For decades, the traditional networking landscape has revolved around command-line interfaces, network diagrams, and devices that speak in protocols. In this world of routers, switches, and firewalls, the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) emerged as the gold standard for proving technical prowess. It signaled proficiency in networking fundamentals—from IP addressing and routing to switching and security.

But as networks have grown increasingly complex and interconnected, the tools and mindsets required to manage them have shifted. Software-defined networking, automation, APIs, and the cloud have replaced rigid infrastructures. To operate effectively in this new realm, network professionals can’t rely solely on manual configurations. They need code.

Enter the DevNet Associate—a parallel pathway that broadens the traditional networking route into the realm of development. It builds upon foundational networking knowledge but emphasizes programmability, application deployment, and orchestration using software tools. It’s neither strictly networking nor purely software development; it sits at the crossroads.

The Evolution of Networking and New Demands

Networks used to live in data centers, defined by static architectures and predictable behaviors. Engineers logged into devices manually, made one-off changes, and documented configurations by hand. Problems were often resolved through repetitive, manual actions.

Today, digital transformation has blurred the lines between IT and software. Changes occur across multiple layers—physical, virtual, containerized, and cloud-based. To manage this, organizations need agility—faster rollouts, self-healing systems, and API-driven automation. That’s where DevNet becomes essential.

While traditional network engineers still need to understand protocols and design patterns, they also must now think like developers: modular, automated, API-first.

What Each Path Represents

CCNA verifies that you understand the infrastructure: how switches forward Ethernet frames, how routers make routing decisions, and how different network layers interconnect. It focuses on topology, configuration, and troubleshooting in real-world scenarios.

DevNet Associate builds on that foundation but shifts the lens toward automation: how to interact with network devices via APIs, how to write Python scripts that configure infrastructures, and how to integrate networks into CI/CD pipelines. It explores programmable network controllers, containers, and the intersection of infrastructure and application logic.

Why Organizations Value Dual Expertise

Networks today aren’t set-and-forget systems. They are dynamic environments that must adapt to business demands rapidly and reliably. Whether provisioning new branches, deploying microservices, or enforcing compliance, manual methods don’t scale.

Professionals who can design stable networks (CCNA skills) and then automate their deployment and management (DevNet skills) provide unmatched value. They reduce errors, standardize configurations, and free up time for strategic work.

By holding knowledge in both areas, engineers can:

• Oversee infrastructure design and deployment end-to-end
• Write scripts that automate provisioning, compliance checks, and troubleshooting
• Understand how applications behave across the network, and design systems that support them
• Collaborate smoothly with developers, DevOps teams, and cloud architects

The Learning Journey: Where to Begin

If you’re starting fresh, a structured sequence makes sense:

1. Build a firm grasp of networking fundamentals—addressing, routing, switching, VLANs, security.
2. Learn scripting basics—Python syntax, RESTful operations, JSON parsing.
3. Explore how to automate network tasks—writing scripts to configure devices, query statuses, or log actions.
4. Study how modern networks are managed—using controllers, containers, remote accelerators.
5. Learn how network automation fits into larger DevOps cycles—testing, version control, CI/CD integrations.

A career in modern networking means embracing both infrastructure and software. Understanding the architecture is just as important as automating it.

Mapping Skills in Modern Networking – Comparing CCNA and DevNet Associate

The evolution of networking isn’t just a story about new tools or protocols—it’s about a fundamental shift in how infrastructure is designed, built, and managed. In the past, infrastructure was built piece by piece, often manually, with little consideration for automation or integration with applications. Today, the line between infrastructure and code is fading. As a result, the skills required to succeed in networking have evolved dramatically.

The traditional CCNA path is centered around understanding and managing physical and virtual network devices. It requires strong foundational knowledge in concepts like IP routing, switching, network topologies, wireless protocols, and basic security. In contrast, the DevNet Associate path builds on this foundation by introducing programmatic approaches—emphasizing scripting, APIs, automation, and the integration of infrastructure with applications and development workflows.

