Networking
Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep
Learn networking from scratch with Packet Tracer labs, from subnetting and VLANs to OSPF, as preparation for Cisco's CCNA exam.
Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for IT and OT technicians, students and network beginners preparing for Cisco's CCNA 200-301 exam. It has 15 modules and takes about 22.5 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 22.5 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- IT and OT technicians, students and network beginners preparing for Cisco's CCNA 200-301 exam
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: network engineer, industrial network technician, systems integrator and IT and OT support engineer. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- Cisco Packet Tracer, free with a Cisco Networking Academy account (see the system requirements on the download page). A web browser for everything else. Hardware: A computer that can run Packet Tracer. No routers or switches are needed.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Explain how data crosses a network using the OSI and TCP/IP models
- Subnet an IPv4 network and allocate addresses with VLSM
- Configure VLANs, trunks, static routes and OSPF
- Set up DHCP, NAT and access control lists
- Build and test a whole network in Cisco Packet Tracer
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
IT and OT technicians, students and network beginners preparing for Cisco's CCNA 200-301 exam.
Level: Beginner. Beginner to intermediate. For IT and OT technicians, students and anyone new to networking. You need to use a computer confidently; no networking experience is assumed, and the binary arithmetic is taught from the start.
What you need
Software: Cisco Packet Tracer, free with a Cisco Networking Academy account (see the system requirements on the download page). A web browser for everything else..
Hardware: A computer that can run Packet Tracer. No routers or switches are needed.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Practise in the 3D labOptional
Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
15 modules in order, at your own pace. 22.5 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1Networks, devices and how the CCNA exam works39m
- 2Cables, interfaces and the OSI and TCP/IP models1h 9m
- 3Packet Tracer and the Cisco command line52m
- 4Ethernet switching, MAC address tables and ARP1h 22m
- 5IPv4 addressing1h 21m
- 6Routing fundamentals and static routes1h 21m
- 7Subnetting and VLSM1h 18m
- 8VLANs, trunks and inter-VLAN routing, with lab practice: 1h 15m
Show the other 7 modules
- 9Spanning Tree Protocol1h 21m
- 10OSPF single-area routing1h 17m
- 11IPv61h 19m
- 12Access control lists and security basics, with lab practice: 1h 28m
- 13DHCP, DNS and NAT1h 15m
- 14Wireless, network automation and APIs1h 9m
- 15Final Assessment8m
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Packet Tracer is free with a Cisco Networking Academy account. Wireshark is optional, for looking at real traffic on a network you own.
Show what to download (2 tools)
Required
- 01Free
Cisco Packet Tracer
Cisco Networking Academy
- Runs on
- Windows 11, macOS 12 or newer, or Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS; 64-bit Intel or AMD (x86-64) processor, 4 GB of free RAM and 1.4 GB of free disk space
- Account
- A free Cisco Networking Academy (netacad.com) account
Free for Cisco Networking Academy students, instructors and alumni. Download it only from netacad.com, after signing in.
Steps
- 1.Sign up for a free account at netacad.com.
- 2.Enrol in the free Getting Started with Cisco Packet Tracer course, which explains the download and installation.
- 3.Sign in and open Resources, then Lab downloads (the Resource Hub), and download Packet Tracer for your system.
- 4.Run the installer, then sign in with your Networking Academy account when Packet Tracer asks.
- Copies on other websites may be old or altered; use only netacad.com.
- Packet Tracer simulates IOS: a few commands differ from real equipment, which does not matter for CCNA practice.
Official download pagenetacad.com
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 02Free
Wireshark
Wireshark Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows 11 or 10 64-bit (x64 or Arm64), Windows Server 2016 or later, macOS (Universal disk image), Linux
- Account
- None needed
Free, open source software. No licence fee for any use.
Steps
- 1.Open wireshark.org/download.html.
- 2.Download the Windows x64 Installer (or Arm64, or the macOS Universal Disk Image).
- 3.Run the installer and keep the Npcap option ticked on Windows.
- 4.Open Wireshark, pick your network interface and click the blue fin to start capturing.
- Npcap is needed for live capture on Windows. The Windows installer includes it.
- Only capture traffic on networks you own or have written permission to monitor.
Official download pagewireshark.org
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise the same ideas as VLANs and access lists on a plant network: split it into zones, join them with few links and deny the rest.
- Map the plant network: put every device on its levelOT security labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Map the plant network: put every device on its level
- Zones and conduits: split a flat networkOT security labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Zones and conduits: split a flat network
- Firewall rules: the minimum, then deny by defaultOT security labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Firewall rules: the minimum, then deny by default
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 12 hours
Designing and building a segmented office and plant network for a juice bottling site in Packet Tracer
Design the network for a juice bottling plant with an office, a filling and packing hall and CCTV. Then build and test it in Cisco Packet Tracer. You plan zones in the lab, write a VLSM address plan, and build VLANs, trunks and Rapid PVST+ with a chosen root. You add inter-VLAN routing on a multilayer switch, OSPF to the edge router, PAT, DHCP, SSH and an ACL that lets the office read the plant historian and nothing else. The sample pack shows each document for a plant in Chile.
