C network?
Answer: In a Class C network, the first 24 bits are used for the network portion and the last 8 bits are used for the host portion. - What is the formula to calculate the number of hosts in a subnet?
Answer: The formula to calculate the number of hosts in a subnet is 2^(number of host bits) – 2. - What is the default subnet mask for a Class B network?
Answer: The default subnet mask for a Class B network is 255.255.0.0. - What is a subnet boundary?
Answer: A subnet boundary is the point at which the network portion of an IP address ends and the host portion begins. It is determined by the subnet mask. - How many bits are used for the network portion and how many bits are used for the host portion in a Class A network?
Answer: In a Class A network, the first 8 bits are used for the network portion and the last 24 bits are used for the host portion. - What is the difference between a subnet ID and a host ID?
Answer: A subnet ID is the portion of an IP address that identifies the subnet, while the host ID is the portion of the IP address that identifies the individual host within that subnet. - How do you calculate the subnet mask for a given subnet?
Answer: To calculate the subnet mask for a given subnet, you first need to determine the number of bits needed for the subnet portion of the address. You can then set those bits to 1 and the remaining bits to 0 in the subnet mask. - What is a supernet?
Answer: A supernet is the combination of two or more smaller networks into a larger network. This is done to reduce the size of the routing table and simplify network management. - What is the difference between a network ID and a broadcast ID?
Answer: A network ID is the first IP address in a subnet, while a broadcast ID is the last IP address in a subnet. The network ID is used to identify the network, while the broadcast ID is used to send data to all hosts in the subnet. - How do you calculate the number of subnets in a given network?
Answer: To calculate the number of subnets in a given network, you need to determine the number of bits used for the subnet portion of the address. You can then use the formula 2^(number of subnet bits) to calculate the number of possible subnets. - What is a subnet?
Answer: A subnet is a logical division of a network into smaller, more manageable subnetworks. Each subnet has its own network ID and range of IP addresses. - What is the purpose of a default gateway?
Answer: A default gateway is used to route traffic from one network to another. It is typically the IP address of the router
- What is router redundancy?
- What are the two primary router redundancy protocols?
- Can you explain the difference between HSRP and VRRP?
- How does GLBP work and what are its advantages over HSRP and VRRP?
- What is an active router and standby router in HSRP and VRRP?
- How does preemption work in HSRP and VRRP?
- What is the default HSRP priority and how can it be changed?
- How does tracking work in HSRP and VRRP?
- What is the difference between preempt delay and standby delay?
- What is an election process in router redundancy protocols?
- Can you explain the difference between a virtual IP and a physical IP?
- How many virtual IP addresses can be assigned in HSRP and VRRP?
- What is a hello message in router redundancy protocols?
- Can you explain the concept of router redundancy load balancing?
- What is a default gateway in router redundancy protocols?
Answers:
- Router redundancy is the ability to maintain network connectivity even if one or more routers fail or become unavailable.
- The two primary router redundancy protocols are HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) and VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol).
- HSRP and VRRP are both used to provide router redundancy, but HSRP is Cisco proprietary while VRRP is an industry standard. HSRP uses a virtual IP address and a virtual MAC address, while VRRP uses a virtual IP address only.
- GLBP (Gateway Load Balancing Protocol) is another router redundancy protocol that provides load balancing as well as redundancy. It allows multiple routers to share the same virtual IP address, providing load balancing among them. Unlike HSRP and VRRP, GLBP uses a single virtual MAC address.
- In HSRP and VRRP, the active router is the router that is forwarding traffic on behalf of the virtual router, while the standby router is the router that is ready to take over in the event of a failure of the active router.
- Preemption is the ability of a higher-priority router to take over as the active router when it becomes available again. In HSRP and VRRP, preemption is enabled by default.
- The default HSRP priority is 100. It can be changed using the priority command.
- Tracking is a feature that allows a router to adjust its HSRP or VRRP priority based on the status of an interface or another object. For example, if an interface goes down, the priority of the router can be lowered, allowing another router with a higher priority to take over.
- Preempt delay and standby delay are timers that delay the transition of a router from standby to active after a failure of the active router. Preempt delay delays preemption, while standby delay delays the transition from standby to active.
- The election process is the process by which the active router is determined. The router with the highest priority is normally elected as the active router.
- A virtual IP address is an IP address that is used as the gateway address for hosts on a network. A physical IP address is the IP address of a physical interface on a router.
- In HSRP and VRRP, up to 255 virtual IP addresses can be assigned.
