This chapter discusses network fundamentals, including setting up a small network with devices, protocols, and security measures. It covers topics such as creating device topologies, selecting devices, addressing schemes, and adding redundancy. The chapter also discusses common network protocols, scaling the network, threats to security, mitigating attacks, using ping and traceroute to test connectivity, show commands to view device information, backing up configuration files using TFTP or USB, and managing router and switch file systems.