Modules

SP Network Academy — CCNA 40-Day Course Plan

🟦 MODULE 1 — NETWORK FUNDAMENTALS

Days 1–8 | 16 Hours

Your syllabus covers network components, architectures, physical layer, addressing, TCP/UDP, wireless and virtualization.

DayTopic2-Hour BreakdownDay 1Introduction to NetworkingWhat is a Network? • LAN/WAN • Network types • Network devices • OSI & TCP/IP overviewDay 2Network DevicesRouter • L2 Switch • L3 Switch • NGFW • IPS • Access Point • WLC • DNA CenterDay 3Network ArchitecturesTwo-Tier • Three-Tier • Spine-Leaf • WAN • SOHO • On-Premises vs CloudDay 4Physical NetworkingCopper • Fiber • Ethernet • PoE • Interface concepts • Speed/Duplex • Collisions & errorsDay 5IPv4 AddressingIPv4 structure • Network/Host portions • Public/Private IP • Unicast • Broadcast • MulticastDay 6IPv4 SubnettingSubnet masks • CIDR • Subnet calculation • Network/Broadcast address • Host ranges • Subnetting practiceDay 7IPv6 AddressingIPv6 format • Address types • Unicast • Multicast • Anycast • IPv6 subnetting basicsDay 8TCP/IP & Modern NetworkingTCP vs UDP • Ports • Wireless basics • SSID • RF • Encryption • VRF • Containers + Module 1 Revision/Lab

Suggested practical labs

• Identify network devices

• Build a basic LAN

• Ethernet interface troubleshooting

• IPv4 subnetting exercises

• IPv6 addressing exercises

• Basic Packet Tracer topology

🟩 MODULE 2 — NETWORK ACCESS

Days 9–16 | 16 Hours

The source syllabus specifically includes VLANs, trunks, CDP/LLDP, EtherChannel, Rapid PVST+, Cisco wireless architecture and AP/WLC management.

DayTopic2-Hour BreakdownDay 9Ethernet Switching FundamentalsMAC addresses • MAC address table • Frame forwarding • Flooding • LearningDay 10VLAN FundamentalsVLAN concepts • VLAN types • Access ports • VLAN creation • VerificationDay 11VLAN Configuration & TroubleshootingAccess VLAN • Voice VLAN • VLAN troubleshooting • Common mistakesDay 12Trunking802.1Q • Trunk ports • Native VLAN • Allowed VLANs • Access vs TrunkDay 13CDP & LLDPNeighbor discovery • CDP configuration • LLDP configuration • Verification & troubleshootingDay 14EtherChannelEtherChannel concepts • LACP • Configuration • Verification • TroubleshootingDay 15Spanning TreeSTP fundamentals • Root Bridge • Port roles • Port states • Rapid PVST+Day 16Wireless + Module RevisionCisco wireless architecture • AP modes • WLC/AP connectivity • Telnet/SSH/HTTP/HTTPS • Lab + Revision

Suggested practical labs

• Create multiple VLANs

• Configure access ports

• Configure 802.1Q trunks

• Native VLAN troubleshooting

• CDP/LLDP neighbor discovery

• LACP EtherChannel

• Rapid PVST+ root bridge election

• Basic wireless architecture scenarios

🟨 MODULE 3 — IP CONNECTIVITY

Days 17–26 | 20 Hours

This is the largest CCNA section (25%), so I recommend giving it the largest amount of teaching and hands-on time.

Your syllabus includes routing tables, longest-prefix matching, static routing, OSPFv2 and FHRP/HSRP.

