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CCST Networking Cheat Sheet

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Standards and Concepts

  • 16-17% of exam
  • Models Network Types Protocols Bandwidth vs Throughput

Addressing and Subnets

  • 16-17% of exam
  • IPv4 IPv6 Private IPv4 Subnet Picker

Endpoints and Media

  • 16-17% of exam
  • Media Connectors Endpoint Checks Wi-Fi vs Cellular

Infrastructure

  • 16-17% of exam
  • Device Roles Switching Routing Infrastructure Picker

Diagnosing Problems

  • 16-17% of exam
  • Troubleshooting Commands Wireshark Diagnostic Picker

Security

  • 16-17% of exam
  • Firewalls Wireless Security Security Basics Security Picker

Quick Facts

  • Exam 100-150
  • Credential CCST Networking
  • Time 50 min
  • Price US$125
  • Level Entry-level
  • Prereqs None
  • Result Pass/fail
  • Weights Not public

OSI Order ST

  • Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away
  • Physical Data Link Network Transport Session Presentation Application

Bandwidth vs Throughput ST

Bandwidth

  • Maximum capacity
  • Theoretical ceiling
  • Link capability

Throughput

  • Actual rate
  • Measured performance
  • Real conditions
  • Capacity vs actual

Models ST

  • OSI L1 Bits and media
  • OSI L2 Frames and MACs
  • OSI L3 Packets and IP
  • OSI L4 TCP/UDP ports
  • Frame Layer 2 unit
  • Packet Layer 3 unit
  • Segment TCP data unit
  • Encapsulation Headers added

TCP vs UDP ST

TCP

  • Connection-oriented
  • Reliable
  • Sequenced

UDP

  • Connectionless
  • Low overhead
  • Best effort
  • Reliability vs speed

Network Types ST

  • PAN Personal range
  • LAN Local site
  • WLAN Wireless LAN
  • CAN Campus network
  • MAN Metro area
  • WAN Wide area
  • Cloud Provider-hosted services
  • On-prem Locally hosted services

Protocols ST

  • FTP 20/21 Plain file transfer
  • SFTP 22 SSH file transfer
  • TFTP 69 Simple UDP transfer
  • HTTP 80 Plain web
  • HTTPS 443 Encrypted web
  • DHCP 67/68 Address leasing
  • DNS 53 Name resolution
  • ICMP Reachability messages
  • NTP 123 Time sync
  • TCP Reliable transport
  • UDP Low-overhead transport

Private Ranges AD

  • Ten, seventeen, one-ninety-two stay private
  • 10/8 172.16/12 192.168/16 NAT outward

Public vs Private AD

Public

  • Internet routable
  • Globally unique
  • ISP assigned

Private

  • Internal use
  • Needs NAT
  • RFC1918 ranges
  • Global vs local

Subnet Picker AD

  • Need local delivery → Same subnet
  • Need remote delivery → Default gateway
  • Need public reach → NAT
  • DHCP fails → Check APIPA
  • Name fails → Check DNS
  • IPv6 local only → FE80 address

IPv4 AD

  • IPv4 32-bit address
  • /24 255.255.255.0
  • /25 128 addresses
  • /26 64 addresses
  • /27 32 addresses
  • /30 Two usable hosts
  • Gateway Off-subnet exit
  • Broadcast Subnet-wide delivery

MAC vs IP AD

MAC

  • Layer 2
  • Hardware address
  • Local delivery

IP

  • Layer 3
  • Logical address
  • Routed delivery
  • Local vs routed

Private IPv4 AD

  • 10.0.0.0/8 Private range
  • 172.16.0.0/12 Private range
  • 192.168.0.0/16 Private range
  • 169.254.0.0/16 APIPA range
  • 127.0.0.1 Loopback
  • Public IP Internet-routable
  • Private IP Needs NAT
  • NAT Address translation

IPv6 AD

  • IPv6 128-bit address
  • ::1 Loopback
  • FE80::/10 Link-local
  • FF00::/8 Multicast
  • 2000::/3 Global unicast
  • /64 Common LAN prefix
  • :: Zero compression
  • SLAAC Auto addressing

Wi-Fi vs Cellular EN

Wi-Fi

  • Local AP
  • SSID based
  • Private admin

Cellular

  • Carrier network
  • SIM/eSIM
  • Wide coverage
  • AP vs carrier

Media EN

  • Copper Electrical signaling
  • Fiber Light signaling
  • Coax Broadband cable
  • UTP Twisted pair
  • Cat 5e Gigabit copper
  • Cat 6 Higher-speed copper
  • SMF Long-distance fiber
  • MMF Shorter fiber

Connectors EN

  • RJ45 Ethernet copper
  • RJ11 Phone cable
  • LC Fiber connector
  • SC Fiber connector
  • SFP Modular transceiver
  • USB-C Endpoint adapter
  • Console Device management
  • PoE Power over Ethernet

