Pass the CCNA by building real networks
74 hands-on labs on real Cisco IOS XE: build, break, automate, and integrate the entire 200-301 blueprint. Seven labs are free, no card required.
Start your first lab freeEvery PingLabz lab lives here. The library is built around five series that share one philosophy: real Cisco IOS XE captures, downloadable Cisco Modeling Labs topologies, and zero fabricated CLI output. You build networks in the CCNA Labs, you fix broken ones in the Troubleshooting Labs, you script them in the Automation Labs, and you put the whole blueprint together in the Mega Lab. Everything runs in CML Free, and everything covers the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam. The newest addition goes beyond the CCNA: the 9800 Wireless Labs, the hands-on companion to our Catalyst 9800 YouTube series.
Seven labs are free with no card required. The rest are part of PingLabz Pro at $4.99/month or $49.99/year.
The five lab series
Series 1 · Build
CCNA Labs: the 60-lab library
Sixty hands-on labs covering the entire CCNA 200-301 blueprint, organized into five pillars that match the official exam domains. Every lab starts from a clean config and walks you through building, verifying, and understanding one topic at a time, with the real show output you will see when it works.
60 labs · 5 free previews · five pillars mapped to the exam domains
Series 2 · Break-fix
Troubleshooting Labs: fix the tickets
The inverse of the build labs. You inherit a network that is already broken, you get a support ticket describing a symptom and nothing else, and your job is to localize the fault and fix it. Six labs across the five exam pillars plus a multi-fault capstone, each with a downloadable topology that boots straight into its broken state.
6 labs · 1 free · the skill the exam's hands-on items lean on hardest
Series 3 · Automate
Automation Labs: script the network
Hands-on coverage of exam Domain 6, the one domain most candidates only ever flashcard. Turn the Alpine node into a real automation host, then read the network with Python and Netmiko, push config from scripts, work with JSON, drive a live REST API, run Ansible playbooks, and finish with a config drift detector you will actually keep. Seven labs, all on the same base topology.
7 labs · 1 free · covers exam Domain 6 (10% of the exam) hands-on
Series 4 · Capstone
The CCNA Mega Lab: one network, the whole blueprint
A single ten-node campus that exercises the entire CCNA 200-301 hands-on blueprint in one topology: VLANs, trunking, STP, EtherChannel, inter-VLAN routing, HSRP, OSPF, NAT/PAT, DHCP, NTP, and the full security baseline. Build the whole network end to end and check your work against real Cisco IOS XE captures at every step.
1 big lab · 10 nodes · Pro members
Series 5 · Wireless · New
9800 Wireless Labs: build a WLC from zero
The hands-on companion to the PingLabz Catalyst 9800 YouTube series. One growing lab: a Catalyst 9800-CL, a small IOS XE campus, simulated wireless clients, and a bridge for a real AP on your desk. The articles and videos are free; members get the importable CML topology and per-episode config snapshots so you can jump into any part of the series in minutes.
Growing series · CML 2.9+ (7 nodes) · downloads free with a member account
Where should you start?
The three series are designed to be taken roughly in order: build skills one topic at a time, then prove you can fix faults under ticket pressure, then integrate everything on one production-shaped network. But each series stands on its own, so jump in wherever it matches where you are today.
Try seven labs free
Seven labs across the library are free with no signup required: the entry point into each pillar of the build series, the foundational subnetting walkthrough, and the first lab of the troubleshooting and automation series.
The CCNA Labs: five pillars, 60 labs
The build series is grouped into five pillars matching the CCNA 200-301 exam domains. The CCNA Labs series page has the full breakdown, the recommended sequence, and the free preview labs; each pillar also has its own overview page with the complete lab index and blueprint mapping.
What makes PingLabz labs different
Real captures, not fabricated
Every show command output you read in a PingLabz lab was captured from a working lab running in Cisco Modeling Labs. Where output is intentionally illustrative rather than captured (for example, the PPP/CHAP debug snippets), it is clearly labeled. No fabricated CLI dressed up as evidence.
Downloadable CML topologies
Every lab ships with a downloadable Cisco Modeling Labs topology .yaml. Import it into your own CML Free instance, hit start, and you are running the same lab the captures came from. Three reusable base topologies cover the entire build series, the troubleshooting labs boot straight into their broken state, and the Mega Lab ships its full ten-node campus. No "set up these 12 interfaces" busy work; you import, you start, you type along.
Modern Cisco IOS XE 17.x syntax
A lot of CCNA content on the internet uses IOS 12.x or 15.x syntax from 2010-2018. PingLabz uses current Cisco IOS XE 17.x throughout: scrypt-hashed enable secrets, SSH version 2 with modern ciphers, EIGRP named-mode, and SNMPv3 with SHA + AES as the canonical config. Legacy alternatives are noted where they differ.
