CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is a group of professional certifications that demonstrate an individual is equipped to work in the computer networking field. These certifications are most often acquired by individuals who are at the introductory levels of network certifications.
When network technicians make the decision to enter the Cisco routing and switching world, the first certification they will encounter is the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA). This validates that the holder possesses the skills required to support and manage a small- to medium-size network.
But what do routers and switches do? Think of routers as the traffic directors of your network. These devices know how to send information from one network to another. Switches on the other hand transmit information within a network. The graphic below shows how devices reside in networks connected to switches while networks are connected by routers.
Posted by: Troy McMillan