Endpoint Checks EN

  • Windows ipconfig
  • Linux ip addr
  • macOS Network settings
  • Android Wi-Fi details
  • iOS Wi-Fi info
  • NIC Network adapter
  • SSID Wi-Fi name
  • Airplane mode Radios disabled

Switch vs Router IN

Switch

  • Layer 2
  • MAC table
  • Same LAN

Router

  • Layer 3
  • Routing table
  • Between networks
  • Frames vs packets

Infrastructure Picker IN

  • Same LAN devices → Switch
  • Different networks → Router
  • Wireless clients → Access point
  • Traffic filtering → Firewall
  • Many VLANs → Trunk
  • One endpoint VLAN → Access port

Device Roles IN

  • Switch Connects LAN devices
  • Router Connects networks
  • AP Wireless access
  • Firewall Filters traffic
  • Modem Provider handoff
  • Server Provides services
  • Client Consumes services
  • Printer Network endpoint

Switching IN

  • MAC table Switch lookup
  • Flooding Unknown destination
  • VLAN Broadcast segment
  • Access port One VLAN
  • Trunk Many VLANs
  • STP Loop prevention
  • Link light Physical status
  • Duplex Send/receive mode

Routing IN

  • Route Network path
  • Default route Unknown destinations
  • Static route Manual path
  • Dynamic route Learned path
  • Metric Path cost
  • Hop Next router
  • ARP IP-to-MAC mapping
  • TTL Loop limiter

Ticket Flow DI

  • Scope, test, fix, verify, document, escalate
  • Scope Test Fix Verify Document Escalate

DNS vs DHCP DI

DNS

  • Names to addresses
  • Resolver setting
  • Website names

DHCP

  • Leases addresses
  • Scope setting
  • Client IP config
  • Names vs leases

Diagnostic Picker DI

  • No link light → Check cable
  • No IP address → Check DHCP
  • IP works only → Check DNS
  • Path stops → traceroute
  • Need packet proof → Wireshark
  • Cisco status needed → show commands

Commands DI

  • ping Tests reachability
  • traceroute Shows path hops
  • tracert Windows path hops
  • nslookup Queries DNS
  • ipconfig Windows IP settings
  • ifconfig Legacy interface info
  • arp -a Shows ARP cache
  • netstat Shows connections

Troubleshooting DI

  • Identify Gather symptoms
  • Scope Who is affected
  • Theory Likely cause
  • Test Prove theory
  • Fix Apply change
  • Verify Confirm service
  • Document Record outcome
  • Escalate Transfer cleanly

Security AAA SE

  • Authenticate, authorize, account for access
  • Identity Permission Logging

AuthN vs AuthZ SE

AuthN

  • Who are you
  • Login proof
  • Identity

AuthZ

  • What allowed
  • Permission check
  • Access
  • Identity vs permission

Security Picker SE

  • Need identity proof → Authentication
  • Need allowed actions → Authorization
  • Need traffic control → Firewall
  • Home Wi-Fi setup → WPA2/WPA3
  • Guest devices → Guest network
  • Unknown threat → Escalate

Security Basics SE

  • CIA Security triad
  • Authentication Proves identity
  • Authorization Grants access
  • Accounting Tracks actions
  • MFA Multiple factors
  • Encryption Protects data
  • Patch Fixes flaws
  • Least privilege Minimum access

Wireless Security SE

  • WPA2 Common Wi-Fi security
  • WPA3 Modern Wi-Fi security
  • PSK Shared passphrase
  • SSID Network name
  • Guest Wi-Fi Isolated access
  • WPS Disable if risky
  • Evil twin Rogue AP
  • Firewall rule Permit or deny

Common Traps

Official Weights

  • Cisco lists topics ≠ Weights not public

Ping Passing

  • ICMP works ≠ App may fail

DNS Failure

  • IP may work ≠ Names may fail

APIPA Meaning

  • DHCP likely failed ≠ Cable not proven

Switch Role

  • MAC forwarding ≠ Not IP routing

Router Role

  • IP routing ≠ Not MAC switching

SSID Hiding

  • Name still discoverable ≠ Not real security

Fix Process

  • Verify before closing ≠ Document after fix

Last Minute

  • 1. Cisco publishes no weights
  • 2. Exam: 100-150, 50 minutes
  • 3. Switches forward by MAC
  • 4. Routers forward by IP
  • 5. DNS resolves names
  • 6. DHCP leases IP settings
  • 7. APIPA suggests DHCP failure
  • 8. Gateway exits local subnet
  • 9. WPA2/WPA3 for Wi-Fi
  • 10. Document before closing ticket
  • 11. Wireshark proves packet facts
  • 12. Escalate with clean evidence

Cisco CCST Networking

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