PM Networking

CCNA
Exam (200-301) v1.1
Study Companion

www.pmnetworking.in +91-85118 26341

 Working Principle of Wireless Networks
Wireless networks allow devices to communicate and share data without physical connections like cables.

Wireless Networks use Radio waves, antennas, and routers for their communication.

Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity)

1. Wi-Fi is a technology that allows devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets to connect to a

network and access the internet wirelessly.

2. Wi-Fi networks are based on the IEEE 802.11 standards, which define how data is transmitted over radio

frequencies.

WIFI has some key components.

1. Access Points (APs): These are devices that transmit and receive radio signals, allowing Wi-Fi-enabled

devices to connect to a network.

2. SSID (Service Set Identifier): The name of the Wi-Fi network that devices use to identify and connect to

the correct network.

 3. Router: Often, the router serves as the access point, routing data between devices and the broader

internet.

What is the Difference between a Router and an AP

ROUTER ACCESS POINT

Connects devices within a network and to the Extends a wired network by creating a wireless

internet; routes data between networks. network for wireless devices.

Often includes Wi-Fi capabilities, serving as both a Provides Wi-Fi connectivity but requires a connection

router and an access point. to a router or switch.

Configured through a web interface or mobile app; Configured to extend network coverage; may be

supports advanced features like NAT, DHCP, and managed individually or through a central controller.

firewall.
 How Wi-Fi Works:
1. The router or access point emits radio waves within a specific frequency band, such as 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.

These radio waves carry data and provide coverage for wireless communication.

2. Devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets have wireless adapters with antennas. These devices scan

for available Wi-Fi signals and detect the SSIDs (network names) broadcasted by the router or access

point.

3. Once a device detects a Wi-Fi signal with the desired SSID, it can initiate a connection request.

4. To connect, the device typically requires a password or other authentication method to ensure security.

The router or access point verifies the credentials before allowing the device to join the network.

5. After successfully connecting to the network, data can be transmitted between the device and the router

or access point via radio waves.

What is Radio Wave?

1. It is a type of electromagnetic wave used to carry data wirelessly.

2. In a Wi-Fi network, these waves are used to transmit data between the router (or access point) and

Wi-Fi-enabled devices.

3. Wi-Fi typically operates in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands. The frequency determines how far and

how fast data can be transmitted.

What is Antenna?

1. Antennas are crucial components in wireless networks, responsible for sending and receiving radio waves.

2. Both routers and Wi-Fi-enabled devices are equipped with antennas.

WiFi Ethernet Standard

1. Wi-Fi standards define how wireless communication occurs between devices.

2. The standards are developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and are

commonly referenced by their 802.11 protocol.

Wi-Fi Standard Introduction Year Frequency Bands Maximum Data Rate

802.11b 1999 2.4 GHz Up to 11 Mbps

802.11a 1999 5 GHz Up to 54 Mbps

802.11g 2003 2.4 GHz Up to 54 Mbps

802.11n 2009 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Up to 600 Mbps

802.11ac 2013 5 GHz Up to 1.3 Gbps

802.11ax 2019 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Up to 9.6 Gbps

802.11be Expected in 2024-2025 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz Up to 30 Gbps

 What is a WiFi Channel?

1. Wi-Fi channels are like different lanes on a highway. They let Wi-Fi signals travel without bumping into

each other.

2. Just like different lanes on a road can get crowded, Wi-Fi channels can also get busy, which can slow down

your connection.

3. Channel Width means how much data can be sent over the channel at once and influences the speed and

performance of your Wi-Fi network.

Band Channel Range Channel Width Channel Usage Description

2.4 GHz 1–14 20 MHz Channels 1, 6, 11 are Channels 1, 6, and 11 are non-overlapping and preferred

commonly used; others are to avoid interference.

less used due to overlap

5 GHz 36–64, 100–144, 149–165 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 Channels 36, 40, 44, 48 (low Higher channels (e.g., 100–144) are subject to DFS

MHz DFS channels) and 149, 153, (Dynamic Frequency Selection) to avoid interference
 157, 161 (high DFS channels) with radar systems.

are commonly used.

6 GHz 1–233 (U-NII-5, U-NII-6) 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 Channels not yet widely used, Expected to provide additional capacity and reduced

MHz but will be available for Wi-Fi interference.

6E and Wi-Fi 7.

What is a Wi-Fi SSID?

SSID stands for Service Set Identifier. It’s simply the name of a Wi-Fi network that you see when you connect to

Wi-Fi.

How is an SSID Created?

1. When you set up a Wi-Fi router or access point, you can give your network a name. This name is the SSID.

2. The router or access point sends out the SSID as a signal so that devices like smartphones, tablets, and

laptops can see it and connect to your Wi-Fi network.

 Steps to configure SSID on Cisco Meraki.

Points need to be remembered during the Creation of SSID

1. Choose a name that is unique to avoid confusion with other nearby networks. This helps you and others

easily identify your network.

2. SSIDs can be up to 32 characters long.

3. You can use letters, numbers, and some special characters.

4. For security reasons, avoid using personal information (like your name or address) in your SSID. This helps

keep your network less identifiable and reduces the risk of targeted attacks.

