CCNP-level topics
Topics beyond the CCNA blueprint — deeper routing, advanced security, modern automation. Not full CCNP curriculum coverage. The topics that pair naturally with CCNA learning and round out a working network engineer's toolkit.
Free: CCNP Interview Bank — 40 Questions Routing · security · automation · design · troubleshooting — with talking points Open →Network Fundamentals
Deeper protocol behavior.
Network Access
Advanced Layer-2.
IP Connectivity
Advanced routing — BGP, multi-area OSPF, EIGRP, IPv6.
GRE Tunnels
How to make two distant routers feel directly connected by wrapping IP inside IP. Covers tunnel interface config, MTU caveats, why GRE itself isn't encrypted, and the standard 'GRE over IPsec' combination.
EIGRP
Cisco's hybrid routing protocol — distance-vector smarts with link-state speed. Covers the DUAL algorithm, successor vs feasible successor, the metric formula, and why EIGRP recovers from failures in milliseconds.
OSPF Multi-Area
Why a single OSPF area stops working past ~50 routers, and how multi-area design fixes it. Covers ABRs, ASBRs, area 0 backbone rules, LSA types, and the area design decisions that scale OSPF to thousands of routers.
IPv6 Routing — Static & OSPFv3
How routing works in an IPv6-only or dual-stack network. Covers IPv6 static routes, OSPFv3 (OSPF for IPv6), default routes, and the differences from IPv4 routing you need to know.
BGP Basics
Definitive CCNP-level BGP guide — autonomous systems, eBGP vs iBGP, path-vector routing, neighbor states, full best-path selection process, attributes deep dive (AS_PATH, LOCAL_PREF, MED, communities), route reflectors, RPKI, 8 worked scenarios, and the BGP debug workflow.
MPLS Basics
Multi-Protocol Label Switching demystified — labels instead of IP lookups, label distribution (LDP), the P/PE/CE model, MPLS L3VPN, and why MPLS still dominates the WAN backbone.
VRF Basics — Virtual Routing and Forwarding
How a router can pretend to be multiple separate routers with isolated routing tables — VRF-lite vs MPLS-VPN VRFs, RDs/RTs, and the use cases (multi-tenant, management plane, lab isolation).
IP Services
Advanced services.
Security Fundamentals
Deeper security.
Cisco AnyConnect / Remote Access VPN
How a remote user's laptop gets put 'on the corporate LAN' over the internet. Covers AnyConnect client, SSL/TLS vs IKEv2, split tunneling, authentication options, and where it fits alongside ZTNA in 2026.
Cisco ISE Basics
Cisco Identity Services Engine — the RADIUS/TACACS+ + posture + profiling brain behind enterprise wired/wireless network access. What ISE does, where it sits, and the deployment model behind 802.1X-everywhere.
Automation & Programmability
Modern automation — streaming telemetry, intent-based.
gRPC & gNMI — Streaming Telemetry
The modern alternative to SNMP polling. Devices stream structured data continuously to a collector over gRPC. Covers gNMI for config and monitoring, why streaming beats polling, and what's replacing SNMP in real networks.
SD-WAN Concepts
Software-Defined WAN explained — separating control plane from data plane, overlay tunnels across any underlay (MPLS, internet, LTE), centralized policy via vManage/vSmart, and why the WAN is finally getting the SDN treatment.
Cisco DNA Center / Catalyst Center
Cisco's centralized network controller for enterprise campus + branch. What it does (assurance, automation, SD-Access), how it sits relative to traditional CLI, and what a CCNA candidate needs to recognize.
Need the basics first? Browse CCNA topics →