Dell Networking Associate (D-NWG-FN-23) study guide
Dell Networking Associate (D-NWG-FN-23) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Dell Networking Associate credential (exam code D-NWG-FN-23) is an entry-level certification for IT professionals who design, deploy, or support Dell Ethernet switching and routing infrastructure. It suits network administrators, data center operators, field engineers, and pre-sales staff who need a working command of Layer 2 and Layer 3 concepts as implemented on Dell switches, plus enough portfolio awareness to place the right platform in the right role. The Dell Networking Associate (D-NWG-FN-23) study guide has 8 sections and about 2,996 words.
01Networking Fundamentals
The Networking Fundamentals domain tests whether you can reason from the wire upward: the OSI and TCP/IP models, Ethernet framing, MAC addressing and ARP, IPv4/IPv6 addressing, and the transport layer. Expect short scenario puzzles - trace a frame across a switch, decide whether a host is local, size a subnet - rather than pure definitions.
418 words, about 2 min02Dell Networking Product Portfolio and Positioning
The Portfolio domain tests whether you can place a Dell PowerSwitch platform and its operating system against a role: rack access, leaf, spine, campus aggregation, chassis core or modular enclosure. Questions typically pair a requirement - port speed, density, EVPN support, stacking, PoE - with the right family and the right NOS.
368 words, about 2 min03Ethernet Switching and Layer 2 Technologies
This domain covers VLANs and 802.1Q, trunking, MAC learning, spanning tree, link aggregation and neighbour discovery - the mechanics that keep a Layer 2 network loop-free and predictable. An access port carries one untagged VLAN; a trunk carries many, tagging all except the native VLAN.
385 words, about 2 min04IP Routing and Layer 3 Technologies
The Layer 3 domain tests route selection, static and dynamic routing, first-hop redundancy and address services. You should be able to predict which route a packet takes and why an adjacency or peering will not come up.
365 words, about 2 min05Network Virtualization and Data Center Fabrics
This domain tests overlay networking and fabric design: VXLAN encapsulation, EVPN control plane, VLT multi-chassis aggregation, spine-leaf topology and automated fabric services in OS10. A VTEP encapsulates the original frame in UDP with an 8-byte VXLAN header containing a 24-bit VNI, destination port 4789.
362 words, about 2 min06Network Security and Access Control
Security questions focus on what actually filters or authenticates traffic at the switch: ACLs, port security, 802.1X and AAA, plus the Layer 2 hardening features that stop snooping and spoofing. Standard ACLs match source only; extended ACLs match source, destination, protocol and port.
373 words, about 2 min07Network Management, Automation, and Monitoring
This domain tests how you get configuration onto devices and telemetry off them: CLI and API access, automation tooling, configuration lifecycle, zero-touch provisioning, SNMP, syslog, NTP and flow sampling. Console and SSH for interactive work; RESTCONF/REST API and NETCONF for programmatic configuration on OS10; Ansible and Python for repeatable rollout.
368 words, about 2 min08Troubleshooting and High Availability
The final domain combines structured fault isolation with redundancy design: proving whether a fault sits at Layer 1, 2 or 3, and confirming that VLT, VRRP, LACP and routing redundancy behave as intended. Start with physical and interface state, then Layer 2, then Layer 3, then application.
357 words, about 2 min