100-490 RSTECH study plan
100-490 RSTECH · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Routing and Switching Fundamentals
Explain the OSI and TCP/IP models layer by layer, mapping each layer to its protocols and devices.
Compare and contrast switching concepts: MAC address learning, flooding, forwarding, and aging.
Describe VLAN operation, access vs. trunk ports, and 802.1Q tagging in your own words.
Differentiate IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, including subnetting and prefix notation.
Identify the role of ARP, ICMP, and DNS in basic packet delivery.
Your checkpoint
A one-page written summary and a hand-drawn diagram of the OSI/TCP-IP models with at least 15 labeled protocols and devices.
Routing and Switching Fundamentals
Configure VLANs and trunk links on a simulated switch and verify connectivity.
Subnet a given IPv4 address space into at least four VLANs and assign addresses.
Explain STP purpose and basic operation, including root bridge election and port states.
Describe static and dynamic routing concepts, including administrative distance and metric.
Compare distance-vector and link-state routing protocols at a high level.
Your checkpoint
A working packet-tracer or GNS3 lab file with at least two VLANs, a trunk, and inter-VLAN routing, plus a subnetting worksheet showing all calculations.
Cisco Device Configuration and Management
Navigate the Cisco IOS CLI to enter global and interface configuration modes and save configurations.
Configure hostname, passwords, banners, and SSH access on a router and a switch.
Configure and verify interface IP addresses, descriptions, and no shutdown on router and switch interfaces.
Use show commands (show ip interface brief, show running-config, show version) to verify device state.
Explain the boot process and the role of the configuration register.
Your checkpoint
A device configuration checklist with screenshots of show command output proving correct hostname, SSH, and interface settings on at least one router and one switch.
Cisco Device Configuration and Management
Configure static routes and a default route on a multi-router topology and verify reachability.
Configure OSPFv2 single-area on at least three routers and verify neighbor adjacencies.
Explain the purpose of CDP and LLDP and use them to discover neighbors.
Perform password recovery on a simulated router using the configuration register.
Upgrade the IOS image on a simulated device and verify the new version.
Your checkpoint
A multi-router lab with static and OSPF routing that passes a ping test between all loopbacks, plus a written password-recovery procedure.
Network Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Apply a structured troubleshooting method (define, gather, analyze, eliminate, test) to a simulated outage.
Use ping, traceroute, and extended ping to isolate a connectivity failure.
Interpret show interface counters and identify common Layer 1 and Layer 2 errors.
Use debug commands safely and explain their impact on a production device.
Document a troubleshooting case from symptom to resolution.
Your checkpoint
A troubleshooting case study (one page) describing a simulated fault, the commands used, and the verified fix with command output as evidence.
Network Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Diagnose and resolve a VLAN misconfiguration causing inter-VLAN failure.
Diagnose and resolve an OSPF adjacency failure caused by mismatched parameters.
Use SPAN or a simulated packet capture to inspect traffic on a switch port.
Explain how to back up and restore device configurations and IOS images.
Describe the purpose of syslog, SNMP, and NTP in network maintenance.
Your checkpoint
A lab report with two resolved faults, each showing the broken state, the diagnostic commands, and the corrected configuration.
Network Security and Services
Configure standard and extended ACLs to filter traffic and verify their effect.
Configure port security on a switch port and test violation modes.
Explain AAA concepts and the difference between local and server-based authentication.
Describe site-to-site VPN and remote-access VPN concepts at a high level.
Identify common Layer 2 attacks and their mitigations (DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, BPDU guard).
Your checkpoint
A security configuration lab with at least one ACL and one port-security setting, plus a table of attacks and mitigations.
Network Security and Services & Network Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Configure NAT (static and PAT) on a simulated router and verify translations.
Configure DHCP on a router or switch and verify address assignment.
Explain the purpose of NTP and syslog and configure basic logging to a syslog server.
Complete a timed mixed practice set covering all four domains and review every missed item.
Build a personal weak-topic list and schedule final review sessions.
Your checkpoint
A NAT and DHCP lab that passes end-to-end connectivity tests, plus a scored practice exam report with a prioritized review list.
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain VLANs, trunks, and STP without notes and complete a subnetting exercise with 90% accuracy in under 15 minutes.
Week 4: Can configure a three-router OSPF topology from a blank lab file and verify full reachability in under 30 minutes.
Week 6: Can diagnose and fix two seeded faults in a provided lab within 45 minutes and write a clear case note for each.
Week 8: Scores at least 80% on a timed 60-question mixed practice exam and has a written plan for every missed topic.