- A hello message is a message sent between routers to confirm that they are still functioning and to determine the status of the other routers in the network.
- Router redundancy load balancing is the ability to distribute traffic among multiple routers in
- What is a switch and how does it differ from a hub?
Answer: A switch is a networking device that connects multiple devices together and operates at the data link layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model. A switch provides dedicated bandwidth for each connected device and uses MAC addresses to forward packets to their destination. Unlike a hub, which broadcasts data to all connected devices, a switch intelligently routes data only to the intended device. - What is STP and how does it work?
Answer: STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) is a protocol used to prevent loops in a network topology. When a switch receives multiple paths to the same destination, it can cause a loop that results in broadcast storms and network congestion. STP elects a root bridge and then disables redundant paths to the root bridge, ensuring that there is only one active path to the root bridge for all devices on the network. - What is VLAN and why is it used?
Answer: VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical group of devices that are grouped together based on their function or location, regardless of their physical location. VLANs are used to separate network traffic and provide security, as well as to improve network performance by reducing network congestion and broadcast traffic. - What is the difference between access and trunk mode on a switch port?
Answer: Access mode is used to connect an end device (such as a computer or printer) to a switch port, while trunk mode is used to connect switches together to pass VLAN information between them. In access mode, the switch port is configured with a single VLAN, while in trunk mode, the switch port is configured to carry multiple VLANs. - What is the purpose of the switch CAM table?
Answer: The switch CAM (Content Addressable Memory) table is used to store MAC addresses of devices connected to the switch. When a switch receives a frame, it looks up the destination MAC address in its CAM table to determine which port to forward the frame to. If the MAC address is not found in the CAM table, the switch floods the frame to all connected ports. - What is the difference between a Layer 2 switch and a Layer 3 switch?
Answer: A Layer 2 switch operates at the data link layer of the OSI model and forwards frames based on MAC addresses, while a Layer 3 switch operates at the network layer of the OSI model and forwards packets based on IP addresses. Layer 3 switches can perform routing functions and support advanced features like QoS and ACLs. - What is a broadcast storm and how can it be prevented?
Answer: A broadcast storm is a network condition that occurs when broadcast packets are continuously forwarded and replicated by switches, resulting in network congestion and reduced performance. It can be prevented by implementing STP to eliminate network loops, reducing the size of broadcast domains by implementing VLANs, and implementing broadcast storm control on switches to limit the amount of broadcast traffic allowed on a network.
- What is a CAM table, and how is it used in switching?
- How does a switch populate its CAM table?
- What is MAC address aging, and why is it important for the CAM table?
- What is an ARP table, and how is it used in networking?
- How does ARP work, and what is its purpose?
- Can you explain the difference between ARP and RARP?
- How can you view the ARP table on a Cisco router or switch?
- What is gratuitous ARP, and when is it used?
- What is a broadcast storm, and how can it be prevented?
- How does Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) work, and why is it important for preventing network loops?
Answers:
- The CAM table (Content Addressable Memory table) is used by switches to keep track of the MAC addresses of devices connected to each port. It is used to determine which port to forward a packet to based on its destination MAC address.
- A switch populates its CAM table by examining the source MAC address of incoming frames and associating them with the port they arrived on. It updates the table as necessary when new frames arrive or when old entries time out.
- MAC address aging is the process by which the CAM table removes old entries that have not been used in a certain amount of time. This is important for keeping the table up-to-date and preventing it from becoming too large.
- An ARP table (Address Resolution Protocol table) is used to map IP addresses to MAC addresses. It is maintained by a device’s ARP protocol and is used to look up the MAC address of a device when sending packets.
- ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is used to map IP addresses to MAC addresses. It works by broadcasting an ARP request packet on the local network, and the device with the corresponding IP address responds with its MAC address.
- ARP is used to map IP addresses to MAC addresses, while RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol) is used to map MAC addresses to IP addresses. RARP is used in diskless workstations to obtain their IP addresses from a RARP server.
- The ARP table on a Cisco router or switch can be viewed using the “show arp” command in the command-line interface (CLI).
- Gratuitous ARP is an ARP packet in which the sender and target IP addresses are the same. It is used to update ARP tables on other devices when a device’s MAC address changes or to resolve duplicate IP address conflicts.
- A broadcast storm is a network condition in which a high volume of broadcast traffic is generated, causing network performance to degrade. It can be prevented by implementing measures such as VLANs, STP, and traffic filtering.
