Networking
CCNA tutorials, Cisco guides, and enterprise networking insights for IT professionals.
Troubleshooting Inter-VLAN Issues – Briefly Explained
If you are using a legacy Inter-VLAN routing, ensure that the switch ports connecting to the router interface are configured in the correct VLAN. This is a very common issue with a switch port and requires troubleshooting. If a switch port is not configured to the correct VLAN, the devices on that VLAN cannot communicate...
Verifying Inter-VLAN Routing Using Ping and Tracert Commands
Inter-VLAN routing enables communication between devices on different VLANs, a critical concept. Verifying host-to-host connectivity ensures proper configuration and operation of inter-VLAN routing. This article explores the ping and tracert utilities, essential tools for network engineers to test connectivity and troubleshoot issues. When configuring the Inter-VLAN routing, we must verify the host-to-host connectivity and data...
Router-on-Stick Inter-VLAN Routing – Exclusive Explanation
In a previous lesson, legacy inter-VLAN routing requires multiple physical interfaces on the router and the switch. However, in the ‘Router-on-stick’ configuration, only one physical interface is needed on both sides. The Router-on-a-stick allows routing packets to subnets associated with VLANs connected to a router 802.1Q trunk. The Router-on-Stick uses a VLAN trunking configuration and...
Master Legacy Inter-VLAN Routing (Updated 2025)
As we learned, each VLAN usually works on its own subnet. The network switches mainly work at layer 2 of the OSI model, so they do not examine the logical addresses. Therefore, for traffic between VLANs, inter-VLAN routing is required. The Legacy Inter-VLAN routing is the first solution for traffic between different VLANs. It relies...
What is Dynamic Routing Algorithms (Updated 2025)
Dynamic routing is a networking technique that provides optimal data routing. The network administrators and engineers configure a dynamic routing protocol on the network interfaces. The protocol running on the router learns about other routers automatically and also dynamically exchanges routing information with other routers. Dynamic routing protocols perform several activities, including network discovery and...
Master How to configure Static Route – IPv4 and IPv6 (Updated 2025)
We can configure static or dynamic routes after configuring directly connected interfaces. Static routes are manually configured and provide a clear path between two networking devices. However, they must be manually reconfigured if the network topology changes, which is the main disadvantage of static routes. It is more secure and efficient than dynamic routes. It...
What is a Routing Table -Explained
Routing tables are the backbone of IP networking, guiding routers in forwarding data packets to their intended destinations efficiently. For CCNA and CCNP students, mastering routing tables is essential, as they form a core component of Cisco certification exams and real-world network administration. A routing table contains critical information about network paths, including directly connected...
What is Administrative Distance – Explain
In network environments, routers often receive multiple routes to the same destination from different sources, such as routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, EIGRP, RIP), static routes, or directly connected networks. To select the most trustworthy route, Cisco routers use Administrative Distance (AD), a critical concept in the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) curriculum. This article explains AD’s...
What is Network Load Balancing
Routers use administrative distance (AD) to prioritize routes learned from different routing protocols when multiple paths to a destination exist. AD is a value assigned to each routing protocol, with lower values indicating higher preference (e.g., EIGRP AD is 90, OSPF AD is 110). If multiple paths exist within the same protocol (same AD), the...
Mastering Router Path Selection: Best Path Determination (Updated 2025)
Understanding how routers select the best path for packet forwarding is a cornerstone of networking and a key topic for CCNA and CCNP certification exams. Routers use their routing tables to determine the optimal path based on metrics like administrative distance and protocol-specific values. This article dives into the mechanics of path selection, including directly...