CCNA Exploration 2: Routing Protocols and Concepts
The primary focus of this course is on routing and routing protocols.
The goal is to develop an understanding of how a router learns about remote
networks and determines the best path to those networks. This course includes
both static routing and dynamic routing protocols. By examining multiple routing
protocols, you will gain a better understanding of each of the individual routing
protocols and a better perspective of routing in general. Learning the
configuration of routing protocols is fairly simple. Developing an understanding
of the routing concepts themselves is more difficult, yet is critical for
implementing, verifying, and troubleshooting routing operations.
Each static routing and dynamic routing protocol chapter uses a single topology
throughout that chapter. You will be using that topology to configure, verify, and
troubleshoot the routing operations discussed in the chapter.
The labs and Packet Tracer activities used in this course are designed to help
you develop an understanding of how to configure routing operations while reinforcing
the concepts learned in each chapter.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Routing and Packet Forwarding - In
Chapter 1, you will be introduced to the router, its role in the networks, its main
hardware and software components, and the packet forwarding process. You will also
be given an overview of directly connected networks, static routing, and dynamic
routing protocols, along with a brief introduction to the routing table. Each of
these topics is discussed in more detail in later chapters. Chapter1 also includes
a review of basic Cisco IOS commands.
Chapter 2 Static Routing - Chapter 2 focuses on the role and
configuration of static routes. The routing table process is introduced, and you
will be shown how to verify route entries as they are added and deleted from the
routing table. This chapter also discusses Cisco Discovery Protocol, which is a tool
that you can use to help verify network operations.
Chapter 3 Introduction to Dynamic Routing Protocols – Chapter 3
provides an overview of routing protocol concepts and the various dynamic routing
protocols available for routing in IP networks. In this chapter, you will examine
the role of routing protocols. There is an overview of the classification of dynamic
routing protocols. This overview is useful for comparing and contrasting the different
protocols. Most of the information in this chapter is examined in more detail in later chapters.
Chapter 4 Distance Vector Routing Protocols – Chapter 4 presents
two different types of routing protocols: distance vector and link-state. You will
examine distance vector concepts and operations, including network discovery, routing
table maintenance, and the issue of routing loops. In this chapter, you will also
be introduced to the concepts used in RIPv1, RIPv2, and EIGRP routing protocols.
These routing protocols are discussed in more detail in later chapters.
Chapter 5 RIP version 1 – Chapter 5 is the first chapter that
focuses on a specific dynamic routing protocol. In this chapter, you will learn
about RIP (Routing Information Protocol) version 1. RIPv1, a classful, distance
vector routing protocol, was one of the first IP routing protocols. You will examine
the characteristics, operations, and limitations of RIPv1. You will also learn about
RIPv1 configuration, verification, and troubleshooting techniques.
Chapter 6 VLSM and CIDR - Chapter 6 reviews the VLSM (Variable
Length Subnet Mask) and CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) concepts that were
presented in the Network Fundamentals course. You will explore the benefits of VLSM
along with the role and benefits of CIDR in today’s networks. Next, you will be
introduced to the role of classless routing protocols. Classless routing protocols
RIPv2, EIGRP, and OSPF are examined in later chapters.
Chapter 7 RIPv2 - Chapter 7 examines the next routing protocol
presented in this course, RIPv2. RIPv2 is a classless, distance vector routing
protocol. You will see how RIPv2 demonstrates the advantages and operations of
a classless routing protocol. The chapter begins with a discussion of the limitations
of the classful routing protocol, RIPv1. Then RIPv2 is introduced, to show how
a classless routing protocol can be used to overcome these limitations. In this
chapter, you will also learn the commands necessary to configure and verify RIPv2.
Chapter 8 The Routing Table: A Closer Look – Chapter 8 examines
Cisco’s IPv4 routing table in detail. The chapter begins with a discussion of
the structure of the routing table. While examining the routing table, you will
learn about the lookup process, how the routing table process determines the best
match with a packet’s destination IP address, and how to enter a route in the
routing table. The chapter concludes with a discussion about the differences
between classful and classless routing behaviors.
Chapter 9 EIGRP – Chapter 9 focuses on Cisco EIGRP (Enhanced
Interior Gateway Routing Protocol). EIGRP is a classless, enhanced distance vector
routing protocol. You will examine the advantages and operations of EIGRP’s DUAL
(Diffusing Update Algorithm). Then you will learn about the configuration of EIGRP,
including verification and troubleshooting commands.
Chapter 10 Link-State Routing Protocols – Chapter 10 examines
link-state routing protocol concepts. You will be introduced to link-state
terminology and the link-state routing process. The chapter discusses the benefits
and advantages of a link-state routing protocol compared to a distance vector routing
protocol. You will then examine the Shortest Path First (SPF) algorithm and how it
is used to build a topology map of the network. The link-state routing protocol OSPF
is discussed in the following chapter.
Chapter 11 OSPF – The final chapter in this
course is an examination of the classless, link-state routing protocol OSPF (Open
Shortest Path First). In this chapter, you will examine OSPF operations and configuration,
including verification and troubleshooting commands. By the end of this course, you
should feel confident in your knowledge of routing and routing protocols. With continued
study and practice, you will be able to put your new skills to work.