What are the Best IT Networking Courses?

Networking is a fundamental tech skill, even if you’re not interested in becoming a network engineer. Cybersecurity pros, tech support agents, developers, and DevOps engineers can all benefit from solid networking skills. After all, the thing that connects all our systems together is pretty important. That’s why the right IT networking course can be so useful.

To help you find the right course, we’ll examine four of our favorite CBT Nuggets courses on networking and explore some tips for optimizing your learning experience.

What Makes IT Networking Courses Right For You?

Spoiler alert: there’s no one-size-fits-all “best” IT networking course. The best IT networking course will vary from learner to learner, depending on your experience and goals. That said, you can follow a few rules of thumb to find the right course for your scenario. 

• If you're a beginner, don’t worry about becoming an expert on day one: There is a lot of networking stuff you could learn, including concepts like IPv6 addressing, OSPF, and router configuration. But don’t worry about becoming an expert on all that initially. Get a feel for the field and then focus on fundamentals like basic IPv4 networking, subnetting, wireless, DHCP, DNS, and the OSI model. 

• If you’re an experienced IT pro, narrow your focus: There’s good money and a lot of fun challenges that come with being an expert. If you are later in your networking journey, consider specializing so you can become an expert in a specific area. 

• If you want to couple learning with career growth, consider getting a certification: Certifications aren’t right for everyone, but focusing on a specific objective and deadline can help increase your drive and motivation.  

Additionally, consider these criteria when you evaluate a course:

• Learning format: Typically, online network courses are more flexible than in-person classes. However, in-person classes can help deliver a personal touch that is hard to replicate asynchronously.

• Course content: Exam versions and standards often change in IT. Ensure the content of a particular course has information that is still relevant to the certification or topic you’re interested in. For example, check exam versions if you take an online networking course for certification.

• Instructor expertise and capabilities: Being a good instructor is a skill in and of itself. Choose courses with instructors who have credibility in the world of networking and whose teaching style aligns well with your learning style. 

Top IT Networking Courses

Quality IT networking courses help you focus your energy on relevant content and structure your learning to achieve a specific goal. The four CBT Nuggets IT networking courses we selected below can help IT pros — or aspiring IT pros — take the next step on their networking journey. 

CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)

I might be biased because Network+ is an IT certification I earned early in my career. It’s a well-recognized cert that covers the basics of networking. CompTIA is such a well-known player in the certification world that it’s also a decent resume booster for early-career IT pros. 

If you’re looking for an online networking course that covers CompTIA Network+, check out CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Certification Training by Keith Barker. This training includes 29 hours of training content, covers 29 different skills, and includes a practice exam. 

Keith does a great job of making technical concepts relatable, and this training has several solid nuggets. For example, in addition to the things you’d expect in a Network+ training, like IPv4 fundamentals and different network protocols, Keith covers how subnetting is like a pizza and the finger game for calculating how many bits are needed for a certain number of subnets. 

CCNA (200-301 CCNA)

If you want to become a network administrator or make a career out of networking, the CCNA certification is tough to beat. Cisco’s CCNA certification is one of the most recognized and respected certifications in the world of networking.  

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (200-301 CCNA) online network training course with Jeff Kish, Keith Barker, and John McGovern covers the current 200-301 version of the CCNA in detail with just over 94 hours of content. The library of videos in this online network course covers everything from the basics, like network models, to more advanced concepts like OSPFv3, TACACS+, and 802.1Q Trunking. 

Intro to Networking

If you’re looking for free networking courses, check out Keith Barker's Intro to Networking video series. The videos in this course are free on YouTube and can help beginners get a good feel for the domain. 

Keith covers the jargon so you can get familiar with network terminology. He also covers practical skills like using Wireshark to examine network traffic and concepts like the TCP/IP protocol stack. This online networking course also includes a fun and easy-to-understand breakdown of how networks work through a story about “Bob.” 

“Bob” from Keith Barker’s How Networks Work video on the CBT Nuggets YouTube Channel.

Want to go beyond the basics? If you like that free training and are looking to go deeper, check out Keith’s Network Fundamentals IT networking course, which includes 15 virtual labs. 

Build an SD-WAN Practice Lab

One of the trickiest parts about advancing your career in networking is building skills with enterprise technologies you don’t use at work. Labs can help you overcome that hurdle, and SD-WAN is one of the biggest buzzwords in the world of professional networking. That’s why the Build an SD-WAN Practice Lab IT networking course made this list. 

This online training walks through the design and creation of an SD-WAN practice lab. It can help network pros get their hands dirty with this popular approach to modern WAN connectivity before they have a job that exposes them to SD-WAN. Some of the topics covered in this training include:

• SD-WAN lab network design

• Using a Cisco IOS Router as a border router

• Using a Docker image to spin up a Linux CA server

• Setting up a vEdge router

💡Bonus tip: If you’re looking for training that covers more traditional practice labs, check out Building a Practice Lab by Anthony Sequeira.

Quick Tips to Maximize Your IT Networking Learning Experience 

Learning networking will take time and effort. There’s no practical way around that, but you can make the journey easier if you work to optimize your learning experience. Here are three tips to help you get the most out of your IT networking studies: 

• Get hands-on experience: IT courses are great, but hands-on experience is even better. As you’re learning, make sure to get hands-on experience. Even if you don’t have a full-blown lab, you can learn a lot from a PC and with free tools like Wireshark. 

• Find the right time to study: Effective scheduling can help you get the most out of your study time. Check out How to Figure Out When You Study Best to learn more about how when you study can impact how well you study. 

• Build good study habits: Good study habits can help you overcome the roadblocks that can slow down your learning progress. Check out  Michael Aliotti’s How to Build Good Habits and Make Them Stick article for four strategies on building good study habits to learn more. 

Conclusion 

There are plenty of network courses online to jumpstart your next IT learning adventure. The four IT networking courses we covered here can be a great next step for many learners. But, even if you need something different, the key is to keep learning. 

Want to learn more about IT networking courses? Check out our networking training courses!