Best Computer Networking Courses & Certifications Online in 2026

Last updated: October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. We re-opened every course below on 24 October 2026 and read its rating, enrollment, length and last-update date from the provider’s own page that day. See our review methodology.

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Computer networking is the foundation under IT support, cloud, security and DevOps, and it is the topic people most often try to skip and later regret. The good news is that the best beginner course is also one of the most popular courses on the internet, so the beginner path is well worn.

We re-checked every course on its provider’s page on 24 October 2026, read r/ITCareerQuestions, r/networking and r/devops threads where engineers explain how they learned, and dropped anything tied to a retired exam. We earn a commission if you enroll through some links, which never changes the order, and the free options are listed alongside the paid ones.

How we picked: who the course serves (beginner, developer or certification candidate), how current the material is, instructor and provider authority, and learner ratings at scale.

1. Best overall & for beginners — The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking

Part of the Google IT Support Professional Certificate, this is the clearest beginner introduction to networking you will find. Its six modules cover the TCP/IP model, IP addressing and routing, the transport and application layers, network services such as DNS and DHCP, connecting to the internet, troubleshooting, and a primer on the cloud, all explained for people starting from zero. On 24 October 2026 it had 4.7 stars from 52,727 reviews and more than 1 million learners, which makes it one of the most validated courses anywhere. Coursera estimates about two weeks at ten hours a week.

Best for: anyone learning networking from scratch, especially aspiring IT support staff.  Worth knowing: it is foundational; certification candidates will want the targeted prep below as well. It is included in Coursera Plus ($319.20 a year, normally $399, or $59 a month).

Enroll on Coursera (free trial) →

2. Best for developers — Grokking Computer Networking for Software Engineers

Software engineers need a different angle: enough networking to build and debug client-server systems and answer interview questions. Khayyam Hashmi’s Educative course is built for exactly that. It has 115 text-based lessons across 11 modules (about 20 hours), 83 quizzes, a 4.7-star rating, and was updated this month. You use ping, traceroute, tcpdump, curl and dig to inspect real traffic, build UDP and TCP client-server programs with Python sockets, work through HTTP, DNS records and email protocols, compare TCP and UDP congestion control, and simulate routing algorithms in Python.

Best for: developers and engineers who want networking for building software.  Worth knowing: it is reading and coding rather than video, which suits people who prefer that format.

View on Educative →

3. Best for CompTIA Network+ prep — Networking Concepts & Protocols (Pluralsight)

Ross Bagurdes’s course, Networking Concepts: TCP, UDP, and Application Layer Protocols for CompTIA Network+, explains how the transport and application layers work together to deliver services such as DHCP, DNS and time synchronization, mapped to the Network+ objectives. It is a beginner-level, 1-hour-44-minute module, last updated in September 2024, from an instructor with a 4.8 author rating across 8,123 ratings and nearly 20 years of running data networks.

Be clear about its scope: it is one topic, not full exam prep. For the whole exam, Pluralsight’s CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) path bundles 12 courses (about 14 hours) and a practice exam, and this module is the best place inside the platform to master protocols.

Best for: CompTIA Network+ candidates and IT pros who want protocol depth.  Worth knowing: it needs a Pluralsight subscription, so it is best value if you will use the platform for more.

View on Pluralsight →

4. Best full Network+ course — CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Full Course (Jason Dion, Udemy)

If you want one course that takes you to the exam, Jason Dion’s is the most proven: 4.7 stars from 42,610 ratings, more than 225,000 students, 33 hours of video plus a full-length practice exam, and updated in October 2026. It covers every N10-009 domain, and completing it earns CompTIA continuing-education units toward renewing other CompTIA certifications. Dion also sells separate practice-exam sets, which many candidates add in the final weeks.

Best for: Network+ candidates who want a single structured course.  Worth knowing: it is exam-focused; pair it with hands-on labs.

View the Network+ course →

5. Best short introduction — Introduction to Computer Networking (Rick Crisci, Udemy)

Not ready for a certification? Rick Crisci’s seven-hour crash course is the fastest way to understand how networks actually work, with 4.7 stars from 16,044 ratings and an update in February 2026. It is the right first step for help-desk staff, developers who need the basics, and anyone deciding whether networking is for them.

