Cisco Wireless LAN Controller: What It Does and How It Works
What a Cisco WLC does: split-MAC architecture, CAPWAP tunnels, the AP join process, AireOS vs Catalyst 9800, the profile-and-tag config model, and FlexConnect.
Archive
Latest posts — page 28
CCNA 200-301 Mega Lab: The All-in-One Hands-On Campus
One 10-node CML topology that exercises the entire CCNA 200-301 hands-on blueprint: VLANs, STP, EtherChannel, HSRP, OSPF, NAT, DHCP, NTP and the security baseline, with real Cisco IOS XE captures.
VLAN vs VXLAN: The L2 Overlay, Demystified
VLAN vs VXLAN explained: a VLAN tags L2 segments, VXLAN encapsulates them across L3. The 4,094 limit, VTEPs, BGP EVPN, and when you actually need VXLAN.
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN: The Rebrand, the Architecture, OMP
Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN (formerly Viptela / Cisco SD-WAN): the naming history, the four-plane architecture, OMP routing, and the zero-touch edge onboarding flow.
How to Install Cisco CML 2.10 on VMware ESXi (Step-by-Step with Screenshots)
A step-by-step, screenshot-by-screenshot walkthrough of installing Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) 2.10 on VMware ESXi: deploy the OVA, size the VM, attach the refplat ISO, run setup, and start your first node.
MSTP: Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol Explained (802.1s)
MSTP (802.1s) maps many VLANs onto a few spanning tree instances. How MST regions, instances, the IST and CIST work, with Cisco IOS XE config and verification.
QoS on a Router: A Practical Cisco IOS XE Walkthrough
How to build a working QoS policy on a Cisco router: MQC class maps, policy maps, the LLQ + CBWFQ model, and the shaper rule that makes it actually engage.
BGP Weight: The Cisco-Only Path Attribute (and When to Use It)
BGP weight is the first tiebreaker in the path-selection algorithm, set locally and never propagated. The three ways to set it, how it compares to LOCAL_PREF, and worked examples.
QoS for VoIP Across an MPLS WAN
End-to-end QoS for VoIP across an MPLS L3VPN: DSCP marking, the LLQ + CBWFQ policy at the CE edge, and the DSCP-to-MPLS-EXP mapping the carrier needs.
OSPF Cost: Reference Bandwidth, Manual Overrides, and Gotchas
OSPF cost explained: the formula, the default reference bandwidth that breaks at 1 Gbps and above, manual overrides per interface, ECMP, and the misconfigurations to avoid.
STP and EtherChannel: When They Collide and Who Wins
How EtherChannel hides bundled links from STP, the bundling protocols (LACP, PAgP, on), the dangerous failure modes, and why LACP active on both sides is the only safe configuration.
RSTP: Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol Explained (802.1w)
RSTP (802.1w) explained: the new port roles, three-state model, proposal/agreement handshake, Rapid-PVST+ vs MST, and the real show spanning-tree output.