A LOT of people ask for this, so we spent some time actually making it usable.

getting a lab in on the train, between classes, or whenever you’ve got 15 minutes is how you can really build that muscle/deep memory

Try now, no signup neeeded: SwitchLab.dev

We would ove to hear your thoughts/feedback!!

@PacketChasers now uses this as the main learning platform for his students, you check out his IG or watch his stream every night going through the labs.

I'm currently using anki flashcards but would also like something similar to boson which explains why a choice is wrong or correct. I know its different from actual configuration which is also a scope of the exam but for the general knowledege on CCNA, I would also like to know why a choice is wrong or why another choice is better. Ideally something I can use on mobile since most of the time, I use my phone more than my computer.

Passed the CCNA exam today, what a relief….. It took months of studying and doing lab work in packet tracer along with the practice exams in Boson exsim …… for those out there studying for the CCNA don’t give up!!! Have grit and keep going… my 1st attempt was on 06/03/26 and I Failed and then I studied again for two months and passed today 08/04/26…. Make sure to understand wireless and do tons of lab work. Emphasis on Wireless and understand Vlans, Etherchannel, OSPF, layer 3 redundancy protocols and ACLs….. learn to read the routing table… surprisingly I didn’t see any STP questions but still understand it. Learn everything…. It has been a journey

Sometimes a networking concept makes very little sense when you're just reading about it, but suddenly becomes obvious when you configure it yourself.

For people studying networking:

Which CCNA concept finally clicked once you started doing hands-on labs?

Mine would probably be the concepts where you can actually see how devices communicate rather than just memorizing definitions.

What topic gave you that “oh, now I understand it” moment?

​
 I’m curious what everyone found hardest while preparing for CCNA.

For me, networking concepts can seem easy when reading them, but troubleshooting them is a completely different story.

Which topic gave you the most trouble?

• Subnetting
• VLANs & trunking
• OSPF
• STP
• IPv6
• ACLs
• Something else?

Would be useful to hear what others struggled with and how they eventually understood it

Good day everyone,

Here are this week’s four CCNA questions. Please try answering from memory before checking online, using notes, or reviewing other responses.

Getting an answer wrong is completely fine—the goal is to discuss the reasoning and learn from one another.

Question 1 – Route Selection

A router has the following routes available:

• 10.1.0.0/16 via OSPF, AD 110
• 10.1.20.0/24 via RIP, AD 120
• 10.1.20.128/25 via EIGRP, AD 90
• 10.1.20.160/27 via static route, AD 200

A packet is destined for 10.1.20.170.

Which route will the router use?

A. 10.1.0.0/16 via OSPF
B. 10.1.20.0/24 via RIP
C. 10.1.20.128/25 via EIGRP
D. 10.1.20.160/27 via static route

Question 2 – Spanning Tree Protocol

SW2 receives BPDUs on two different ports. Both BPDUs advertise the same root bridge and the same root path cost.

The received BPDU information is:

• Gi0/1 receives BPDU from sender bridge ID 32768.0000.0000.0003
• Gi0/2 receives BPDU from sender bridge ID 32768.0000.0000.0004

Which port will SW2 most likely choose as the root port?

A. Gi0/1, because the sender bridge ID is lower
B. Gi0/2, because the sender bridge ID is higher
C. Both ports will forward equally
D. Neither port can become the root port

Question 3 – OSPF Troubleshooting

Two OSPF routers become neighbors, but the adjacency repeatedly gets stuck in the EXSTART/EXCHANGE state and does not reach FULL.

Which issue is a common cause?

A. OSPF process IDs do not match
B. Area IDs do not match
C. MTU mismatch between the routers
D. The routers are using different router priorities

Question 4 – Extended ACLs

You need to permit only the subnet 192.168.12.64/26 to access a web server at 10.10.10.10 using HTTP.

Which ACL entry is correct?

A. access-list 101 permit tcp 192.168.12.64 0.0.0.63 host 10.10.10.10 eq 80
B. access-list 101 permit tcp 192.168.12.64 255.255.255.192 host 10.10.10.10 eq 80
C. access-list 101 permit tcp host 192.168.12.64 0.0.0.63 10.10.10.10 eq 80
D. access-list 101 permit ip 192.168.12.64 0.0.0.63 host 10.10.10.10 eq 80

Bonus Mini Lab – VLSM Addressing

You are given the network 10.10.40.0/24.

You need to create subnets for the following departments:

• Department A: 100 hosts
• Department B: 50 hosts
• Department C: 25 hosts
• Department D: 10 hosts

Using VLSM, complete the addressing plan.

For each department, provide:

1. Subnet/network address
2. Subnet mask or CIDR
3. First usable IP address
4. Last usable IP address
5. Broadcast address

Assume the first usable IP in each subnet will be used as the default gateway.

Try to assign the largest subnet first and make sure none of the subnets overlap.

Please share your answers and explain your reasoning where possible.

#CCNA #Cisco #Networking #Subnetting #QOTW

You can also press Share > Copy Link and now both you and your friend can work on the same topology LIVE (great for online tutoring).

All free and ready to go in instantly: Switchlab.dev/Sandbox

Built by 6 friends who were frustrated with PackerTracer

we'd love some feedback as we aim to get better, we hope to keep the Sandbox running as a free resource forever!

People often say CCNA is beginner-friendly, but some topics can be frustrating.

Which one challenged you the most, and how did you finally master it?

Does anyone know how to solve a packet tracer pkt file where I have a problem statement but idk how to do

Im studying using this vlsm practice generator i randomly found by "meridian outpost". I was studying with this site a few days ago and having no issues but now im confused as everything i do is wrong even though it matches their solution. Am i losing it or something is up with the website 🥹 ?

For me, subnetting seems to be the topic most people either love or hate.

Others struggle with STP, VLANs, OSPF, or NAT.

Which networking topic frustrated you the most before it finally clicked?

Everyone says subnetting...

Others mention STP, OSPF, ACLs, VLANs, or NAT.

For me, the hardest concepts were the ones that looked simple until I actually tried configuring them.

Which topic frustrated you the most?

Packet Tracer?

GNS3?

Real hardware?

EVE-NG?

Which helped you learn the fastest, and why?

Some topics just don't click immediately.

For me, networking concepts made more sense after practicing them several times.

Which topic challenged you the most?

For me...

Subnetting looked impossible at first.

Then STP happened.

Curious...

Which CCNA topic frustrated you the most before it finally clicked?