The Traditional Networking Engineer Skill Set (CCNA Focus)

For years, the core expectation of a network engineer has been to ensure devices function properly, communicate securely, and scale according to business needs. The CCNA curriculum trains professionals to understand network architecture and how traffic flows across interconnected systems. Key areas include:

• Networking Fundamentals: This includes IP addressing, subnetting, and understanding how data travels across the OSI and TCP/IP models. Engineers learn how packets move from source to destination and how protocols like ARP, DNS, and DHCP function.
• Routing and Switching: This is the heart of CCNA. Professionals gain practical knowledge in setting up routers and switches, configuring routing protocols (like OSPF and EIGRP), and creating VLANs and trunking links. Troubleshooting common connectivity issues is emphasized.
• Network Access and Security Basics: Topics such as port security, access control lists (ACLs), wireless networking, and basic firewall configurations prepare engineers to secure infrastructure against common threats.
• IP Services: Engineers are introduced to NAT, QoS, SNMP, and other services that support large-scale network environments.
• Automation and Programmability (Introductory): The CCNA includes an overview of network automation trends, APIs, and controller-based management. However, it does not go deep into how these technologies are implemented or scripted.

What makes the CCNA valuable is its focus on network operations. It’s grounded in practical, real-world issues—troubleshooting, configuration, and implementation. It prepares professionals to walk into a networking role and manage devices confidently.

The Emerging Network Developer Skill Set (DevNet Focus)

The DevNet Associate introduces a new kind of network engineer: one who not only understands traditional networking concepts but can also control, monitor, and optimize the network through software. While there is some overlap with CCNA topics, DevNet focuses more on the software layer. The key skills include:

• Software Development Basics: DevNet starts with an emphasis on core programming principles. It introduces Python as the language of choice and teaches basic syntax, data structures, loops, and conditional logic. This is not to make engineers developers—but to give them the tools to write simple scripts and understand automation logic.
• APIs and RESTful Services: DevNet professionals learn how to interact with network devices using REST APIs. This includes understanding HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), status codes, and how to send and receive JSON data. This is foundational for modern network automation.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Topics such as configuration templates, version control using Git, and automating device setup through scripts are emphasized. Professionals explore tools and concepts that help treat network infrastructure like software, enabling repeatable and scalable deployments.
• Cisco Platforms and Controller-Based Management: DevNet delves into platforms that manage network devices at scale through centralized controllers. Engineers learn how to interact with these platforms using code, retrieve data, and push configurations without logging into devices individually.
• Application Deployment and Security: This covers how applications are developed and deployed in networked environments. Topics such as containerization (Docker), security concepts, and application lifecycle awareness are introduced.
• Network Fundamentals: While less detailed than CCNA, DevNet includes a review of basic networking concepts, enough to ensure the candidate understands the environment they’re automating.

Skill Set Overlaps and Differences

Both certifications expect an understanding of network fundamentals. Both recognize the importance of securing systems, whether through access lists or encrypted APIs. However, their focus and intent differ.

• CCNA is infrastructure-first. It’s about knowing the network inside and out—its physical layers, addressing schemes, and operational behaviors.
• DevNet is software-first. It assumes you know how a network works and focuses on how to program it, automate tasks, and integrate it into a larger digital ecosystem.

For example, a CCNA candidate learns to configure a router using a command-line interface (CLI), setting up routes and access lists by hand. A DevNet candidate, by contrast, learns to send an API call to the router’s REST interface to retrieve configuration data or push changes programmatically.

When These Skills Combine

The convergence of networking and software creates powerful opportunities. Engineers who can do both—configure a switch and automate its provisioning—are in high demand. This hybrid skill set allows teams to:

• Deploy infrastructure faster and more consistently
• Create scalable, testable network configurations
• Integrate infrastructure changes into DevOps pipelines
• Improve security by enforcing standardized configurations
• Respond to incidents more rapidly using automated workflows

Hybrid professionals are often tasked with building internal tools, writing playbooks for network configuration, or creating dashboards for performance monitoring. These responsibilities go beyond the capabilities of traditional CCNA-trained engineers and extend the utility of automation beyond simple scripting.

Skill Set Comparison Summary

Let’s walk through a conceptual summary of how these skill sets are used in real-life scenarios:

• Provisioning a new branch office
  
  • CCNA: Manually configure switches and routers using the CLI.
  • DevNet: Use scripts to auto-provision the network via APIs or automation tools.
• Troubleshooting connectivity issues
  
  • CCNA: Log into each device, trace routes, and inspect logs.
  • DevNet: Query logs programmatically, use telemetry APIs, or deploy diagnostic scripts.
• Monitoring for compliance
  
  • CCNA: Use SNMP or syslog to monitor configurations.
  • DevNet: Write code to audit configurations and alert for deviations from policy.
• Scaling a wireless deployment
  
  • CCNA: Configure access points and controllers individually.
  • DevNet: Use a controller’s API to push configurations to hundreds of access points simultaneously.

