This tutorial explains how to install and activate packet tracer in Windows step by step. Learn Cisco packet tracer installation and activation steps in detail with screenshots. In case you do not have packet tracer, this article also provides a direct download link to the latest version of packet tracer for Windows.

This tutorial explains how to install, activate and start Cisco packet tracer 7.1.1 in Ubuntu Linux step by step with screenshots. Learn why packet tracer 7.1.1 does not start in Ubuntu and how to troubleshoot packet tracer starting issue including installation and activation steps in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains how add, install, import or mount Cisco IOS in GNS3 step by step with practical examples. In order to use any Cisco device such as router and switch in GNS3, we must have to install that device’s IOS first. Learn how to install, configure and use Cisco IOS in GNS3 in detail.

This tutorial explains how to install GNS3 for CCNA exam preparation step by step in detail with screenshots. Default installation of GNS3 includes several features and functionality which are neither required nor recommended for CCNA exam preparation. Learn how to perform a customized GNS3 installation for CCNA exam.

This tutorial explains how to configure NTP Server and NTP Client in Cisco Router step by step with practical example. Learn basic concepts of NTP such as what NTP is, how NTP works, NTP stratum levels, meaning of synchronized and un-synchronized NTP clock in detail.

This article provides direct download links of Cisco packet tracer for all versions (7.1.1, 7.1.0, 7.0, 6.3, 5.0 & 4.0), platform (Linux, Windows, Android and Mac) and editions (32bits & 64bits) with various downloading options (zip, exe, torrent, individual file or all files).

This tutorial explains how to configure port address translation (PAT) in router step by step with examples. Learn how to connect multiple devices with remote network from single IP address through PAT or NAT Overload, verify and troubleshoot PAT configuration view PAT address translation from show commands.

This tutorial explains Subnetting in easy language with examples. This tutorial is divided in three sections. First section provides a basic overview of Subnetting tools. Second section explains Subnetting process in easy steps. Last section includes Subnetting examples for beginners.

This tutorial explains internetworking in computer network with five key internetworking devices (hub, bridge, switch, router and multilayer). Learn basic internetworking concepts such as collision domain and broadcast domain in detail with examples.

Learn how network addresses are defined with IP addresses and how IP addresses are managed through the Subnetting, Supernetting and VLSM in detail with examples including basic concepts of network addressing.

This tutorial explains why OSI Model was developed with features and advantages provided of OSI Seven Layer model in details. Understand the basic concepts and purpose of OSI seven layers model with examples.

This tutorial explains how to configure IPv6 routing in Cisco router through EIGRPv6 and OSPFv3 protocol including how to configure dual stacking and IPv4 to IPv6 tunneling in detail with packet tracer example.

This tutorial explains VLSM Subnetting step by step with examples including Classful Subnetting, Classless Subnetting, VLSM examples, Variable Length Subnet Mask, Fixed length subnet mask. Learn what VLSM is and how to optimize IP addresses with it in easy language.

This tutorial explains how to configure and connect wireless network in packet tracer step by step with examples. Learn how to secure a wireless network with WAP key and enable static routing in Linksys router with packet tracer lab example.

This tutorial explains OSI Seven Layer model in details with examples. Learn how Seven Layers OSI model works in computer network including functions and protocols involved in each layer of OSI Model (Application, Presentation, Session, Transportation, Network, Data link and physical layer).

This article introduces you to Cisco equipment used in CCNA exam. Although CCNA exam does not test your product specific knowledge, still you need to understand the basic configuration involved in cisco device administration.

This article explores the 2960 Switch in details including features, hardware, available versions and functionality. 2960 Series Switch is the most popular switch for CCNA practice. Virtually it contains all commands from CCNA syllabus. Cisco also recommends this switch for CCNA exam.

This tutorial presents guideline for the cabling of most common Cisco devices such as Router, Switch, DCE Device, DTE Device, Serial interface and PC. Learn how to make Straight-through cable, crossover cable and rollover cable including which cable is used to connect what type of devices.