Best for: complete beginners who want the big picture in a weekend.  Worth knowing: no certificate value beyond completion.

View on Udemy →

6. Best for CCNA — Cisco CCNA 200-301: The Complete Guide (Neil Anderson, Udemy)

The CCNA is the most requested entry networking certification on job ads, and Neil Anderson’s course is the most reviewed way to prepare: 4.8 stars from 91,458 ratings, 42.5 hours, updated October 2026, with step-by-step instructions to build your own lab on your laptop for free, plus study notes and Anki flashcards. Reddit’s r/ITCareerQuestions recommended Anderson for people going straight to CCNA.

Best for: aspiring network engineers aiming for CCNA.  Worth knowing: CCNA is harder than Network+; expect two to four months of study.

View the CCNA course →

7. Best CCNA alternative — Jeremy’s IT Lab CCNA (Udemy, or free on YouTube)

Jeremy McDowell’s CCNA course is the one networking engineers on Reddit recommend most, largely because his full video course is free on YouTube. The Udemy version (4.8 stars from 6,994 ratings, 50 hours, updated December 2025) adds structure, labs, flashcards, quizzes and practice questions in one place. Try the free videos first; buy the Udemy course if you want the packaged labs and tracking.

Best for: self-starters who want the community’s favorite CCNA teacher.  Worth knowing: the free YouTube version covers the lectures.

View Jeremy’s IT Lab on Udemy →

8. Best deep fundamentals — The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course (David Bombal, Udemy)

David Bombal’s course is the most thorough fundamentals course on Udemy: 73 hours, 4.7 stars from 58,766 ratings, updated September 2025. It goes well beyond a beginner overview into IP addressing and subnetting, switching, VLANs, spanning tree and routing, with online simulations where you type real Cisco commands, and it doubles as a CCNA starting point.

Best for: learners who want depth before a certification.  Worth knowing: its length is a commitment; most people dip into sections.

View on Udemy →

9. Best bootcamp — The Networking Bootcamp (Zero To Mastery)

Zero To Mastery’s Networking Bootcamp is a nine-hour, 110-plus-lesson course built to take a complete beginner to passing Network+, and ZTM’s two-hour, 31-lesson Introduction to Networking is a shorter primer. Both come with a ZTM membership, which also includes ZTM’s Linux, cloud and cybersecurity courses, so it is good value if you plan to keep going.

Best for: learners who want a membership covering networking and adjacent IT skills.  Worth knowing: smaller review base than the Udemy courses.

View the ZTM Networking Bootcamp →

Free networking courses worth taking

• Cisco Networking Academy: Networking Basics: Cisco’s own free, self-paced course, part of its Network Technician career path, with more than 3.8 million learners enrolled. NetAcad also offers longer CCNA courses through partner academies.
• Professor Messer N10-009: a complete, free Network+ video course; the most recommended free Network+ resource on Reddit.
• Jeremy’s IT Lab on YouTube: a complete free CCNA course (see #7).
• Practical Networking: How data moves through the Internet: a free video series that walks a single packet across a network step by step; a Reddit favorite for building intuition before a certification course.
• Coursera audit and preview: you can enroll free in the Bits and Bytes course to see its material before paying.

What free courses lack is graded practice and exam simulation. Most people who pass on free material add one paid practice-exam set.

What a good networking course should cover

Whatever you pick, check the syllabus against this list. These are the topics that come up in Network+, CCNA and job interviews, and a course that skips several of them is an overview, not training:

• Models: the OSI and TCP/IP models, and which protocols live at each layer.
• Addressing: IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, subnet masks, CIDR notation and subnetting by hand.
• Switching: Ethernet, MAC addresses, VLANs, trunking and spanning tree.
• Routing: static routes, default gateways and a dynamic protocol such as OSPF.
• Core services: DNS, DHCP, NAT and NTP, and how a request actually reaches a website.
• Wireless: Wi-Fi standards, channels and WPA2/WPA3 security.
• Security basics: firewalls, access control lists, VPNs and common attacks (see our guide to network security threats).
• Troubleshooting tools: ping, traceroute, nslookup or dig, and a packet analyzer such as Wireshark.
• Cloud and automation: virtual networks in AWS or Azure, and a first taste of scripting network tasks.

