6 Questions to ask yourself before your CCNA 640-802 Exam Day

We know you have been studying and preparing for your CCNA 640-802 Certification Exam, and now exam day is creeping up on you. How do you know if you are adequately prepared? There's no surefire way to know you're prepared, but we've assembled a checklist of six important questions you should be able to answer before you take your CCNA 640-802 exam. This is not the "list of all lists," it is not comprehensive, and it is not meant to replace the exam objectives. But, if you can answer the following six questions, you should be in pretty good shape for your exam:

1. Do you have a clear understanding of the OSI Model? (Can you identify where network hardware, media, protocols, and applications fit into the model?) The OSI model is something you will probably never actually utilize in the field, working on actual Cisco equipment, or in networking in general. For the exam, however, you should be extremely comfortable with the OSI (seven layers) model and you should be able to identify the relationships between the various layers of the OSI model as well as how data flows across a network and throughout the model. You should also be able to identify how common network equipment and software fit into the OSI model and at which layer(s) they operate.
   

2. Could you explain to a layperson how TCP/IP works? (Do you understand the issues in IP addressing that lead to the need for DHCP, DNS, NAT, and other such addressing implementations?) The CCNA is a Cisco test, but the fundamentals of networking revolve around the TCP/IP protocol suite. You will need to have a firm grasp on the limitations of IPv4 addressing, the advantages of IPv6, the need for NAT, the advantages of DHCP, and the purpose of DNS and other name resolution services. Don't forget about special IP ranges and public/private addressing! In addition, you should be familiar with methods of implementing IPv4/IPv6 coincidentally - and you should also be able to troubleshoot common issues with both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing.

3. What are the issues, advantages, and potential pitfalls of VLANs and interswitch communications? This is an enormously broad question and one that you will need to spend some time on to wholly comprehend. You should have a clear understanding of the purpose of VLANs, the need to logically separate networks, the workings of alternative switching protocols/technologies (including VTP, RSTP, and PVSTP), and the flow of network traffic across different logical subnets or networks.

4. Do I know how Cisco devices boot and function? Am I proficient and familiar with IOS, OSPF, EIGRP, and other Cisco routing technologies? IOS is the basis of all Cisco network equipment and runs on a command line interface that you should become intimately familiar with. Since the bulk of the CCNA 640-802 is about routing technologies, be aware of basic routing concepts and specific routing protocols, especially RIPv2. Understand how OSPF, EIGRP, and other routing protocols fit into network design and general Cisco networking architecture. Also, make sure you know what "distance vector" technology means!

5. Do I know the basics of wireless networks and wireless network security? What about general network security? Safety first means security first, and the CCNA 640-802 will include tons of questions about how you can design networks to be more (or less) secure. You should know basic types of security threats and how to mitigate risk from those threats through good practices and network design. In addition, you will need to understand the basics of wireless networking and the associated security protocols, such as WEP, WPA, and WPA2.

6. What are WAN links and why should I care about them? This is probably the easiest question of them all, but be familiar with the various WAN technologies tested on the 640-802, especially Frame Relay. You will need to be able to configure and troubleshoot common WAN connections as well as identify the basic differences between different WAN links. Don't forget to study PPP, PPTP, and how those protocols can be used to connect Cisco routers to each other.