This tutorial explains Cisco Router booting process, modes (ROMMON mode, Mini-IOS, Startup mode and running configuration mode), stages (POST, Bootstrap, startup and loaded), components (ROM, FLASH, NVRAM and RAM) and Configuration register values in details with examples.

This tutorial explains CDP commands (such as show cdp neighbor, cdp status, show cdp entry, no cdp run and no cdp enable) in detail including how to enable and disable CDP protocol in Cisco Router. Learn how to collect important information about neighboring Cisco device from CDP messages.

This tutorial presents Cisco device naming convention and Interface Nomenclature Guide for Router and Switch. Learn the naming convention used in fixed and modular interfaces including difference between router and switch interface nomenclature and IOS command to view the interface name.

This tutorial explains Cisco IOS naming convention in detail with examples. IOS name provides information about platform, feature set, run location, type of compression and version. Learn the detail description of feature set code, run location code and compression code with advantage of IOS.

This tutorial explains Cisco IOS modes (User EXEC Mode, Privileged EXEC Mode, Global Configuration Mode, Interface Configuration Mode, Sub Interface Configuration Mode, Setup Mode and ROM Monitor Mode) and commands to navigate between IOS modes in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains how to use available help options (Word help, Command syntax help, Context Sensitive Help, Command syntax help, Command abbreviation, auto completion and recalling commands) at Cisco IOS command prompt in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains Cisco IOS backup, restore and upgrade process step by step with packet tracer lab example. Learn how to take the backup of IOS from Cisco device to TFTP server, how to restore the IOS in ROMMON mode through TFTP protocol and how to upgrade a running IOS in detail.

This tutorial explains switching methods (Store & Forward, Cut & Through and Fragment Free), switching concepts and switching types in computer network including how switch learns MAC address and removes layer 2 loops step by step in detail with examples.

Learn STP features (BPDU, Root Bridge, Port Costs and Path Costs), STP ports & states (Designated, Non-Designated, Blocking, Listening, Learning, Forwarding, Disable and Convergence) and STP functions (Removing layer 2 loops, duplicate frame and broadcast storms) in details with examples.

This tutorial explains basic switch configuration commands in detail with examples. Configuration and commands explained in this tutorial are essential commands to manage a Cisco switch effectively. Learn how to configure and manage a Cisco Switch step by step with this basic switch commands and configuration guide.

This tutorial explains Switchport security modes (Protect, Restrict and Shutdown), sticky address, mac address, maximum number of hosts and Switchport security violation rules in detail with examples. Learn how to secure a switch port with Switchport security feature step by step.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of VLAN, VLAN Membership (Static & Dynamic) and VLAN Connections (Access link & Trunk link) in detail with VLAN examples. Learn what VLAN is and what advantages it provides in computer network step by step.

This tutorial explains how to create a practice lab in packet tracer for the practice of VTP Server and Client configuration, DTP configuration, STP Configuration, Intra VLAN communication and Router on Stick Configuration. This lab will help you in understanding the VLAN practically.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of VTP Protocol, VTP Domain, VTP Messages and VTP modes (Server mode, Transparent mode and Client mode) in detail with practical example in packet tracer. Learn how to configure VTP Server and VTP Clients step by step.

This tutorial explains VLAN Tagging, VLAN Trunking protocols (ISL & 802.1Q), DTP Modes (ON, DTP Mode Desirable, Auto, No-Negotiate & OFF) and VLAN Trunk configuration in detail. Learn VLAN Tagging process and DTP Protocols step by step with practical example in packet tracer.

This tutorial explains how to create and assign VLAN, VLAN Membership (Static and Dynamic), Router on Stick and Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) in detail with practical examples in packet tracer. Learn how to create and manage VLAN in Cisco switch step by step.

This article explains basic concepts of IP routing in detail with example. Routing is process of taking data from one device and sending it to another device in different network. Learn how routing connects two different IP networks step by step.