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) is a protocol used to prevent network loops in switched networks. It works by selecting a root bridge and then disabling some of the links between switches to prevent loops. It is important for preventing broadcast storms and ensuring network stability.
- What is EtherChannel, and why is it used in networking?
Answer: EtherChannel is a Cisco proprietary technology that allows bundling of multiple physical links between two switches into a single logical link. It increases bandwidth, provides redundancy, and enhances network reliability. - What are the different modes of EtherChannel?
Answer: The different modes of EtherChannel are:
- On: All the links in the channel group are actively bundled, irrespective of their compatibility.
- Auto: Bundles the links only if they receive an LACP packet from the other end.
- Desirable: Bundles the links only if they receive an LACP packet or a PAgP packet from the other end.
- What is PAgP, and what is its purpose?
Answer: PAgP (Port Aggregation Protocol) is a Cisco proprietary protocol that is used to automatically configure EtherChannel groups between two switches. It helps to detect and prevent issues such as link flapping and loop formation. - What is LACP, and how does it differ from PAgP?
Answer: LACP (Link Aggregation Control Protocol) is an open standard protocol used for link aggregation in Ethernet networks. Unlike PAgP, it is vendor-neutral and can be used with equipment from multiple vendors. - What are the different load-balancing modes in EtherChannel? A
nswer: The different load-balancing modes in EtherChannel are:
- Source MAC address
- Destination MAC address
- Source and Destination MAC address
- Source IP address
- Destination IP address
- Source and Destination IP address
- Source and Destination TCP/UDP port numbers
- How can you verify the configuration and status of EtherChannel on a switch?
Answer: You can verify the configuration and status of EtherChannel using the following commands:
- show etherchannel summary
- show etherchannel detail
- show interfaces port-channel
- show interfaces etherchannel
- What is the maximum number of ports that can be bundled into an EtherChannel? Answer: The maximum number of ports that can be bundled into an EtherChannel depends on the switch model and the type of ports. For example, Cisco Catalyst 2960 supports up to 8 ports per EtherChannel, while the Catalyst 6500 supports up to 8,192 EtherChannels.
- What is a SAN and how is it different from NAS?
Answer: A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a specialized, high-speed network that provides block-level access to data storage. It is typically used for mission-critical applications and is designed to handle large amounts of data with high availability and reliability. On the other hand, Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a file-level storage technology that uses a standard Ethernet connection to provide shared access to data. It is typically used for less critical applications such as file sharing and backups. - What is the main advantage of using a SAN?
Answer: The main advantage of using a SAN is its high performance and low latency, which makes it ideal for mission-critical applications that require fast access to data. Additionally, SANs provide high availability and redundancy, which ensures that data is always accessible even in the event of a failure. - What are the main components of a SAN?
Answer: The main components of a SAN include storage devices such as disks and tape drives, storage arrays, switches, and host bus adapters (HBAs). - What is zoning in a SAN?
Answer: Zoning is a process of partitioning a SAN into smaller, isolated zones or segments. This allows administrators to control access to storage resources and provide security by limiting access to specific devices or groups of devices. - What is the difference between hard zoning and soft zoning?
Answer: Hard zoning is a type of zoning where the zoning configuration is enforced by hardware. This means that devices outside the defined zone cannot communicate with devices inside the zone, even if they are connected to the same switch. Soft zoning, on the other hand, is a type of zoning where the zoning configuration is enforced by software. Devices outside the defined zone can still communicate with devices inside the zone, but the software will prevent them from accessing the storage resources in the zone. - What is an iSCSI SAN?
Answer: An iSCSI (Internet Small Computer System Interface) SAN is a type of SAN that uses standard Ethernet networking protocols to transport block-level storage data over a network. It is a cost-effective alternative to Fibre Channel (FC) SANs and can be used to connect remote sites or to provide centralized storage to multiple servers. - What is NAS clustering?
Answer: NAS clustering is a technique where multiple NAS devices are combined to form a single, scalable storage system. The NAS devices are typically connected to each other via a high-speed network, and the system is managed as a single entity. NAS clustering provides high availability, performance, and scalability, making it ideal for large-scale deployments. - What is a Network File System (NFS)?
Answer: NFS is a file-level storage protocol that allows remote systems to access shared files over a network. It is commonly used in Unix and Linux environments and can be used to provide centralized storage for multiple servers. - What is a Common Internet File System (CIFS)?