These scenarios reveal that DevNet is not a replacement for CCNA—it’s a next layer. While CCNA focuses on building and maintaining the network, DevNet emphasizes automating, optimizing, and integrating it with the broader digital environment.

Building a Learning Path Around Skill Sets

Professionals aiming for long-term relevance in networking should consider a layered approach:

1. Start with traditional concepts. Learn how devices work, how they connect, and how data moves.
2. Learn scripting fundamentals—not to become a full-time developer, but to understand automation.
3. Study how to access and manipulate infrastructure through code—this is where DevNet begins.
4. Combine this with real-world projects, building tools or automating tasks to reinforce concepts.
5. Continue learning through practical exposure—joining communities, solving problems, and exploring tools.

The more fluently you can move between CLI and APIs, the more effective you become.

Career Implications

These skill sets open up varied career tracks:

• CCNA-only professionals tend to move toward network administration, implementation, and support roles. They become specialists in routing, switching, and troubleshooting.
• DevNet-focused professionals can pursue roles such as network automation engineers, DevOps for networking, and infrastructure developers. They are often embedded in agile teams or platform teams that need scalable, programmatic control over networks.
• Professionals with both find themselves at a strategic advantage. They can work in architecture roles, lead automation projects, or bridge gaps between network teams and developers.

This blended capability is particularly useful in environments that emphasize infrastructure as code, continuous integration, and hybrid cloud architectures.

Real-World Roles and Use Cases – CCNA vs DevNet in Practice

In today’s fast-paced technology landscape, networks are no longer just physical infrastructures—they’re dynamic, software-defined platforms that respond to evolving business needs. As a result, the responsibilities of networking professionals have expanded beyond static configuration into realms of automation, orchestration, and full-stack visibility.

The Day in the Life of a CCNA-Centric Network Engineer

Professionals grounded in traditional CCNA training typically enter roles as network technicians, junior network engineers, or infrastructure support specialists. Their day-to-day work involves direct interaction with physical or virtualized networking hardware, including routers, switches, firewalls, and access points.

Core Responsibilities:

• Configuration and Deployment: Applying configurations manually using CLI tools, setting up new network devices, creating VLANs, configuring routing protocols, and provisioning connectivity.
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Responding to connectivity issues, checking port statuses, analyzing routing tables, and interpreting logs or syslogs to find faults.
• Network Maintenance: Performing firmware upgrades, replacing faulty cables or devices, updating routing policies, and documenting network topologies.
• Security Enforcement: Implementing basic ACLs, monitoring unauthorized access, and ensuring compliance with baseline security practices.
• Collaboration: Communicating with IT support teams or vendors during outages, planning change windows, or escalating persistent issues.

Typical Tools: Terminal emulators (like PuTTY), SNMP-based monitoring systems, TFTP servers, Wireshark, and device-specific configuration managers.

These roles are essential for stable infrastructure. A well-trained CCNA professional ensures that network connectivity is robust, devices are configured properly, and outages are minimized. They are the boots on the ground when it comes to network health.

The Day in the Life of a DevNet-Focused Engineer

Engineers who lean toward the DevNet Associate path enter roles where automation, scripting, and integration are key. They may be called network automation engineers, infrastructure developers, DevOps engineers (with a network focus), or platform engineers.

Core Responsibilities:

• Automation and Orchestration: Writing Python scripts to configure multiple devices simultaneously, automate VLAN provisioning, or roll out configuration updates via APIs.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Maintaining network configurations in version-controlled repositories, using tools like Ansible or Terraform to deploy changes reproducibly.
• Controller-Based Operations: Interacting with software-defined controllers to push policy changes across the network, generate analytics reports, or adjust routing dynamically.
• Telemetry and Monitoring: Creating dashboards using streaming telemetry data, integrating network stats into observability platforms, or triggering alerts via webhooks.
• Application Integration: Collaborating with developers to ensure the network supports application performance, managing container networking, or exposing network functions through APIs.