This tutorial explains basic show commands (such as show ip route, show ip interfaces brief, show version, show flash, show running-config, show startup-config, show controllers, etc.) in Cisco router with examples. Learn how to use show commands in Cisco router to get specific information.

This tutorial explains how to configure a Cisco router step by step. Learn how to secure (Enable & Privilege Exec Mode), erase (Running Configuration), enable (Telnet access), set (Hostname, Login banner & Time zone), configure (FastEthernet & Serial interface) and several other essential tasks in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of routing protocols, types of routing protocols (Distance Vector, Link State and Hybrid), routing terms (Metric, Administrative distance, Autonomous System and Routing updates) and static & dynamic routing with advantage & disadvantage in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains IP route command and its parameter, argument and options in detail with examples. Learn how to configure default route and static route with IP route command in Cisco router step by step with practical example in packet tracer.

This tutorial explains how to configure static routing step by step in detail including advantage of static routing and disadvantage of static routing. Learn how to enable, configure, manage and delete static route in Cisco router with practical example in packet tracer.

This tutorial explains basic concepts, fundamental and operations of RIP routing protocol in detail with examples. Learn how RIP (Routing Information Protocol) works and updates routing table from broadcasts message step by step.

This tutorial explains feature, function and terminology of RIP Protocol (Administrative Distance, Routing Metrics, Routing by Rumor, Advertising Updates, Passive interface, Split Horizon, Hop count, Route poisoning, Hold down time, Route Invalid Time, Route Flush Time & Update Time) in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains how to configure RIP Routing protocol step by step in detail. RIP is the simplest and one of the oldest Distance Vector routing protocol. Learn how to enable and configure RIP routing in Cisco router with practical example in packet tracer.

This tutorial explains fundamental and basic concepts of EIGRP Routing protocol including features & characteristics of EIGRP in detail. Learn EIGRP terminology (Neighbor Table, Topology Table, Routing Table, PDM, RTP, DUAL Algorithm Autonomous System and Administrative Distance) step by step with examples.

This tutorial explains EIGRP neighborship requirements (Active hello packets, AS number and K-values) and EIGRP neighbor discovery process in detail with examples including essential EIGRP neighborship configuration values (EIGRP passive interface, EIGRP Adjacency and EIGRP AS Numbers).

This tutorial explains EIGRP Composite Metric calculation formula and components (K1– Bandwidth, K2-Load, K3-Delay, K4-Reliability and K5-MTU) step by step in detail with examples. Learn how EIGRP Composite Metric Formula calculate and select the shortest path to reach the destination.

This tutorial explains how to configure EIGRP Routing protocol in Cisco Routers step by step with practical example in packet tracer. Learn EIGRP configuration commands, EIGRP show commands, EIGRP network configuration (with & without wildcards) and EIGRP routing (classful & classless) in detail.

This tutorial explains OSPF terminology (AS Number, Public AS Numbers, Private AS Numbers, Area, Backbone, Area off Backbone, ABR, IR, Link, State, LSA and LSDB) including basic concepts of OSPF routing protocol, advantage & disadvantage of OSPF and difference between AS and Area in detail with examples.

This tutorial explains OSPF Neighborship requirements (Area ID, Network ID, Authentication, Hello and Dead Intervals, Stub Flag and MTU Size) and conditions in detail with examples. Two routers cannot become OSPF neighbor until these configuration values match on both routers.

This tutorial explains OSPF Neighbor States (Down state, Attempt/Init state, Two ways state, Exstart state, Exchange state, Loading state and Full state) and neighbor discovery process (selecting RID, DR &BDR election process, Adjacent and Adjacency) step by step with examples in easy language.

This tutorial explains how to configure OSPF Routing protocol step by step with practical example in packet tracer. Learn OSPF configuration commands, OSPF show commands, OSPF network configuration (Process ID, Network ID, Wild card mask and Area number) and OSPF routing in detail.

This tutorial explains OSPF Metric calculation formula and SPF algorithm step by step in detail with examples. Learn how SPF (Shortest Path First) algorithm calculates cumulative cost of route to build the Shortest Path Tree (SPT) and how OSPF Metric Formula can be manipulated by changing reference bandwidth value.

