Introduction

Welcome to the Cisco Networking Challenges section in this guide. Whether you're doing Cisco voluntarily (or under duress), I hope this guide proves helpful.

So what is Cisco? And what is its relation to CyberPatriot?

Put simply, Cisco is a major tech company that specializes in networking gear, software, and communication tools. They develop and supply a variety of products & services like routers, switches, cloud platforms, security solutions, and collaboration systems. Their main focus is helping organizations set up, operate, and protect their digital networks. Cisco is a CyperPatriot Diamond sponsor, which gives them the opportunity to contribute specific challenges during competition rounds-- the Cisco Networking Challenges!

What is the Cisco Networking Challenge?

The Cisco Networking Challenge includes two parts: an online quiz and a hands-on virtual networking activity based on specific training materials.

To explain further, the virtual networking activity takes place in a program called Packet Tracer (which I will explain later in this section of the guide). When you open the challenge, you'll see a network diagram and a set of instructions. These instructions will tell you what network settings or protocols to apply to which devices (like routers or switches). Usually at the end of the instruction, you'll be asked to test and/or troubleshoot problems in the network setup. For the Cisco Networking Challenge quiz, you'll answer a set of multiple-choice questions. These questions are based on the training materials provided by CyberPatriot. The difficulty can vary—- some questions test basic concepts, while others go deeper and require you to truly understand how things work.

This part of CyberPatriot is very different from the Network Security Challenges or Images. Instead of searching for and fixing security issues on a computer system, you're actually building and configuring a network.