5. SSIDs are broadcast so that anyone within range can see them.

6. If you want to hide your SSID from appearing in the list of available networks, you can configure your

router to stop broadcasting it.

What is RF in Wireless?
1. RF, or Radio Frequency, is the energy used by Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies to transmit

information through the air.

2. It enables wireless communication by allowing devices to connect and exchange data over distances

without physical connections.

 How Does RF Work?
1. RF uses radio waves, which are a type of electromagnetic wave. These waves can travel through the air,

carrying information like internet data, TV signals, and phone calls.

2. Radio waves come in different frequencies, measured in hertz (Hz). The higher the frequency, the more

data it can carry, but it also has a shorter range. Wi-Fi typically uses two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz

(gigahertz) and 5 GHz.

3. When you connect a device (like a phone or laptop) to Wi-Fi, the device sends data to the router using RF

signals. The router then sends this data to the internet. The router also sends data back to your device

using RF.

4. Both the router and your device have antennas that send and receive these RF signals. The quality of the

signal can depend on things like the distance between the device and the router, obstacles (like walls), and

interference from other devices.

5. Lower frequencies (like 2.4 GHz) have a longer range but can get crowded because many devices use this

band. Higher frequencies (like 5 GHz) have a shorter range but less interference and can carry more data.
 What is Encryption in Wireless?
Encryption in wireless networks is like a secret code that protects your data when it’s sent over Wi-Fi. It ensures

that only authorized devices can understand and access the information being transmitted.

Why Do We Need Encryption?

When you use Wi-Fi, your data travels through the air, and without protection, anyone nearby could potentially

see or steal that data. Encryption helps keep your information safe.

How Does Encryption Work?

1. When you connect to a Wi-Fi network, your device and the router agree on a way to encrypt the data. This

is done using a special key, which is like a password that both the device and the router know.

2. As you browse the internet or send a message, your device encrypts the data using the encryption key.

This makes the data look like gibberish to anyone who might try to intercept it.
 3. When the data reaches the router (or another device on the network), it’s decrypted using the same key.

This way, the information can be read and used correctly.

Note - There are different methods of encryption used in Wi-Fi, like WEP, WPA, and WPA2. WPA2 is the most

common and secure method used today.

How device generate the Secret Key and how they exchanged?

When your laptop connects to a Wi-Fi network, it exchanges a key with the Access Point (AP) through a process

called the Four-Way Handshake.

Step-by-Step Process of Key Exchange

When you try to connect to the Wi-Fi network, your laptop sends a request to the Access Point (AP). If the

network is secured (using WPA2, for example), the AP asks your laptop for a password.

Once you enter the correct Wi-Fi password, both your laptop and the AP generate a Master Key (also called a

Pairwise Master Key, or PMK).

This key is based on the password and some other information like the SSID of the network.

Both your laptop and the AP have the same PMK, but it is not directly used to encrypt the data.

After generating PMK they perform a Four-Way Handshake:

Now, the Four-Way Handshake begins. This is a series of four messages exchanged between your laptop and the

AP to create another key called the Pairwise Transient Key (PTK), which is actually used for encryption.

1. Message 1: The AP sends a random number (called an ANonce) to your laptop.

2. Message 2: Your laptop uses the ANonce, its own random number (called SNonce), and the Master Key

(PMK) to create the PTK. It sends the SNonce to the AP.

3. Message 3: The AP now has both nonces (ANonce and SNonce) and the PMK, so it can also generate the

same PTK. The AP sends a message back to your laptop confirming that it has the correct PTK.

4. Message 4: Your laptop confirms it received the message and is ready to start secure communication.

5. With the PTK now established on both your laptop and the AP, they use it to encrypt and decrypt the data

they send to each other. This keeps your information secure while it travels over the Wi-Fi network.
 Virtualization
Virtualization is a technology that allows you to create multiple operating systems on a single physical device.

It's like turning one computer into many "mini-computers" that can do different tasks.

Server Virtualization
1. Server virtualization is when you take one physical server (a powerful computer) and divide it into

multiple smaller virtual servers. Each virtual server can run its own operating system and applications

independently.

2. Imagine you have a powerful computer that you divide into three virtual servers. One runs a website,

another runs a database, and the third one handles email services—all on the same physical machine.

What Are Containers?

Containers are like special boxes that hold an application and everything it needs to run. This means that no

matter where you take this box—whether it’s on your computer, another computer, or a server in the cloud—the

application will work the same way.

 Why Are Containers Useful?
1. Imagine you wrote a story on your laptop using a specific word processor. If you try to open that story on

another computer that doesn’t have the same word processor, you might have trouble.

2. But if you put the word processor and the story together in a box (a container), you can open and edit the

story on any computer, because the box includes everything you need.

VRFs (Virtual Routing and Forwarding)

1. VRF is a technology used in networking that allows multiple separate virtual networks to exist on a single

physical router.

2. Each virtual network (or VRF) can have its own routing table, separate from the others.

3. VRFs allow you to keep different networks isolated from each other while using the same physical

hardware.

4. This is useful for security and for managing multiple customers on the same network equipment.
 PM Networking
www.pmnetworking.in +91-85118 26341