This tutorial explains network security threats (hardware & software), types of network security attacks (such as Active & Passive attack, insider & outsider attack, Phishing, Hijack, Spoof, Buffer overflow, Exploit, Password, Packet capturing, Ping sweep, DoS attack etc.) and their possible solutions in detail.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of Cisco Access Control List (ACL), types of ACL (Standard, Extended and named), direction of ACL (inbound and outbound) and location of ACL (entrance and exit). Learn what access control list is and how it filters the data packet in Cisco router step by step with examples.

This tutorial explains Standard Access Control List configuration commands (with options, parameters and arguments) in detail with examples. Learn how to build a standard ACL (Numbered and Named) condition or statement and how to calculate the wildcard mask for Standard ACL configuration commands step by step.

This tutorial explains how to create, enable and configure Standard Access Control List (Number and Named) in router step by step with examples. Learn how to create and implement Standard Access List statements and conditions with wildcard mask in easy language.

This tutorial explains Extended Access Control List configuration commands and its parameters in detail with examples. Learn how to build, enable and delete an extended ACL (Numbered and Named) condition or statement including how to perform host level and application level filtering with Extended ACL.

This tutorial explains how to configure and manage Extended Access Control List step by step in detail. Learn how to create, enable, edit, verify, update, remove (individual or all) and delete Extended ACL statements and conditions in easy language with packet tracer examples.

This tutorial explains Wireless Network types (WLANS, WPANS, WMANS and WWANS) and Wireless network terminology (Ad hoc mode, Infrastructure mode, BSS, ESS, BSA, SSID, WEP, EAP, WPA, WPA2, Infrared, Bluetooth, FHSS, DSSS, FHSS, OFDM, MIMO, RF, Omni directional, 802.11g, 802.11a and 802.11h ) in detail.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of WAN Networking including WAN Switching (Circuit, Cell and Packet) and WAN Terminology (CPE, DP, Local Loop, CO, Toll network, CSU, DSU, DTE, DCE, HDLC, PPP, PPPoE, ISDN, LAPD, LAPB, Frame Relay, MPLS, ATM, DSL, Cable, Synchronous and Asynchronous connection) in detail.

This tutorial explains how to configure, verify and troubleshoot HDLC protocol step by step with example. Learn fundamental and basic concepts of HDLC encapsulation, how HDLC protocol works, HDLC frame and types of HDLC protocol (ISO HDLC & Cisco HDLC) in detail.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of PPP, PPP encapsulation, PPP authentication PAP, PPP authentication CHAP and how to configure PPP protocol on Cisco router step by step.

This tutorial explains basic concepts of Frame Relay step by step in detail with examples including Frame Relay fundamental, Frame Relay Congestion Control method and Frame Relay Terminology (VC, PVC, SVC, DTE, DCE, DE, Access link, LMI types, LMI status enquiry, DLCI numbers, FECN, BECN, Access rate and CIR).

This tutorial explains how to configure Frame Relay step by step. Learn how to configure (LMI option, DLCI number, VC and PCV) create (point-point & multipoint connection and sub interface), verify and debug Frame Relay implementation with practical examples in packet tracer including Frame Relay configuration commands

This tutorial explains basic concepts of NAT (Network Address Translation) protocol, types of NAT (Static NAT, Dynamic NAT, NAT Overload & PAT) and NAT terminology (inside local, outside local, inside global and outside global) in detail. Learn how NAT works step by step with practical examples in packet tracer.

This tutorial explains Static NAT configuration in detail. Learn how configure static NAT, map address (inside local address, outside local address, inside global address and outside global address), debug and verify Static NAT translation step by step with practical examples in packet tracer.

This tutorial explains Dynamic NAT configuration (creating an access list of IP addresses which need translation, creating a pool of available IP address, mapping access list with pool and defining inside and outside interfaces) in detail. Learn how to configure, manage, verify and debug dynamic NAT step by step.