This post is short, sweet, and straightforward. It answers the most common questions about the CCNA Official Cert Guide products. It details the new 2nd Edition books, out in calendar year 2024. It also mentions the discounts available from the publisher!

Cisco announced Version 1.1 of the CCNA 200-301 blueprint on April 22, 2024. They also announced an exam cutover date of August 20, 2024. If you happen to be studying for CCNA in those months, you need a plan! This post (and the embedded video that discusses the same topic) will hopefully help calm your […]

Cisco just announced (April 2024) a new version of the CCNA 200-301 blueprint. It’s a minor change. But with almost five years of time since the last blueprint announcement, there’s much more to do in the books. We’ll have new editions out in the June-to-August timeframe, with much more than blueprint updates. Learn about the […]

For the first time in almost five years, Cisco today announced a new CCNA exam blueprint: The CCNA 200-301 Version 1.1 blueprint. Dramatic, right? Let’s look at the changes together in this post – or watch the video linked inside for the scoop.

I’ve written and taught a lot during my career, but I’ve never made a concerted effort to use YouTube. Well, it’s time. The channel name is Network Upskill, and the URL is www.youtube.com/@networkupskill. You can go straight to the channel and watch the channel intro video—or read this short post for a few words about […]

We’ve updated the blog site! Driven by a need to change to a new WordPress theme, I invested more time updating some of the styling, content, and features to make the site more usable for anyone studying for CCNA. I hope you like the changes! The rest of this post describes what changed here in […]

The last several editions of the CCNA Official Cert Guides include an appendix titled “Exam Updates.” It exists as a simple way to deliver small amounts of new content to you, the people who own the book. Books are great, and most people still prefer a paper book – but that does not allow for […]

I like to use what I call terminology heat maps when studying, so much so that I also recommend them to students when teaching classes at O’Reilly (learning.oreilly.com). I describe what a terminology heat map is in class – but its time to give some support to the idea here at the blog. This page […]

Back in 2023, Cisco announced an annual cycle during which they consider making changes in each certification track. Cisco just announced their plans for this year’s cycle for the CCNA certification, and the big news: No CCNA blueprint changes! I didn’t bury the lead, but if you want more about how that might impact your […]

Most Config Lab posts here at my blog follow a consistent formula: A problem statement (requirements, figures, and inital configuration), followed by you creating the configuration, and closing with a review of my suggested solution. This lab deviates. Why? I need a scripted lab with specific steps to help you learn the basics of the […]