Build a home lab to practice

Networking only clicks when you configure something and watch it break. You do not need expensive gear:

• Cisco Packet Tracer: Cisco’s network simulator, downloaded through a Networking Academy account, lets you build and configure virtual routers and switches. Most CCNA courses use it.
• Your home router: set up a guest network or a separate subnet and practice DHCP, DNS and port settings safely.
• Old or cheap hardware: a used managed switch, a small router or a Raspberry Pi is enough to practice VLANs and routing.
• Cloud free tiers: build a virtual network with public and private subnets in AWS or Azure to learn how networking works in the cloud.

Engineers on r/devops and r/ITCareerQuestions repeatedly said hands-on tinkering, from Packet Tracer to fixing a messy real network, taught them more than any video.

Which networking course should you choose?

• Brand new to IT: #1, Google’s Bits and Bytes, or #5, Crisci’s crash course.
• Software developer: #2, Educative’s Grokking Computer Networking.
• Going for Network+: #4, Dion, with Professor Messer free; or #3 and the Pluralsight path if you already subscribe.
• Going for CCNA: #6, Neil Anderson, or #7, Jeremy’s IT Lab.
• Want depth without an exam: #8, Bombal.
• Want a membership covering networking, Linux and security: #9, Zero To Mastery.
• Zero budget: Cisco Networking Academy plus Professor Messer and Jeremy’s IT Lab on YouTube.

Networking for cloud, DevOps and security roles

You may not want to be a network engineer at all, and that is fine: networking is a supporting skill in most technical jobs. Cloud engineers spend much of their time on virtual networks, subnets, routing tables, security groups, load balancers and DNS. DevOps engineers debug service-to-service connections, TLS certificates and container networking. Security analysts read packet captures and firewall logs. For these paths, the Google course (#1) or Grokking (#2), plus hands-on cloud labs, is usually enough; a full CCNA is optional. See our guides to cloud certifications and cybersecurity certifications for the next step.

Common mistakes when learning networking

• Watching without configuring. Hours of video feel productive, but subnetting and routing only stick when you type the commands yourself.
• Skipping subnetting. It is the most tested skill on both Network+ and CCNA and the one interviewers ask about first. Drill it until you can do it in your head.
• Memorizing port numbers without context. Learn what each service does and which layer it lives at; the numbers follow.
• Studying for an exam version that is retiring. Check the exam code (N10-009 for Network+, 200-301 for CCNA) before you buy a course or book.
• Ignoring the cloud. Most new networks are partly virtual. Spend a weekend building a cloud virtual network once you know the basics.

Networking, system administration or security: which path?

The three overlap but lead to different jobs. Network engineering is designing and running the network itself: switches, routers, firewalls, Wi-Fi and WAN links; CCNA is the core credential. System administration is running the servers and services on top of the network (see our system administrator courses), where Linux and cloud skills matter most. Security protects both, and Security+ is the usual first certification. Many people start in a help-desk or support role, learn all three a little, and specialize once they see which work they enjoy. Whichever you choose, networking fundamentals come first.

Networking courses compared

Networking certifications, explained

If a credential is your goal, two certifications matter far more than any course certificate:

• CompTIA Network+ (N10-009): the standard vendor-neutral entry credential. The current version, V9, launched on 20 June 2024, has a maximum of 90 questions mixing multiple choice and performance-based tasks, and CompTIA usually retires an exam version about three years after launch. Buy the voucher from CompTIA; prices vary by country.
• Cisco CCNA (200-301): the most in-demand networking certification, vendor-specific to Cisco but respected across the industry. The exam is 120 minutes and costs US$300. It is a step up from Network+ in depth.

A sensible path: build the fundamentals with the Google course, then target Network+ first and CCNA later if you are heading into network engineering. Reddit is split on this, and both sides have a point. Some engineers say to skip Network+ and go straight to CCNA because employers value it more; others say Network+ is the better first exam for a true beginner. If you already work in IT, go to CCNA; if networking is brand new, Network+ first. Course completion certificates show effort, but employers hire on Network+ and CCNA.

Networking is the base of the IT stack. Build on it with our guides to the best cloud certifications, Linux courses, system administrator courses and programming certifications.

