CCNA stands for Certified Cisco Networking Associate which is the industry certification for networking professionals awarded by Cisco®  Networking Academy,® the educational arm of Cisco Systems. This text is McDonald’s second published book.

This book is part of the Cisco Networking Academy Series from Cisco Press®. Network Fundamentals, CCNA Exploration Companion Guide is the official supplemental textbook for the Network Fundamentals course in the Cisco® Networking Academy® CCNA® Exploration curriculum. The book reinforces the material in online courses to help students focus on important concepts and organize study time for exams.

UAS Ketchikan is an approved Cisco Networking Academy site. McDonald teaches the CCNA course work via distance delivery each semester. Students from all over the state of Alaska take the courses via web meetings. McDonald has pioneered the applications of NetLabs® in web-based classes allowing students in one town to learn computer networking skills without leaving their community.

Rick McDonald joined UAS Ketchikan in August 2003. He previously taught Cisco Networking courses at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina and at Forsyth Technical College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. McDonald received an M.A. in Educational Technology from Gonzaga University and holds Net+, CCNA, Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI) and CCNP (Cisco Certified Networking Professional) certifications.

McDonald and UAS Ketchikan networking student Sarah Strickling were recently honored by the Cisco Networking Academy in Washington DC for their achievements in the program.

Information technology continues to be one of the top five fastest-growing occupations for college-educated job seekers according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.