A few weeks ago I offered a poll asking what CCENT/CCNA topics ya’ll would want to see in this blog. I’ll try to pick off top several topics from that poll as my next few major topics in the blog. Since “NAT” was the winning entry – at least until a few more of you start clicking the poll today. (I’ve repeated the same poll here in case some more of you want to vote.)
The first thing to consider regarding NAT, at the CCNA level, is the coverage on the various exams. In the old days, which includes the INTRO and ICND exams, NAT was squarely an ICND topic instead of an INTRO topic. Anyone out there still planning on taking the old exams? The last day to take the old exams is Nov 6th, so be quick…
For the new exams, NAT is mentioned specifically in the exam topics for both the ICND1 and ICND2 exams. So, whether you’re shooting for CCENT only, or CCNA – with either the 1-exam or 2- exam path – every exam you take could have NAT coverage. The big difference between NAT on the ICND1 and ICND2 exams, at least according to Cisco’s published exam topics, is that ICND1 covers NAT configuration through Cisco’s Security and router Device Manager (SDM) graphical interface, with ICND2 covers NAT configuration via the CLI. In case you’re curious, I’ve heard that the motivation for including NAT in both exams is based on the intended audience for the two exams and underlying courses. ICND1 is meant for entry-level network technicians, which includes support for the small routers that connect a home or small office to the Internet over cable or DSL, and those routers almost always use NAT. However, those routers may often be configured through a graphical interface. ICND2 is meant for network engineers with more experience, often working in medium sized enterprises, with those networks using NAT as well. However, these networks often use an enterprise-class Cisco router, with the engineer configuring everything (including NAT) from the CLI.
I’d like to start with asking for feedback from you folks. It seems like NAT gives people more trouble than a lot of CCNA topics. I have my own opinions, but I’d love to hear yours first – whether you are still working through getting your head around NAT, or whether you first learned it years ago. Is it the number and variety of configuration commands? How the TCP/UDP port numbers work? Other? Next post, I’ll pose a sample NAT question, and make sure and focus on what you think is most important.
