CCNA learning path · 200-301 v2.0
Get into networking with the CCNA, from wherever you are.
Six stages and 23 browser labs, in a set order, with nothing to install. Tell us where you are and we will show you what to do first.
New to networking? Start with the visual fundamentals lesson →
Start with the basics, and pick a course to go with them
Choose a video course or book
Labs give you practice. A course gives you the full syllabus. Good free ones exist.
Compare optionsLearn how networks talk
Work through stage 1 at your own pace, starting with practice questions. Its two labs introduce your first commands, step by step.
Start stage 1Try a lab
See what fixing a network problem feels like. It comes from stage 2, so lean on the hints. Free, with no signup.
Open the free lab
Not sure the CCNA is right yet? Some people start with Network+ or a help desk job, and that is a good route too.
Practise each topic right after you learn it
Find the stage you are on
Use the route below to match it to where you are in your course.
See the routeRun the labs with hints
Put the theory to work on small, broken networks.
Browse guided labsRepeat them without hints
If you can name what proves the fix, you are ready to move on.
Pick a stage
Stuck on subnetting? Most people are at some point. Drill it as often as you need
Find your gaps before exam day
Take the readiness assessment
Questions and practical simulations mapped to the CCNA v2.0 blueprint. Cisco runs v1.1 until 2 February 2027, so check which version you are booked on.
Start the assessmentGo back to your weak stages
Your results point you to the topics that need more work.
See the routeFinish with the final challenge
Restore connectivity and prove the access policy on one network.
Open the challenge
Want to check the details? See every v2.0 exam objective and where our practice covers it
The route, from first step to exam day
Select a stage to see what is in it. Each one builds on the last, so work in order, and go at the pace that suits you.
How networks talk
What an IP address is, how data gets from one device to another, and how to divide a network into subnets.
Before you begin: Nothing. Start here; no command-line experience needed.
1. Learn and check the ideas
2. Practise in a lab
Start with hints on. When it feels easy, try again without them.
Subnetting is the part many beginners find hardest. Take your time here, it pays off in every later stage.
Connect devices with switches
How switches keep groups of devices separate with VLANs, and how they stop traffic going round in loops.
Before you begin: Recognise a subnet and a broadcast domain.
1. Learn and check the ideas
2. Practise in a lab
Start with hints on. When it feels easy, try again without them.
Connect networks with routers
How traffic finds its way between networks, using routes you set by hand and OSPF, a protocol routers use to share paths.
Before you begin: Understand VLANs and IPv4 addressing.
1. Learn and check the ideas
2. Practise in a lab
Start with hints on. When it feels easy, try again without them.
- Static Route: Wrong Next HopBeginner
- Inter-VLAN Routing: SVI DownIntermediate
- Router on a Stick: Missing EncapsulationIntermediate
- HSRP: Priority and PreemptIntermediate
- OSPF Neighbor Down: Area Mismatch
- IPv6 Static Route: Invalid Next HopIntermediate
- IPv6 SLAAC: Prefix Not Advertised for AutoconfigurationBeginner
Run the services networks rely on
How devices get an address, share one public address, keep the right time, and get managed remotely.
Before you begin: Read a routing table and verify reachability.
1. Learn and check the ideas
2. Practise in a lab
Start with hints on. When it feels easy, try again without them.
Keep the network secure
How to control who can reach what, then check that normal traffic still works afterwards.
Before you begin: Understand addressing, trunks, and traffic direction.
1. Learn and check the ideas
2. Practise in a lab
Start with hints on. When it feels easy, try again without them.
See how automation fits in
How to read the data formats network tools use, and when to trust advice from an AI assistant.
Before you begin: Explain and verify a manual configuration change.
1. Learn and check the ideas
This stage is questions only, with no labs.
- Check you are ready for the exam
Milestones along the way
What a lab feels like
Something is broken on a small network. You look for clues, make a change, then check it worked. Hints are there until you no longer need them.
Try this lab free, no signupWhere this can take you
Many people start in help desk or network support, then move into network administration with experience. The certification opens doors, and hands-on practice gives you something real to talk about in interviews.
In the US, network support specialists earned a median of $76,220 in May 2025, and network administrators $99,130. These are medians across all experience levels, not starting pay.
CCNA lab options compared
Most candidates use more than one. Build freely in a full emulator, and use prepared faults to practise finding problems you did not create.
| Option | Setup | Devices | Faults to diagnose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Packet Tracer | Desktop install, free with a Cisco Networking Academy account | Simulated IOS | Build any topology yourself; course activities include some prepared faults |
| Cisco CML Free | Local install on a capable PC, limited to a few nodes | Real Cisco images | Build and break it yourself |
| GNS3 or EVE-NG | Local install, plenty of RAM, and your own device images | Real device images | Build and break it yourself |
| LabFabric CCNA path | Nothing to install; any modern browser with a keyboard | Focused simulation of the commands each lab needs | 23 prepared faults with guided and expert modes |
Questions about these CCNA labs
Do I need any IT experience?
No. There are no entry requirements for the CCNA exam, and stage 1 assumes you have never typed a network command. Expect the early weeks to feel like learning a new language. That is normal.
Is this all I need to pass the CCNA?
No. This path is practice, not a full course. Each lab models the commands its fault needs, not a full IOS, so pair it with a video course or book, and free building time in Packet Tracer or CML.
Are these CCNA labs free?
The spanning tree root-bridge lab is open without signup. A free account unlocks five more guided labs of your choice, and you can try 50 practice questions free. The rest of the path, and unlimited practice questions, come with a Learning Pass. The Cisco exam itself costs about $300 plus tax, booked separately.
Will the CCNA get me a job?
It helps, but it does not guarantee one. Many people start in help desk or network support and move up as they gain experience. Hands-on practice gives you real problems to talk about in interviews.
Do I need Packet Tracer or a Cisco account?
Not for this path. Every lab runs in your browser as a simulation, so there is nothing to download, no Cisco account, and no device images to find.
Does it work on a Chromebook, Mac or iPad?
Yes. The labs run in any modern browser, so a Chromebook, Mac, Linux machine or iPad with a keyboard all work. Packet Tracer, CML and GNS3 all need a desktop install.
What is the difference between guided and expert mode?
Guided mode gives hints and lets you reveal the fix. Expert mode hides both. Only expert completions without revealing an answer count as unaided in your practice record.
Know what you’re getting
The STP root-bridge lab is open without signup. A free account unlocks five additional guided labs. Try 50 practice questions free across the site. Dedicated hosted network lab sessions are purchased separately.
See current pricing, pass duration and accessPlanning the exam? CCNA cost · CCNA salary trends · Compare CCNA resources
Scope and sources
This is independently authored practice. The path concentrates on switching, routing, services, and access security. EIGRP and advanced routing exercises elsewhere in the catalogue are extension material.
Compare with Cisco’s published exam objectivesLast reviewed against the CCNA 200-301 v2.0 exam topics: October 2026. Content maintained by LabFabric. Found an issue? Send the page URL and the command or answer that needs review.