Answer: CIFS is a file-level storage protocol that allows remote systems to access shared files over a network. It is commonly used in Windows environments and can be used to provide centralized storage for multiple servers. CIFS is also known as the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. - What is the main advantage of using NAS?
Answer: The main advantage of using NAS is its ease of use and flexibility. NAS devices can be easily added to a network and can provide shared access to data without the need for complex storage management. Additionally, NAS devices can be used to consolidate storage resources and reduce storage costs.
- What is switch port security, and how does it work?
- What are the different violation modes available in switch port security?
- What is the maximum number of MAC addresses that can be allowed on a switch port using switch port security?
- What is sticky learning in switch port security, and how does it work?
- What is the difference between static MAC address configuration and sticky MAC address configuration in switch port security?
- What is the command to configure switch port security on a Cisco switch?
- What is the command to display the status of switch port security on a Cisco switch?
- What is the command to clear a violation on a switch port using switch port security?
- What is the default behavior of a switch port when switch port security is enabled, and the maximum number of allowed MAC addresses is exceeded?
- How can you prevent MAC address flooding attacks using switch port security?
Answers:
- Switch port security is a feature that allows you to limit the number of MAC addresses that can be learned on a switch port. It works by associating the switch port with a specific MAC address, and then limiting the number of MAC addresses that can be learned on that port.
- The three violation modes available in switch port security are protect, restrict, and shutdown. Protect drops packets with unknown source MAC addresses, restrict sends SNMP traps but does not take any other action, and shutdown disables the port.
- The maximum number of MAC addresses that can be allowed on a switch port using switch port security is 132.
- Sticky learning in switch port security is a feature that allows the switch to automatically learn and save the MAC addresses of devices that are connected to a switch port. This feature can be enabled using the sticky keyword with the switchport port-security mac-address sticky command.
- Static MAC address configuration requires you to manually configure the MAC address on the switch port, while sticky MAC address configuration allows the switch to automatically learn and save the MAC addresses of devices that are connected to a switch port.
- The command to configure switch port security on a Cisco switch is:interface interface-id switchport port-security switchport port-security maximum max-addresses switchport port-security mac-address sticky
- The command to display the status of switch port security on a Cisco switch is:show port-security interface interface-id
- The command to clear a violation on a switch port using switch port security is:clear port-security interface interface-id
- When switch port security is enabled, and the maximum number of allowed MAC addresses is exceeded, the default behavior is to drop packets with unknown source MAC addresses.
- To prevent MAC address flooding attacks using switch port security, you can configure the switch to limit the number of MAC addresses that can be learned on a switch port, and to disable the port if the number of MAC addresses exceeds the limit. You can also configure the switch to use sticky MAC address learning, which allows the switch to automatically learn and save the MAC addresses of devices that are connected to a switch port.
- What is an Access Control List (ACL)?
Answer: An Access Control List (ACL) is a set of rules that determines whether a network packet is allowed to pass through a network device or not. - What are the two types of ACLs?
Answer: The two types of ACLs are standard ACL and extended ACL. - What is a standard ACL?
Answer: A standard ACL is a type of ACL that filters traffic based only on the source IP address. - What is an extended ACL?
Answer: An extended ACL is a type of ACL that filters traffic based on the source and destination IP address, protocol type, and port numbers. - What are the three actions that can be taken on a packet by an ACL?
Answer: The three actions that can be taken on a packet by an ACL are permit, deny, and reject. - What is the order of processing for ACLs?
Answer: The order of processing for ACLs is from the top down, with the first match being applied. - What is an implicit deny statement in an ACL?
Answer: An implicit deny statement is a statement that denies all traffic that is not explicitly permitted by an ACL. - What is a wildcard mask in an ACL?
Answer: A wildcard mask is a 32-bit value used to match a portion of an IP address. It is used in extended ACLs to match source and destination IP addresses. - How do you apply an ACL to a router interface?
Answer: To apply an ACL to a router interface, use the ip access-group command followed by the ACL number and the direction of traffic (in or out). - What is reflexive ACL?
Answer: A reflexive ACL is a type of ACL that is used to dynamically allow traffic back through a firewall that originated from an internal network. It is used in situations where traditional ACLs cannot be used.
- What is a wireless Access Point (AP) and how does it work?
Answer: A wireless Access Point (AP) is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network. It acts as a bridge between the wireless devices and the wired network. The AP broadcasts a wireless signal, which is picked up by wireless devices such as laptops, smartphones, or tablets. The AP then sends the data received from the wireless devices to the wired network, and vice versa.