One standardized IP scheme across the library
All three series use the same PingLabz lab IP scheme, so the addressing in the OSPF lab is the same addressing in the NAT lab, the troubleshooting tickets, and the Mega Lab. Concepts compound across the library instead of resetting every time you start a new topic.
What is included with PingLabz Pro
One subscription covers all four series: build, troubleshooting, automation, and the Mega Lab capstone. Comparable lab platforms run $50 or more per month. Pro is $4.99, and founding members keep that rate for life: when PingLabz reaches 100 paid members, pricing rises to $9.99/month ($99/year) for new members. Everyone who joined earlier keeps their original price.
Monthly · Founding price
$4.99/month
Locked for life. Goes to $9.99/month for new members at 100 members.
Lock in $4.99/moAnnual · 2 months free
$49.99/year
$4.17/month, locked for life. Goes to $99/year for new members at 100 members.
Lock in $49.99/yrNo card needed for the free labs · Cancel anytime · 7-day money-back guarantee
The full comparison
Pro is what funds the writing and the CML infrastructure that produces the captures. No ads, no sponsored content, no affiliate links - just the subscription.
How to get started
- Install Cisco Modeling Labs Free. About 15 minutes. The CML Free quick-start lab walks through the full install end-to-end. It is free; no signup required.
- Sign up for PingLabz at the signup portal. Free signup unlocks the field-reference PDFs and the newsletter. Pro signup unlocks all three lab series.
- Pick your series using the table above. If in doubt: CCNA Labs in order, Troubleshooting Labs when you want pressure, Mega Lab to put it all together.
- Type along, do not just read. The whole point is hands-on. Each lab guides you through real configurations with verification commands at every step.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should I do the three series?
Build, break, automate, integrate. Work the CCNA Labs first to learn each topic from a clean config, mix in the Troubleshooting Labs once you can configure a topic comfortably (each troubleshooting lab names the build labs it assumes), pick up the Automation Labs once you can navigate IOS without thinking about it, and treat the Mega Lab as the capstone before your exam. Working engineers who already configure these technologies daily can start at the Mega Lab directly.
Do I need a paid CML license?
No. The CCNA Labs and Troubleshooting Labs are sized to fit inside Cisco Modeling Labs Free (5-node cap; unmanaged switches do not count), and the Mega Lab guide covers how to run its ten-node campus. CML Free is the right starting point; CML Personal at ~$200/year lifts the cap to 20 nodes if you want room to extend the labs, but it is not required.
How long does it take to work through the full library?
The 60-lab build series takes about 60 to 100 hours depending on how much you experiment beyond the lab guides; the Troubleshooting Labs and Mega Lab add evening-sized sessions on top. Most students spread the library across 6 to 12 weeks of evening study. The labs are independent enough that you can pause for a week and come back without losing context.
Can I cancel my Pro subscription?
Yes, any time. Sign in at your account portal and click Cancel subscription. Your access continues until the end of your current paid period; you are not charged again. First-time subscribers also have a 7-day money-back guarantee - see Refunds.
Are the labs aligned with the current CCNA 200-301 blueprint?
Yes. The five pillars match the five exam domains, each pillar maps individual labs to specific blueprint items, and the Troubleshooting Labs and Mega Lab were built against the same blueprint. The labs were authored against the 2024-2026 blueprint and are updated when Cisco revises the exam.
What if I get stuck on a lab?
Every lab post has a Troubleshooting Matrix listing the common failure modes for that specific lab. Lab nf-11 (Troubleshooting Layer Symptoms) teaches a general seven-step escalation drill that applies to almost any networking problem. If you are still stuck after that, email contact@pinglabz.com. I respond within 2 business days.
Do the labs include video?
Not currently. Every lab is written content with embedded show output. Written labs are easier to skim, easier to search, easier to copy commands from, and faster to update when Cisco changes syntax. Video may be added later as a supplement for the highest-traffic labs.
What does the founding member price mean?
PingLabz is in its founding stage. Subscribe now and you pay $4.99/month or $49.99/year for as long as you stay subscribed, even after prices rise. When the site reaches 100 paid members, new-member pricing goes to $9.99/month or $99/year. Your rate never changes once you are in.
Ready to start?
The fastest start is the free CML quick-start lab - it gets CML installed and your first base topology imported in about 30 minutes. From there, pick the series that matches where you are: build, break-fix, automate, or capstone.
If you are ready to subscribe, open the signup portal and pick the Pro tier. Monthly or annual; cancel any time; 7-day money-back guarantee on your first subscription.
Questions before you sign up? Email contact@pinglabz.com.
Build the network. Pass the exam.
Founding member price: $4.99/month or $49.99/year, locked for life. Goes up at 100 members. Cancel anytime. 7-day money-back guarantee.
Lock in founding price