The CCNA 200-301 exam expects that you know nothing about Cisco Command Line Interface (CLI) commands before beginning your journey. Cisco Packet Tracer is one of the many tools you can use to learn how to use the CLI, and this post can help you learn some of the most basic CLI commands on switches as discussed in Chapter 7 of the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 1.
Packet Tracer Labs – CCNA Vol 1 Chapter 7
By certskills
Confused? New to “Packet Tracer Labs for OCGs”?
The big idea is pretty simple: Repeat the Examples in the Official Cert Guide as part of your lab practice for CCNA using Packet Tracer.
The details require some reading. To get your head around what kind of content is here in the blog for these labs, read:
Book: CCNA 200-301 OCG, Volume 1
Chapter: 7
Title: Configuring and Verifying Switch Interfaces
Part: 2
What’s in This Post
Chapter Intro: A brief description of the topics in that chapter of the book.
Download Link: Links to a ZIP; the ZIP holds all the .PKT files for this chapter.
Table of PKT files, by Example: A table that lists each example in the chapter, with the files supplied for each. Also lists a note about whether the PKT topology matches the book example exactly or not.
Tips: When we build the files, we come across items that we think might confuse you when trying the examples with PT. We write those notes in this section!
Chapter Intro
Chapter 7 of the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volume 1 discusses a variety of switch configuration settings available from interface configuration mode on a LAN switch. The settings include speed and duplex, along with administrative settings to describe the interface and to set the interface to be enabled or disabled by default (no shutdown or shutdown). The chapter also discusses interface status codes and the typical scenarios that lead to one interface state or the other.
One .PKT File – But Maybe Two (Duplicate) Toplogies
When building the content for this post, we review the examples in the book and decide whether it makes sense to supply a Packet Tracer (.pkt) file to match the example. If we choose to support an example by supplying a matching .pkt file, the .pkt file includes a topology that matches the example as much as possible. It also includes the device configurations as they should exist at the beginning of the example.
In some cases, the .pkt file shows two instances of the lab topology – one above and one below. We include two such topologies when the book example includes configuration commands, for these purposes:
- Top/Initial: The topology at the top has the configuration state at the beginning of the example.
- Bottom/Ending: The topology at the bottom adds the configuration per the example, so that it mimics the configuration at the end of the example.
Table of .PKT Files, by Example
| Example | .PKT Includes Initial State of Example? |
.PKT Also Includes Ending State of Example? |
Exact Match of Interface IDs? |
| 7-1 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 7-2 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 7-3 | Use 7-2 | No | Yes |
| 7-4 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 7-5 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 7-6 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 7-7 | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | N/A |
| 7-8 | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | N/A |
| 7-9 | Not Supplied | Not Supplied | N/A |
Tips
This example from the book does not happen to show the switch in the context of a figure. However, the output in the book shows two ports as being connected (up), so to reflect that same interface state in Packet Tracer, we added a second switch, with links between the local switch (Emma) and the second switch.
The example shows the output from the show interfaces status command, but the output from PT does not match real gear. In particular:
- PT’s output omits the description text from the “Name” column.
- PT’s VLAN column lists the correct access VLAN, but if the interface trunks, PT does not note that the interface trunks; real switches do.
- PT’s “Duplex” and “Speed” columns do not show the same status codes as real gear.
- PT’s list of ports in the “Port” column, and status value in the “Status” column, appear to be correct.
Although this example contains config, the point of the example is for the reader to enter the command shutdown, and observe the immediate effect of shutting down the interface.
Also, just as with Example 7-2, Example 7-4 does not refer to any figures because it shows a configuration command from a single switch. However, the output in the book shows the port (F0/1) as being connected (up) at the beginning of the example, so to reflect that same state in Packet Tracer, we added a second switch, with a link to SW1’s F0/1, so the port would be in a working state.
PT does not accept the command show running-config interface f0/2, as shown in the book example. Use show running-config and scroll to interface f0/2 instead.
By certskills
Hey… Thanks for posting it. I have finished reading the chapter 7. I got here to do some labs and practice the command and concepts. I am a little confused about how to complete these labs. I get the pkt file has the initial and the final config for the scenario, but there are no instructions or requirements. So it’s like I have to open the ending state, compare it to the initial state and then use those commands in the initial? I thing I am missing something
Thanks
Hey,
You’re welcome!
First heading, begins “Confused…” – there’s a link to the introduction to the series. Basically, you repeat the examples from the Cert Guides. But the linked post under that heading reveals all.
Wendell
Hi Author,
my name is Mr A Siiarag, I am actually disappointed to know that it is all business here, money making catalogue, I brought CCNA Vol 1, 2 and 31 days prep. I have PT file and I cannot have simple instruction to complete the Lab. I have to purchase another book for lab is little bit creating a way of taking more money from me and not helping me to learn thing.
Instructions and platform to work on should be part of the books.
By the way the book explains things well but it is poorly written in terms of lacking 3D images, Colour and not being bold enough(struggled to see words as it is light grey and small font)
Excuse me. You may not have understood the explanations.
In downloaded .pkt files. In these executable files for PT there is not attached any kind of explanation of tasks to be performed. What are we supposed to do in these exercises?
I downloaded the .pkt from another chapter and there are no instructions either.
Hi Alfonso,
Please refer to my answer to basically the same question (just added). Short version, read the text under the first heading, and click the link, to find info, which tells you to re-create the examples from the books. Enjoy!
Wendell
Hi, what are the passwords to access the labs?
Hoping you found the “Confused…” heading and link at the top in the mean time, but it’s listed on that page… and it’s cisco.
Wendell
Hello so I downloaded Packet Tracer and I am noy having issues opeing the files here, but I am having a hard time understandign what to do, is there instructions somewhere I am missing for each file like for Chapter 7 1-6., thank you
Hi Thomas
Here is the link to the overview of the Labs
https://blog.certskills.com/packet-tracer-labs/
These are not step by step labs. They are based on the examples in the book. You have the freedom to observe and interact with whatever the example in the book is teaching you.
Chris
I use https://text-compare.com/
and paste the running-config with the -end running-config to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Just thought I’d share.
Hi my dear author,i got a question:there is a phrase in this book is “On Cisco switches, configuring both the speed and duplex commands disables IEEE autonegotiation on that port.” on page 165,but my speed and duplex after “sh int status” command still prefex of a- .my CPT version is 8.0.0.0212.Thank you!
Hello,
Thanks for the note and your kind approach!
FYI, Cisco Packet Tracer is a simulator. As such, it is up to the developers of CPT to make the output looks like the output of Cisco IOS as much as possible. However, CPT does not exactly mimic IOS output in format and content for all commands, and it does not support all the same commands as Cisco IOS.
In this case, CPT differs from Cisco IOS. In your comparison with the book content, the book is correct, as it was copied from output from a real Cisco switch. (FYI, the book may have errors here and there, but as a rule, I use only output from physical Cisco routers and switches when creating the books.) So the book is correct in this case.
It looks like your comment is about the output in Example 7-7 of Volume 1. I’ve made a note to add something to this post about the differences seen in that example. Thanks for the notice!
tysm^ ^,it really helps a lot! And kudos to your serious spirit in making examples from real output from a real Cisco switch,this book is a great make,thank you again!