Modules
physical foundations
Foundations
What a network is, hosts, NICs, MAC vs IP — orientation before the layers and protocols.
Cabling & physical layer
Copper categories, fiber types, connectors (LC, SC, MTP/MPO, E2000), patch panels and ODF.
Optical transport: Ciena DWDM, Site Manager, NCS
DWDM fundamentals, Ciena 6500 / Waveserver, and the per-NE vs network-level management split between Site Manager and Navigator NCS.
OSI and TCP/IP layers
The 7-layer OSI model, the 4-layer TCP/IP model, and how they line up with real protocols.
l2 switching
Hubs, bridges, switches
From collision domains to MAC learning. How a switch builds its table and forwards frames.
VLANs and trunking
802.1Q tags, access vs trunk ports, native and voice VLANs, inter-VLAN routing.
Spanning tree (STP, RSTP, MSTP)
Why loops are catastrophic, how STP elects a root and blocks ports, and how RSTP/MSTP improved on the original.
EtherChannel, port security, DHCP snooping
Link aggregation, locking ports to known MACs, and stopping rogue DHCP servers.
Wireless basics (CCNA scope)
SSID, WPA2/3, autonomous vs controller-based APs, the 2.4 / 5 / 6 GHz bands.
l3 routing
IPv4 addressing and subnetting
Classes, CIDR, subnet math you can do in your head, and 50+ practice problems.
IPv6 essentials
Address format, SLAAC, link-local, the absence of broadcast, and dual-stack.
Routing fundamentals
How a router picks a route, administrative distance, longest match, and writing useful static routes.
OSPF
Link-state routing, areas, LSAs, DR/BDR, the cost metric.
BGP introduction
eBGP vs iBGP, AS_PATH, peering basics, and why the internet is one big BGP mesh.
services mpls operator
MPLS and the LSP lifecycle
Labels, FEC, LDP and RSVP-TE, how a packet walks across an MPLS core, MPLS-TE basics.
Service models — EPipe, VPLS, VPRN, IES
Nokia's MPLS service taxonomy — L2 pseudowires, L2VPN, L3VPN, IP services.
Multicast — IGMP and PIM
One-to-many delivery without sending N copies — group memberships, PIM-SM and the RP.
DHCP, DNS, NAT, NTP
The IP services every network needs and the gotchas that trip you up.
ACLs, AAA, 802.1X
Access lists, RADIUS/TACACS+ for user auth, and per-port authentication on switches.
QoS fundamentals
Classification, marking (DSCP/CoS), queuing, policing, shaping — when bandwidth isn't infinite.
hardware deep dives
Nokia 7705 SAR-8 v2 — cell-site / aggregation router
The compact SR OS edge router for mobile backhaul, transport aggregation, and small service nodes.
Nokia 7750 SR-a8 — service router
The full-fat MPLS / BGP / VPRN service router that PE-grade operator services live on.
Cisco ASR family
ASR 1000 (IOS XE) and ASR 9000 (IOS XR) — where they fit, how they differ.
Cisco IE4000 — industrial Ethernet
Ruggedized switch for substations, factory floors, and outdoor cabinets. Ring topologies and PROFINET.
Westermo DDW225 — managed SHDSL extender
Industrial SHDSL bridge/router on WeOS — extends Ethernet over kilometers of copper twisted pair.
CLIP modems — legacy access
What CLIP modems are, where they still appear in the field, and how to troubleshoot them.