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The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course — CCNA Start

4.6(32,000) on Udemy·380K enrolled
Beginner 79 hours English Course Certificate
SkillsNetworkingTCP/IPRoutingSwitchingNetwork securityCisco

Is this course right for you?

Our take
A thorough networking foundation that doubles as a starting point for the Cisco CCNA. With over 380,000 students it is one of the most-taken networking courses on Udemy.

Good for: beginners who want a thorough networking foundation, including towards the CCNA.

Skip if: you already know networking, or you do not want Cisco-focused depth.

David Bombal covers TCP/IP from the OSI model up — Ethernet and switching, IP addressing and subnetting, routing (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), VLANs, wireless and security — with hands-on Packet Tracer labs. It is genuinely useful beyond the exam, for anyone who wants to understand how networks actually work.

It is Cisco-focused and exam-adjacent rather than the certification itself — the CCNA is a separate paid Cisco exam — and someone who already knows networking will find it basic. On price, wait for a Udemy sale.

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About this course

David Bombal's networking course is a long, comprehensive networking foundations course on Udemy — 79 hours covering TCP/IP from the OSI model up, Ethernet and switching, IP addressing and subnetting, routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, BGP), VLANs and trunking, wireless networking, network security fundamentals, and Cisco IOS configuration using Packet Tracer simulations.

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Instructor

DB
David Bombal
Udemy instructor
380K+ learners12 courses4.6 instructor rating

David Bombal is a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) and one of the most well-known networking educators on Udemy and YouTube, known for hands-on lab approaches.

Frequently asked questions

No. The CCNA is Cisco's certification, and its single exam, 200-301, is booked and paid for directly with Cisco through Pearson VUE — currently around three hundred US dollars. This course teaches the networking knowledge the exam tests, but the certification itself, the fee, and the proctored exam are all handled separately with Cisco, not through the course.

Much of David Bombal's CCNA teaching is published free on his YouTube channel, which is a large part of why it is so widely recommended to newcomers on a budget. There are also paid, more structured versions of his full CCNA material. Either way, the core value — clear teaching plus hands-on labs — is accessible without spending much, if anything.

Yes. It begins with the genuine fundamentals — what a network is, IP addressing, subnetting — before building up to routing, switching, VLANs, spanning tree, NAT, and wireless. No prior networking background is assumed. Subnetting in particular trips up many beginners, and Bombal's step-by-step approach with real examples is a big reason people find it clicks here.

It is a strong foundation that covers the exam's main topic areas, but treat it as the core of your study rather than the whole of it. Most people who pass supplement it with dedicated practice exams to get used to Cisco's question style, and extra reading on the trickier blueprint areas. The teaching is excellent; exam readiness still needs targeted practice on top.

Yes, and this is one of its strengths. It uses Cisco Packet Tracer, a free network simulator, and in places real equipment, so you configure routers and switches rather than only watching slides. Networking is a skill you have to do to understand, and building the labs yourself — not just following along visually — is what turns the concepts into something you actually retain.
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