What is networking?

When you hear the word “networking,” you might think of professional events - dressing up, meeting people from different industries, and exchanging business cards.

In a CCNA context, though, “networking” usually means something more practical: the systems that let you send a print job to a printer on another floor (or in another city), play online multiplayer games, share photos and videos, stream or download music, and browse the internet.

If those are the kinds of examples you had in mind, that’s the type of networking this course focuses on.

From using networks to building them

Many people who are new to networking think about networks from a user’s point of view. The most familiar example is a home network. Most people know what it means to “connect to Wi‑Fi,” cast a video from a phone to a TV, or use a voice assistant to control a smart device or pull information from the internet.

Networking is what makes all of that possible, even though most users don’t need to know how it works behind the scenes. In CCNA-level work, you do. If you’re pursuing the CCNA, you’re likely aiming for roles such as Network Engineer or work in areas that depend heavily on networking, such as Cybersecurity, Cloud, or Systems Engineering. In these fields, you’re expected to understand how networks are built and how they operate at a fundamental level - from small home networks to larger, more complex networks in offices, banks, schools, libraries, or shopping centers.

Routing and switching

At a high level, two fundamental concepts that make networking work are Routing and Switching.

Many people think of a router as “the device that connects me to the internet,” and that’s often true in a home setup. If you use the internet at home, you’ve probably seen your home router sitting in a living room, bedroom, or basement.

Home and small-office networks are often called Small Office/Home Office, or SOHO, networks. In many SOHO setups, the router also includes a built-in switch, so it functions as a two-in-one device. We’ll cover Switching in more detail later, so don’t worry if “switch” is still unfamiliar. In larger networks, routers and switches are typically separate devices.

Protocols and TCP/IP

For routers, switches, and other networking devices to do their jobs correctly and consistently, they must follow specific networking technologies and protocols.

Today, the main framework used for networking is called TCP/IP, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is a suite of technologies and protocols that work together to transmit, receive, and process data from one device to another.

You can think of this framework (or “model”) as a common language that computers, mobile devices, and networking devices use to move data - images, video, and audio - from point A to point B, as long as nothing goes wrong along the way. One key reason protocols matter is standardization: many vendors build networking hardware and software, and protocols allow their products to work together.

The TCP/IP layers

The technologies and protocols in the TCP/IP model are organized into layers. Each layer depends on the layer below it. For example, routers are categorized within Layer 3 of the TCP/IP model, and switches belong in Layer 2. They perform different functions, but they work together to move data from point A to point B (and back). You can think of them as two essential pieces of the overall networking puzzle.

Ultimately, the goal of networking is to connect users (people) to each other - whether they’re in the next room, on another floor, in another town, or across the globe.