Is computer networking a good career?

It can be, but be realistic about where the growth is. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of computer support specialists to decline 3% from 2025 to 2035 (2025 median pay $62,890), and network and computer systems administrators to decline 4% (median $99,130). Computer network architects, who design networks, are projected to grow 8% (median $134,050), and information security analysts 21%.

These are still large fields. BLS counted 903,100 computer support specialist jobs, 323,600 network and computer systems administrator jobs and 181,800 network architect jobs in 2025, so these remain large employers even where they are shrinking, and the skills carry straight into the faster-growing architect and security roles.

The takeaway: networking alone is a narrowing entry point, while networking combined with cloud, security or automation is where demand is rising. Engineers on r/networking advised pairing CCNA with a cloud networking certification, Linux and basic Python scripting, which is the most practical way to future-proof the skill.

How long does it take to learn networking?

• The basics (2 to 4 weeks part-time): the Bits and Bytes course or a crash course such as Crisci’s.
• Network+ (6 to 10 weeks): a full course such as Dion’s plus Professor Messer and practice exams.
• CCNA (2 to 4 months): a full CCNA course with Packet Tracer labs.
• Job-ready: add a home lab. Several Reddit engineers said they only really understood networking after configuring their own switches, routers and subnets.

Is networking hard? The concepts are learnable by anyone; subnetting and routing protocols take practice. The single most useful habit, according to experienced engineers, is to learn the OSI model well and relate every new protocol to a layer.

What network engineers on Reddit recommend

• Free first: Professor Messer for Network+ and Jeremy’s IT Lab for CCNA came up repeatedly as the best free courses.
• Neil Anderson for CCNA: named directly as the Udemy course to take.
• Lab it: Cisco Packet Tracer, a home router or a small home lab turned theory into understanding for many commenters.
• For DevOps, less is fine: developers were told to focus on subnetting, routing, DNS, VPNs and the OSI model rather than the full CCNA.
• Certs open doors, skills keep jobs: hiring engineers said CCNA gets you a seat at the table, but interviews test breadth of real knowledge.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best computer networking course for beginners?

The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking from Google on Coursera (4.7 stars from 52,727 reviews) is the best beginner course. It assumes no experience, explains networking clearly and counts toward the Google IT Support certificate.

Which networking certification should I get first?

For a true beginner, CompTIA Network+ is the standard vendor-neutral first credential. If you already work in IT, Cisco’s CCNA is the more valued certification for network engineering roles. Many people take Network+ first and CCNA next.

Do developers need to learn networking?

Enough to build and debug networked applications, yes. Grokking Computer Networking for Software Engineers on Educative is aimed precisely at that level and is also useful for technical interviews.

How much do networking courses cost?

Coursera and Educative courses run on subscriptions, and the Coursera course can be started free. Udemy courses are one-off purchases that are frequently discounted. Pluralsight needs a subscription. Cisco Networking Academy’s Networking Basics and Professor Messer’s Network+ course are free. Certification exams are paid separately; the CCNA exam costs US$300.

Are Cisco Networking Academy courses free?

Many are. Networking Basics is free and self-paced on netacad.com, as are several other introductory courses. The longer CCNA courses are usually taken through a partner academy such as a college, which may charge.

Is computer networking in demand?

Mixed. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects declining employment for support specialists (-3%) and network administrators (-4%) from 2025 to 2035, but 8% growth for network architects. Networking combined with cloud, security or automation is where demand is strongest.

How long does it take to learn computer networking?

About two to four weeks for the basics, six to ten weeks for Network+ and two to four months for CCNA, studying part-time. Hands-on lab practice speeds it up.

Is CompTIA Network+ worth it?

For beginners targeting help desk, support or junior network roles, yes: it is vendor-neutral, widely recognized and a structured way to prove you know the fundamentals. If you already work in IT and want network engineering specifically, the CCNA is usually the better investment.

What is the hardest part of learning networking?

For most learners it is subnetting and routing. Both become routine with practice: do subnetting drills by hand and build small topologies in a simulator such as Cisco Packet Tracer until the routing decisions make sense.

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Related IT guides: IT support and help desk courses, computer repair courses, CCNA courses, CompTIA Network+ training, Wireshark tutorials and common network security threats.