Typical Tools: Python, Git, REST API clients, Postman, JSON, YAML, Ansible, Jenkins, container platforms, and telemetry dashboards.

These engineers spend less time inside a CLI and more time writing, testing, and executing scripts. Their focus is to make the network adaptive, programmable, and aligned with application and business logic.

Use Case 1: New Site Deployment

Let’s take a common enterprise task—deploying a new branch office—and examine how each type of engineer approaches it.

CCNA Approach:

1. Prepares a network diagram outlining the placement of routers, switches, and wireless access points.
2. Visits the site or connects remotely to manually configure each device.
3. Sets up IP addressing, routing, and VLANs using CLI.
4. Tests each segment, verifies connectivity, and documents the network.

DevNet Approach:

1. Builds a site-specific configuration template in code.
2. Uses automation tools to push configurations to all devices.
3. Validates network health via API endpoints or monitoring scripts.
4. Archives the deployment state in version control for audit and rollback.

The CCNA approach is functional but time-intensive. The DevNet approach scales better and ensures consistency across multiple sites.

Use Case 2: Policy Change Across Devices

Suppose a new security policy requires updating ACLs across hundreds of routers.

CCNA Approach:

• Logs into each device individually.
• Manually enters new ACL rules.
• Tests and documents each change.

DevNet Approach:

• Writes a script that pulls device lists, applies updated ACL rules via API, and logs the change.
• Runs validation scripts to confirm success.
• Generates a summary report automatically.

The DevNet approach minimizes errors, enforces standardization, and supports rollback if needed.

Use Case 3: Application Troubleshooting

An enterprise application is reporting intermittent slowness. The network team is tasked with identifying the issue.

CCNA-Focused Engineer:

• Starts by running traceroutes, pings, and packet captures.
• Checks for interface errors or congestion.
• Manually inspects QoS policies and routing behavior.

DevNet-Focused Engineer:

• Queries controller logs and telemetry data programmatically.
• Uses a script to gather metrics from relevant devices.
• Correlates application logs with network events to identify bottlenecks.

The DevNet engineer saves time by automating data collection and analysis. The CCNA engineer’s deep protocol knowledge is still essential—but enhanced when paired with data-driven insight.

Career Growth Paths

Let’s explore where each path can lead in terms of career titles, roles, and specializations.

CCNA-Centric Paths:

• Network Administrator
• Infrastructure Support Engineer
• Routing and Switching Engineer
• Wireless Specialist
• Security Operations Engineer (focused on perimeter devices)

Long-term, they may progress into roles like:

• Network Architect
• Data Center Engineer
• Senior Network Engineer

DevNet-Focused Paths:

• Network Automation Engineer
• DevOps with Networking Focus
• Infrastructure as Code Specialist
• Cloud Networking Engineer
• Platform Integration Engineer

Long-term, they may advance into roles such as:

• Infrastructure Architect
• Site Reliability Engineer
• Systems Integration Lead

The combination of both skills positions professionals for roles that bridge silos—such as Automation Architects or Hybrid Infrastructure Leads.

Organizational Impact

The type of engineer an organization needs often depends on its maturity:

• Smaller companies may rely more on CCNA-type engineers who can quickly configure and troubleshoot.
• Larger enterprises tend to require DevNet skills to manage scale, ensure reliability, and support digital transformation efforts.
• Cloud-first or DevOps-driven firms prioritize DevNet skills to align infrastructure with agile application development.

Organizations benefit most when teams include both profiles, or when individuals blend the two skill sets. A network team with automation capabilities can adapt faster, maintain cleaner configurations, and align with development timelines.

Mindset Differences

• CCNA-focused engineers excel in diagnosing problems, understanding systems deeply, and applying proven solutions. Their work is tactile and hands-on.
• DevNet-focused engineers think abstractly, build repeatable processes, and often design tools that reduce future manual work. They write code to solve problems that previously required hours of command-line time.

One is diagnostic, the other is programmatic. Both are crucial.

Skill Blending: The Future is Hybrid

As networks become programmable by default, the most successful professionals will have both skill sets. Even for engineers rooted in the CLI, learning Python and API basics adds enormous value. For those from a DevNet background, deepening understanding of protocols and device behavior helps build robust solutions.

