A self-paced IT foundations track that pairs the four-course Cisco NetAcad sequence with a hands-on Active Directory curriculum — the two pillars of every entry-level IT role — plus the full Junior Cybersecurity Analyst (JCA) path now unlocked. Every lab opens a complete step-by-step guide. Aligned to CCNA 200-301 v1.1, AZ-800, and the Cisco JCA Career Certificate, current for 2026 and built to age well.
Mark modules complete as you go and check off labs from their guides. Everything below updates live and saves to your browser automatically.
Your entry point. Home networks, components and types, wireless and mobile, connecting to the internet, IP addressing fundamentals, and basic security.
The bridge to CCNA. Protocols and models, media, the access layer, IPv4/IPv6, DHCP, ARP, routing, TCP/UDP, and building a small Cisco network.
CCNA-level depth. VLANs, inter-VLAN routing, STP & Rapid PVST+, EtherChannel, DHCP, FHRP, LAN + switch security, WLAN (WPA3), static routing.
The systems half of every helpdesk and sysadmin job. Stand up Windows Server 2025, install AD DS, build OUs/users/groups, apply AGDLP, join clients, run the 5-ticket helpdesk runbook. PowerShell throughout.
The last CCNA module. Single-area OSPFv2, ACLs, NAT, centralized network services, QoS concepts, controller-based (SDN) architecture, and network automation with real REST API calls and Ansible against Cisco's free DevNet Sandbox.
Each module gives concise concept notes, objectives, and topics — what it is, why it matters, where it shows up in production today.
Click any lab to open a full walkthrough: topology, numbered steps with real IOS commands, verification, success criteria, and a stretch challenge.
Build it in Packet Tracer 9, mark it done, and capture it in a GitHub repo. By the end you have 69 documented builds.
Free digital badges as you go, paid certs for the resume. No module is just for fun — each one ladders toward credentials hiring managers recognize. Exam fees are approximate (verify on the vendor site).
Auto-issued through Cisco NetAcad and Microsoft Learn when you complete the matching free course in parallel with this curriculum. Real digital badges (Credly / Microsoft Learn) you can post on LinkedIn.
The credentials that get you past helpdesk applicant tracking systems. Pick one or two based on your target — Cisco-leaning roles want CCST, vendor-neutral helpdesks want Network+ or Security+.
These open junior network engineer and sysadmin roles. Six months in with two of these and you're in $70–95K territory for the NY/NJ metro. The destination of this track.
All courses below are in your NetAcad dashboard right now. Use them as the textbook + assessment side; this site is the lab + portfolio side. Together they cover four full career tracks with real credentials at every milestone.
The on-ramp. No prerequisites. Learn what a network is, how the pieces connect, how data moves, and how to build and secure a small home network — most of it simulated in Packet Tracer 9. Earns the Cisco NetAcad "Networking Basics" digital badge and starts the path to CCST Networking ($125).
The bridge into CCNA. Go under the hood — protocols and models, media and the access layer, the full IP story, DHCP, ARP, routing between networks, transport protocols, and your first real Cisco IOS configuration. Earns the NetAcad "Networking Essentials" badge and directly preps the CCST Networking ($125) exam — Cisco's entry credential.
CCNA-level depth on switching and router operations for SMB networks. The 16-module SRWE sequence with v1.1 updates (Rapid PVST+, WPA3, cloud context): VLANs and inter-VLAN routing, STP, EtherChannel, dynamic addressing, FHRP, LAN and switch security, wireless with a WLC, and static routing — capped with a full campus build. Earns the NetAcad "SRWE" badge and ladders into CCNA 200-301 v1.1 ($330) — the industry standard for junior network engineer roles.
The systems half of every helpdesk and sysadmin job. Stand up a Windows Server 2025 lab, install AD DS, build users/groups/OUs with proper delegation, apply Microsoft's AGDLP best practice, join clients, and run the 5 helpdesk tickets you'll see your first week. PowerShell integrated throughout. Earns Microsoft Learn AD DS path trophy and preps AZ-800 ($165) — Microsoft's Windows Server Hybrid Administrator cert.
The last CCNA module — and the one this repo's own gap analysis pointed straight at. Single-area OSPFv2, ACLs, NAT, centralized network services, QoS concepts, controller-based (SDN) architecture, and network automation with real REST API calls and Ansible against Cisco's free DevNet Sandbox. Earns the NetAcad "ENSA" badge and completes the CCNA 200-301 v1.1 ($330) prep sequence.