- 5documents in the pack
- 13steps to follow
- Laboptional: in the 3D lab
- 8things to hand in
- 12 hof work, at your pace
- Network designOffice, packing hall and CCTV network
- IP planSite addresses and device list
- Network architectureDevices and links by level
- RegisterACL and NAT register
- Test reportPacket Tracer build and fault exercises
Do it in the lab: 5 steps.
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
SCADA and HMI
Eight short weeks of tags, screens, alarms and trends: notes, diagrams, a few videos and practice in LADX Mini and free web SCADA tools. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
See the internshipMore free courses
Roles that use this skill
- Network engineer
- Industrial network technician
- Systems integrator
- IT and OT support engineer
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: Jeremy's IT Lab, freeCodeCamp.org, David Bombal Tech, PowerCert Animated Videos. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Jeremy's IT Lab · freeCodeCamp.org · David Bombal Tech · PowerCert Animated Videos. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab
Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.
- Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
- The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
- Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course, and what comes after it.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
Common questions
Is this the CCNA certification?
No. This is an exam preparation course. The EDWartens certificate shows you completed it; the CCNA is awarded only by Cisco, to people who pass Cisco's 200-301 exam, which you book through Cisco. EDWartens is not affiliated with Cisco, and Cisco, CCNA and Packet Tracer are Cisco trademarks.
Which version of the CCNA exam does it follow?
The v1.1 exam topics, which is the version on sale now. Cisco has announced that v1.1 can be taken until 2 February 2027 and that v2.0 goes live on 3 February 2027 under the same code. The notes list what v2.0 adds, and most of the course carries straight into it. Check Cisco's site for the current exam before you book.
Who is the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course for?
IT and OT technicians, students and anyone new to networking, including people who look after plant networks and want to understand the IP networking under industrial protocols. No experience is needed.
Do I need routers and switches?
No. Every lab runs in Cisco Packet Tracer, which is free with a Cisco Networking Academy account. The notes show where to download it.
Whose lessons are these?
Most are from Jeremy's IT Lab's free CCNA course, with short lessons from freeCodeCamp.org, David Bombal and PowerCert Animated Videos, credited on every module. EDWartens wrote the notes, the worked subnetting problems, the practice tasks, the 169 practice questions, the project and the final assessment.
Is the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course really free?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the project and the final assessment. The only paid item is the EDWartens certificate, if you want it. Cisco's exam is separate and is paid to Cisco.
How long does the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course take?
About 17 hours of video plus notes and practice, plus about 12 hours if you do the project. Most people need extra lab and revision time on top before sitting Cisco's exam.
What is the project in the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course?
You design and build the network for a juice bottling plant in Rancagua, Chile, in Packet Tracer: a VLSM address plan, VLANs and trunks, spanning tree, OSPF, PAT, DHCP and an ACL that keeps the office out of the control network, then test it and write the handover documents. A complete sample pack shows each one.
Do I have to use the lab?
No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.
Is the lab free?
Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.
What topics does the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course cover, module by module?
The Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course has 15 modules. It opens with "Networks, devices and how the CCNA exam works", goes through "Cables, interfaces and the OSI and TCP/IP models", "Routing fundamentals and static routes", "OSPF single-area routing" and "Wireless, network automation and APIs" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course?
After the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course: Explain the OSI and TCP/IP models and encapsulation, and choose copper or fibre for a link; Configure Cisco routers and switches from the command line in Packet Tracer, and secure and save them; Predict how a switch learns MAC addresses and how ARP finds a host. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course, and does it cost anything?
For the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course, software: Cisco Packet Tracer, free with a Cisco Networking Academy account (see the system requirements on the download page). A web browser for everything else. Hardware: A computer that can run Packet Tracer. No routers or switches are needed. The course itself is free.
Is the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep is rated beginner. Beginner to intermediate. For IT and OT technicians, students and anyone new to networking. You need to use a computer confidently; no networking experience is assumed, and the binary arithmetic is taught from the start. It is written for IT and OT technicians, students and network beginners preparing for Cisco's CCNA 200-301 exam, and takes about 22.5 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course?
Skills from the Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep course (for example: explain the OSI and TCP/IP models and encapsulation, and choose copper or fibre for a link) are used in roles such as network engineer, industrial network technician, systems integrator and IT and OT support engineer, and in network administrator work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
Computer Networking and CCNA 200-301 Prep, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.