Cisco Exam Prep Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering Cisco networking fundamentals, commands, operating systems, cloud architectures, and hardware components.

Switch (LAN)

A network device whose primary role in a local area network is to divide the network into separate collision domains.

VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network)

A Layer 2 technology extending to access layer devices that allows individual switch ports to be assigned for network and traffic management in an enterprise network.

Data Link Layer

The layer of the OSI model that provides error detection and defines how access to the network media is controlled.

Subnet Mask

A 32-bit mask used in IP networking that distinguishes the network and host segments of an IP address.

Loopback Address

An IPv4 address used for testing and troubleshooting software functionality on the local device.

Broadcast Address

An IPv4 address used for one-to-everyone communication across a subnet.

Unicast Address

An IPv4 address that uniquely identifies a single node on the network.

Multicast Address

An IPv4 address used for single-packet delivery from one sender to a group of multiple destination nodes.

TCP/IP Stack

A four-layer networking model consisting of Application, Transport, Internet, and Link layers that defines end-to-end communication rules.

Access Layer Device

A networking device that serves as the entry point for end-user devices to connect to the network.

Crossover UTP Cable

An Ethernet cable type used to connect electrically like devices directly to one another, such as connecting two DTEs or two DCEs.

SSH (Secure Shell)

A network protocol that provides secure, encrypted remote access to network devices.

Telnet

An unencrypted network protocol that allows virtual terminal connections to remote devices.

PING

A network utility that sends ICMP echo request packets to verify network layer connectivity to a target device.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

A cloud computing delivery model where networking and storage infrastructure components are vendor-managed.

Cisco Boot Sequence

The multi-step startup process executed by a Cisco device: 1) POST, 2) bootstrap code execution, 3) Cisco IOS software load, 4) configuration file load, and 5) running configuration execution.

Configuration Register

A 16-bit register in Cisco hardware modified during password recovery to instruct the device to ignore the startup configuration.

ROMMON Mode

A low-level diagnostic prompt mode on Cisco devices used during password recovery to change the configuration register and reboot the device.

show interface status

A Cisco CLI command that provides a concise look at switch port characteristics, such as port ID, VLAN, duplex, speed, and media type.

show inventory

A Cisco CLI show command that identifies product IDs, description details, and serial numbers of a device chassis and its installed components.

copy tftp: running-config

A Cisco CLI command used to download a configuration file from a TFTP server to merge it with the running configuration of a replacement device.

TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol)

A simple file transfer protocol featuring straightforward operation for small files without security concerns, but lacking authentication and large file support.

show flash:

A Cisco CLI command used to inspect flash memory and determine if sufficient storage space exists before installing a new Cisco IOS image.

boot system

A Cisco configuration command used to specify the source path of the Cisco IOS software image to load during the boot process.

Bundle Mode (Cisco IOS XE)

A Cisco IOS XE installation mode offering simplicity with no need to manage individual software packages.

packages.conf

A file used in Install mode on Cisco IOS XE supported switches that determines which software packages need to be loaded and in what order during boot up.

Cisco NX-OS

An operating system optimized for modern data center deployments that powers the Cisco Nexus series of switches.

install all

A common CLI command used to perform software installation on Cisco NX-OS switches.

Kickstart Image (NX-OS)

A specialized bootloader image in Cisco NX-OS that initializes the system hardware.

System Image (NX-OS)

The primary software image in Cisco NX-OS containing the full kernel and operating system.

RTU (Right-To-Use) License

A type of software license that is locally managed on the device and does not require external management tools.

Cisco 8000 Series Routers

High-density router platforms designed primarily for service provider and web-scale networks.

Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series

A switch series designed to handle the combined responsibilities of core and distribution layers in a converged enterprise architecture.

Cisco Nexus Switches

Data center switches deployed for high-performance, low-latency switching.

Cisco Catalyst 9400 Switch Modular FRUs

Modular components on a Catalyst 9400 switch, including Power supply modules (A), Fan tray assembly (B), Line card slots 1 and 2 (C), Supervisor modules (D), and Line card slots 5, 6, and 7 (E).

Cisco NCS 5500 Series Router FRUs

Field-Replaceable Units on an NCS 5500 router, including Line cards (A), Route processor cards (B), Transceivers (C), and Power supplies (D).

Type 1 Hypervisor

A hypervisor that runs directly on physical server hardware, commonly utilized in large-scale data center environments.

Type 2 Hypervisor

A hypervisor that runs as a software layer on a host operating system, typically used for software development and testing.

Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC)

A management platform specifically designed for managing standalone Cisco UCS C-Series rack servers and E-Series servers.

UCS Fabric Interconnect

A core UCS component serving as the central management and communication core, providing a single point of management via Cisco UCS Manager.

Basic Service Area (BSA)

The physical area of radio frequency coverage provided by a wireless access point in a wireless network topology.

Wireless LAN Controller (WLC)

A central management device in a Cisco Unified Wireless Network solution that manages and configures associated lightweight access points.

Cisco Webex Calling

An enterprise-grade, cloud-based PBX system enabling collaboration endpoints to register directly to the cloud.

Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP)

The primary network protocol analyzed when troubleshooting real-time media call quality between IP phones.

Online Insertion and Removal (OIR)

A hardware feature on Cisco ASR and enterprise platforms allowing components to be installed or removed while the system remains powered on.

Spine-and-Leaf

A pod-based architecture that provides optimal flexibility, low latency, and scalability in modern data center network topologies.

Antistatic Strap Ground Resistance

The recommended resistance value range of $1\text{ to }10\text{ M}\times 10^0\text{ }\frac{\text{mega}}{\text{ohms}}$ ($1\text{ to }10\text{ M}\frac{}{}$ or $1\text{ to }10\text{ M}\text{megaohms}$) for safe grounding during electrical work.

Cisco Collaboration Endpoint Hardware

Dedicated video conferencing hardware devices including the Cisco Room Navigator (room controls), Cisco Webex Board Pro (interactive display), Cisco Quad Camera (panoramic view), and Cisco PTZ 4K Camera (4K pan-tilt-zoom).