Cisco 300-730 SVPN study plan
Cisco 300-730 SVPN · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Remote access VPNs
Map every remote-access component (headend, ASA/FTD, AnyConnect client, ISE, load balancer) and describe the packet flow for a clientless and a full-tunnel session
Configure a basic AnyConnect full-tunnel profile on an ASA or FTD with split tunneling, address pool, and group policy, then verify with show vpn-sessiondb
Compare IKEv1 and IKEv2 remote-access behavior and list which features (MOBIKE, multiple proposals) change the design
Explain certificate-based authentication chain: identity certificate, trustpoint, and client profile selection
Your checkpoint
A one-page AnyConnect packet-flow diagram plus a working lab config file that brings up a full-tunnel session from a test client.
Remote access VPNs
Implement clientless SSL VPN bookmarks, application access, and port-forwarding for a legacy web app
Configure AnyConnect with SAML/SSO through an identity provider and document the assertion attributes used for authorization
Design a split-tunnel ACL and DNS strategy that avoids leakage while keeping internal name resolution working
Test session persistence and reconnection behavior when the client roams between networks
Your checkpoint
A lab report showing three remote-access modes (clientless, full tunnel, SAML-authenticated AnyConnect) each verified with session output and a client-side connectivity test.
Remote access VPNs & Secure communications
Configure AnyConnect posture assessment (HostScan/ISE posture) and enforce a compliant-device policy
Apply role-based access control so different user groups reach different internal segments through the same headend
Select and justify the certificate and cipher suite baseline for the remote-access headend, including TLS 1.2/1.3 and IKEv2 encryption
Harden the headend: disable weak protocols, set session limits, and enable logging to a syslog collector
Your checkpoint
A hardened headend configuration template with a posture policy and a group-based authorization matrix, validated by two test users receiving different access.
Site-to-site VPNs
Build a site-to-site IKEv2 tunnel between two routers or firewalls, including proposal, policy, keyring, and profile
Configure and compare a policy-based (crypto map) and route-based (VTI/SVTI) tunnel and state when each is appropriate
Implement dynamic routing over the tunnel (OSPF or BGP) and verify adjacency and failover
Apply NAT traversal and identify the conditions that require it
Your checkpoint
Two working site-to-site tunnels (policy-based and route-based) with captured show crypto ikev2 sa / show crypto ipsec sa output and a routing table showing learned routes.
Site-to-site VPNs & Secure communications
Design a FlexVPN or DMVPN hub-and-spoke topology with NHRP and per-spoke crypto profiles
Configure a GET VPN or group-encrypted transport scenario and explain the key-server role
Select encryption and integrity algorithms for site-to-site links and justify them against current guidance
Document a key-management and certificate-enrollment process for all site-to-site peers
Your checkpoint
A hub-and-spoke lab with at least two spokes, showing tunnel registration, spoke-to-spoke path, and a written algorithm-selection rationale.
Troubleshooting and maintenance & Remote access VPNs
Use debug and show commands to isolate a remote-access connection failure at each phase (IKE, TLS, auth, policy)
Diagnose common AnyConnect issues: certificate mismatch, split-tunnel DNS failure, and posture non-compliance
Capture and interpret a packet capture on the headend during a failed connection
Build a symptom-to-cause checklist for remote-access failures
Your checkpoint
A troubleshooting runbook with at least five mapped symptoms, the command or capture that confirms each, and the fix, each exercised in the lab.
Troubleshooting and maintenance & Site-to-site VPNs
Troubleshoot site-to-site failures: phase 1 mismatch, phase 2 mismatch, routing black hole, and MTU/fragmentation
Validate high availability and failover for both remote-access and site-to-site designs
Perform a backup, restore, and configuration-diff workflow for VPN devices
Review logs and syslog events to detect tunnel flaps and authentication anomalies
Your checkpoint
A fault-injection log in which you deliberately break and restore four site-to-site and two remote-access scenarios, recording the diagnostic path and resolution time.
Site-to-site VPNs & Remote access VPNs & Troubleshooting and maintenance & Secure communications
Re-run every lab deliverable from weeks 1-7 without notes to confirm retention
Complete a timed mixed-domain practice set and review every missed item to its root cause
Summarize the design trade-offs across all four domains in a single decision guide
Identify remaining weak areas and schedule targeted review before exam day
Your checkpoint
A final readiness scorecard: practice-set score by domain, a list of weak objectives with remediation steps, and a one-page design decision guide.
Milestones
Week 2: Can bring up clientless, full-tunnel, and SAML-authenticated AnyConnect sessions from a clean configuration and explain each packet flow without notes.
Week 4: Both a policy-based and a route-based site-to-site tunnel are operational with dynamic routing, and you can state which design fits a given requirement.
Week 6: Given a failing remote-access connection, you can isolate the failing phase and name the confirming command within 10 minutes.
Week 8: Practice-set score is at or above your target passing margin in every domain, with no domain below the threshold you set in week 1.