Network Administration Training Course: Switching and Routing Concepts
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Description of the training: Network Administration Training Course: Switching and Routing Concepts
This course gives you the solid, practical foundations of modern network administration, covering the two pillars of every enterprise network: switching (Layer 2) and routing (Layer 3). Vendor-neutral, it focuses on transferable concepts — VLANs, Spanning Tree, link aggregation, IP addressing, subnetting, static and dynamic routing — that carry over to any vendor. It builds naturally on the foundations of the Local Networks and TCP/IP Fundamentals course.
Over 5 days with a strong hands-on focus, you start from how a switch and a router work and build, step by step, a segmented, resilient and routed network. Every concept is put into practice immediately: creating VLANs and trunks, securing the topology with Spanning Tree, breaking an addressing plan into subnets, setting up inter-VLAN routing then dynamic routing, and troubleshooting faults methodically. It is an ideal foundation before a certification such as the CCNA 200-301 course; to go further on the security side, the Routing and Firewalling course deepens design and filtering. Sessions run in a small group of 1 to 3 participants.
Good to know
Our inter-company sessions are guaranteed from a single registration (no risk of postponement except in cases of force majeure). A 30-day follow-up support period comes with the course and a certificate of completion is issued. Explore our full catalogue in the Computer Network training courses category.
Objectives of the training: Network Administration Training Course: Switching and Routing Concepts
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Place network devices and protocols within the OSI and TCP/IP models, and explain data encapsulation.
- Design a consistent IPv4 addressing plan and break it into subnets (subnetting, VLSM), with a first look at IPv6.
- Configure Ethernet switching: MAC address tables, VLANs, link aggregation and 802.1Q trunking.
- Secure and stabilise a switched topology with Spanning Tree Protocol (STP/RSTP) and EtherChannel.
- Implement routing: static routing, the routing table, inter-VLAN routing and dynamic routing principles (RIP, OSPF).
- Deploy essential network services (DHCP, NAT), apply basic access control and troubleshoot incidents with a structured method.
Prerequisites of the training: Network Administration Training Course: Switching and Routing Concepts
Because every participant is unique, a preliminary interview tailors the content. General IT literacy and basic familiarity with networks (the idea of an IP address, a network connection) are enough to follow the course. No prior device-configuration experience is required.
Detailed programme of the training: Network Administration Training Course: Switching and Routing Concepts
Module 1 — Network fundamentals and layered models
- OSI and TCP/IP models, the role of each layer and data encapsulation.
- Ethernet and MAC addressing; protocol data units (frame, packet, segment).
- Network devices: hub, switch, router, firewall; media and topologies.
- Collision and broadcast domains: first concepts.
Module 2 — IP addressing and subnetting
- IPv4 address structure, classes, masks and CIDR notation.
- Subnetting and variable-length subnet masks (VLSM).
- Private/public addresses, default gateway, a consistent addressing plan.
- A first look at IPv6 addressing and IPv4/IPv6 coexistence.
Module 3 — Ethernet switching and VLANs
- How a switch works and MAC address learning.
- VLANs and segmentation: reducing broadcast domains, isolating traffic.
- 802.1Q trunking and carrying several VLANs over a single link.
- Inter-VLAN routing (router-on-a-stick, Layer-3 switch).
Module 4 — Layer-2 resilience: Spanning Tree and aggregation
- Switching loops and broadcast storms: understand them to avoid them.
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and RSTP: root bridge election, port states.
- Link aggregation (EtherChannel/LACP) for bandwidth and redundancy.
- Best practices for designing a resilient switched topology.
Module 5 — Routing concepts and implementation
- The router’s role and reading the routing table.
- Static routing and default route; when to use them.
- Dynamic routing: RIP and OSPF principles, metrics and convergence.
- Administrative distance, route selection and routing troubleshooting.
Module 6 — Network services, security and troubleshooting
- DHCP: automatic address assignment and options.
- NAT/PAT: address translation and Internet access.
- Basic access control lists (ACLs) and an introduction to QoS.
- A diagnostic methodology and tools: ping, traceroute, table analysis.
Module 7 — Course highlights
- A lab-first approach: every concept is configured and tested immediately on a simulator or device.
- Vendor-neutral skills you can reuse toward a certification (CCNA, Network+).
- A small group (1 to 3 participants) and 30 days of post-course support.
FAQ
What is the Network Administration: Switching and Routing Concepts course?
A fundamentals course covering Layer-2 switching (VLANs, Spanning Tree, aggregation) and Layer-3 routing concepts (addressing, subnetting, static and dynamic routing). Vendor-neutral, it prepares you to administer a network and to move on to a certification.
Who is this course for?
Network technicians and administrators starting out or consolidating, support technicians, systems administrators, and future CCNA or Network+ candidates.
What are the prerequisites?
General IT literacy and basic networking notions. No configuration experience is required; a preliminary interview tailors the content.
How long is it and in what format?
5 days (35 hours), remotely, in a group of 1 to 3 participants, with around 60 % hands-on labs and 30 days of follow-up support.