Certified Advanced Networking and System Architect (CANSA)

1. Network Fundamentals

• Introduction to computer networks and their applications in real-world environments.
• Components of data communication: sender, receiver, transmission medium, message, and protocol.
• Communication modes: Simplex, Half-Duplex, Full-Duplex.
• Types of physical topologies: Mesh, Star, Ring, Bus, Hybrid.
• Overview of networking cables: Coaxial, Twisted Pair, Fiber Optics, RJ-45 connectors.
• Client-server vs. peer-to-peer architectures.
• LAN, MAN, WAN – Definitions and use cases.

2. OSI and TCP/IP Models

• Deep dive into the OSI 7-layer model: role and function of each layer.
• Understanding protocol encapsulation, headers, footers, and payloads.
• TCP/IP 4-layer architecture and comparison with OSI.
• Common protocols and their layers: HTTP, FTP, TCP, UDP, ICMP, etc.

3. Internet and Protocols

• History and evolution of the Internet (ARPANET to TCP/IP).
• Domain Name System (DNS) and IP address resolution.
• Introduction to protocols: HTTP, SMTP, FTP, DNS, and more.
• Understanding IP addressing and ports (well-known, registered, and ephemeral).

4. IPv4 and IPv6 Addressing

• IPv4 address structure, classes, and subnetting.
• CIDR notation, private/public IP ranges.
• Fragmentation and reassembly of IP packets.
• IPv6 overview, benefits, addressing, and transition from IPv4.
• IPv6 overview, benefits, addressing, and transition from IPv4.

5. Subnetting, Supernetting, and VLSM

• Subnetting theory and practical examples.
• Variable Length Subnet Masking (VLSM).
• Supernetting and address aggregation.
• Calculating subnets, ranges, and broadcast addresses.

6. Routing and Switching​

• Static vs Dynamic Routing.
• Routing protocols: RIP, OSPF, BGP.
• Switching basics, VLANs, VTP, and trunking.
• Layer 2/3 switching concepts and devices.

7. Network Security and Access Control

• Network Address Translation (NAT) and types.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) concepts and tunneling protocols.
• Access Control Lists (ACLs) – standard, extended, and named.
• Introduction to firewalls, IDS/IPS (including Snort), and IPTables.

8. Packet Analysis and Network Tools

• Understanding network packets and headers (TCP, UDP, IP, ICMP).
• Tools: Wireshark for deep packet inspection.
• Ping, Traceroute, Netstat, Netsh, and Ipconfig for troubleshooting.
• Packet capturing and analysis for incident response.