DayTopic2-Hour BreakdownDay 17Routing FundamentalsWhat is routing? • Router operation • Routing table • Connected routes • Static routesDay 18Routing Table AnalysisPrefix • Mask • Next Hop • Administrative Distance • Metric • Route sourceDay 19Longest Prefix MatchHow routers select routes • /8 vs /16 vs /24 • Default route • Forwarding decisionsDay 20IPv4 Static RoutingNetwork routes • Host routes • Default routes • Next-hop vs exit-interfaceDay 21IPv6 Static RoutingIPv6 static routes • IPv6 default route • Verification • TroubleshootingDay 22OSPF FundamentalsDynamic routing • OSPF concepts • Areas • Router ID • NeighborsDay 23OSPF ConfigurationSingle-area OSPFv2 • Network statements • Passive interfaces • VerificationDay 24OSPF Neighbor & Path SelectionNeighbor states • DR/BDR • OSPF cost • Metric calculation • Route selectionDay 25OSPF TroubleshootingNeighbor problems • Area mismatch • Network mismatch • Router ID • Passive interface • CostDay 26FHRP + Module LabFHRP concepts • HSRP • Gateway redundancy • Complete Routing Lab + Revision

Suggested practical labs

Lab 1: Static routing — 3 routers

Lab 2: IPv6 static routing

Lab 3: OSPF single area

Lab 4: OSPF troubleshooting

Lab 5: HSRP gateway redundancy

And I would make Day 26 a major practical day, rather than just another theory day.

🟧 MODULE 4 — IP SERVICES

Days 27–30 | 8 Hours

The syllabus includes NAT, NTP, DHCP, DNS, SNMP, Syslog and QoS.

DayTopic2-Hour BreakdownDay 27NAT & PATNAT concepts • Static NAT • Dynamic NAT • PAT • Inside/Outside • VerificationDay 28DHCP, DNS & NTPDHCP server/client • DHCP relay • DNS concepts • NTP • Clock synchronizationDay 29SNMP & SyslogNetwork monitoring • SNMP concepts • SNMP components • Syslog • Severity levels • LoggingDay 30QoS + Module LabPHB • Classification • Marking • Queuing • Congestion management • Services Lab + Revision

🟥 MODULE 5 — SECURITY FUNDAMENTALS

Days 31–36 | 12 Hours

Your syllabus covers security concepts, AAA, ACLs, Layer-2 security, wireless security and VPN fundamentals.

DayTopic2-Hour BreakdownDay 31Network Security FundamentalsThreats • Vulnerabilities • Exploits • Attack concepts • Security program • User training • Physical securityDay 32Device Security & PasswordsLocal authentication • Password configuration • Secure management • SSH conceptsDay 33AAAAuthentication • Authorization • Accounting • Local AAA • Centralized AAA conceptsDay 34Access Control ListsStandard ACL • Extended ACL • Source/Destination • Wildcards • ACL placement • VerificationDay 35Layer-2 SecurityDHCP Snooping • Dynamic ARP Inspection • Port Security • MAC limiting • Violation modesDay 36Wireless Security & VPNWPA/WPA2/WPA3 • Wireless security • IPsec fundamentals • Site-to-site VPN • Security Lab + Revision

Important hands-on labs

This module should be configuration-heavy:

• Secure Cisco device

• Configure local authentication

• Configure SSH

• Configure standard ACL

• Configure extended ACL

• Configure port security

• Configure DHCP snooping

• Configure DAI

🟪 MODULE 6 — AUTOMATION & PROGRAMMABILITY

Days 37–40 | 8 Hours

Your source syllabus includes SDN, control/data planes, APIs, REST, Ansible, Terraform, Generative AI, cloud-managed networking and ML fundamentals.

DayTopic2-Hour BreakdownDay 37SDN & Network ControllersTraditional vs controller-based networking • Control plane • Data plane • SDN architectureDay 38APIs & RESTNorthbound APIs • Southbound APIs • REST APIs • HTTP methods • JSON • API characteristicsDay 39Network Automation ToolsAnsible • Terraform • Configuration management • Automation concepts • Practical examplesDay 40Modern Networking + Final ReviewGenerative AI • AI in network management • Predictive maintenance • Cloud-managed networking • ML fundamentals • Final CCNA Revision