- What is the difference between a WiFi Access Point and a WiFi router?
Answer: A WiFi Access Point is a device that provides wireless access to a wired network, while a WiFi router is a device that provides wireless access and also routes network traffic. In other words, a WiFi router combines the functions of a router and an Access Point. It connects multiple devices to the internet while providing wireless connectivity.
- What is the difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi frequencies?
Answer: 2.4GHz and 5GHz are two different wireless frequencies used by WiFi devices. 2.4GHz has a longer range and can penetrate walls and other obstacles better than 5GHz, but it is also more susceptible to interference from other wireless devices and can be slower. 5GHz has a shorter range, but it is faster and less susceptible to interference.
- What is WEP, WPA, and WPA2?
Answer: WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (WiFi Protected Access), and WPA2 are encryption protocols used by WiFi networks to secure wireless transmissions. WEP is the oldest and least secure, while WPA and WPA2 are newer and more secure. WPA2 is currently the most widely used encryption protocol.
- What is a WiFi SSID and why is it important?
Answer: A WiFi SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of a wireless network. It is important because it allows wireless devices to identify and connect to a specific wireless network. Without an SSID, devices would not be able to connect to a wireless network.
- What is the difference between ad-hoc and infrastructure mode in wireless networks? Answer: In ad-hoc mode, devices communicate with each other directly without the use of an access point (AP). In infrastructure mode, wireless devices communicate with each other through an AP.
- What is the difference between WPA and WPA2?
Answer: WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is an older wireless security protocol that uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) for encryption. WPA2 is a newer protocol that uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) for encryption and is considered more secure than WPA. - What is the purpose of a wireless channel?
Answer: A wireless channel is used to transmit wireless signals between an access point and wireless clients. It allows multiple devices to communicate simultaneously without interference. - What is an SSID and what is its purpose?
Answer: An SSID (Service Set Identifier) is a unique name that identifies a wireless network. It is used to distinguish between different wireless networks and allows clients to connect to the correct network. - What is the difference between a basic service set (BSS) and an extended service set (ESS)? Answer: A BSS consists of one access point and one or more wireless clients. An ESS consists of multiple access points that are connected to the same network and allow wireless clients to roam between access points without losing connectivity.
- What is an access point (AP) in wireless networking?
Answer: An access point is a device that allows wireless clients to connect to a network. It acts as a bridge between wireless clients and the wired network infrastructure. - What is a wireless LAN controller (WLC) and what is its purpose?
Answer: A wireless LAN controller is a device that manages and controls multiple access points in a wireless network. It allows network administrators to configure and monitor wireless networks from a central location. - What is the purpose of a site survey in wireless networking?
Answer: A site survey is used to assess and analyze the wireless coverage and signal strength in a specific area. It helps network administrators to plan and optimize wireless network deployments for better performance and coverage.
- What is Cisco DNA?
Cisco DNA (Digital Network Architecture) is a network automation and analytics platform that allows network administrators to streamline network management, automate network provisioning, and monitor network performance in real-time.
- What are the components of Cisco DNA?
The components of Cisco DNA include DNA Center, DNA Spaces, and DNA Assurance.
- What is DNA Center?
DNA Center is the central point of management for the Cisco DNA platform. It provides a single pane of glass for network management, provisioning, and automation.
- What is DNA Spaces?
DNA Spaces is a location analytics platform that uses Wi-Fi access points to provide indoor location-based services and insights.
- What is DNA Assurance?
DNA Assurance is a network monitoring and troubleshooting platform that provides real-time insights into network performance and security.
- What is the purpose of Cisco DNA?
The purpose of Cisco DNA is to simplify network management, reduce operational costs, and improve network performance and security.
- What are the benefits of Cisco DNA?
The benefits of Cisco DNA include faster network provisioning, improved network security, simplified network management, and enhanced network visibility.
- How does Cisco DNA improve network security?
Cisco DNA provides real-time threat detection and response, automated security policy enforcement, and segmentation of the network to prevent lateral movement of threats.
- How does Cisco DNA improve network performance?
Cisco DNA provides real-time monitoring of network performance, automated network optimization, and network analytics for capacity planning and troubleshooting.
- How does Cisco DNA simplify network management?
Cisco DNA provides a single point of management for the entire network, streamlines network provisioning, automates network configuration and policy enforcement, and provides real-time network insights for troubleshooting and optimization.
Author: Vijay contact author at vijay[at]anandsoft.com