Emerging trends such as AI-driven operations, predictive networking, and intent-based networking will demand engineers who can build, automate, monitor, and improve infrastructure proactively. This hybrid model is no longer a niche—it’s the new normal.

Certifications Are Just the Beginning

Both certifications signal readiness to perform specific types of tasks. But neither is an endpoint. The best professionals continue to grow beyond them—engaging in community projects, contributing to open-source tools, mentoring peers, or building internal platforms that solve real-world problems.

Certifications open the door, but it’s how you apply the knowledge that defines your impact.

Future-Proofing Your Networking Career – Blending Infrastructure and Automation

In a rapidly digitizing world, the role of a networking professional is undergoing a profound transformation. Where once the job revolved primarily around keeping routers, switches, and firewalls operational, it now demands a hybrid skill set that fuses infrastructure understanding with programmatic automation. This final part of the series focuses on how professionals can shape long-term careers that remain relevant, resilient, and deeply impactful by leveraging both CCNA and DevNet Associate-level expertise.

From Static Admin to Dynamic Architect

The past decade has introduced sweeping changes across networking. Cloud adoption, edge computing, containerization, and zero-trust architectures are no longer future predictions—they’re current operational realities. Networks are expected to scale on demand, adapt to workload shifts, and remain secure under relentless pressure.

In this environment, the network engineer is no longer just a technician; they are a strategist. The rise of programmable networking has placed new demands on engineers to think beyond the command line and to integrate infrastructure as part of a larger system. They must now understand how to orchestrate services, monitor health programmatically, and align network behavior with application demands.

To thrive, professionals must grow into architects who not only understand devices and protocols, but also how to express intent through automation and APIs. A solid start in CCNA or DevNet sets the stage—but the real evolution begins afterward.

Blending Skills: The Hybrid Networking Professional

The most valuable professionals today combine deep infrastructure knowledge with a solid grasp of automation tools. These hybrid engineers are capable of understanding the physics of networking—packet loss, latency, MTU mismatches—while simultaneously managing configurations across dozens or hundreds of devices via code.

This blend isn’t about becoming a full-time developer or abandoning traditional networking. It’s about increasing leverage. Consider this:

• A CCNA-certified engineer might spend an hour manually configuring five switches.
• A DevNet-trained professional with the same foundation could apply identical configurations to 50 switches in seconds.

The ability to multiply effort through automation doesn’t just improve efficiency; it unlocks scale. It means fewer mistakes, quicker deployments, and more time spent on solving real problems.

Career Trajectories That Benefit from CCNA + DevNet

Combining both perspectives opens the door to a broad set of future roles:

1. Network Automation Engineer
   A professional who designs and implements automation workflows, builds configuration templates, and ensures policy enforcement across hybrid environments.
2. Infrastructure Developer
   Someone who treats network configurations like code—versioned, tested, and deployed via CI/CD pipelines—while integrating those systems with monitoring platforms or orchestration engines.
3. Platform Engineer
   An architect who connects infrastructure with development workflows, ensuring that developers have self-service, secure access to networks through APIs and portals.
4. Security Infrastructure Engineer
   A role that builds automated threat response mechanisms, monitors telemetry in real time, and connects firewalls, IDS, and SIEM systems through code.
5. Cloud Networking Specialist
   A professional who bridges on-prem and cloud networks, manages transit gateways, automates peering relationships, and orchestrates secure connectivity using SDKs and APIs.
6. Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) with a networking focus
   Engineers responsible for performance, reliability, and availability, using infrastructure observability tools to preempt incidents and optimize delivery paths.

These roles are no longer futuristic—they are active today. The foundation of CCNA prepares you to understand the behavior of networks. The DevNet training enables you to shape and control that behavior at scale.

Continuous Learning: Building on Certification Foundations

Earning a certification is a milestone, not a finish line. Both CCNA and DevNet Associate are launchpads. From there, continuous learning is essential to keep pace with evolving technologies and expectations.

Here’s how professionals can continue growing:

• Dive deeper into automation: Learn more advanced Python, explore network-specific libraries, and study tools like Ansible, Terraform, and RESTCONF.
• Explore telemetry and observability: Understand how to stream performance data, integrate it into dashboards, and use it to trigger intelligent remediation.
• Participate in real-world projects: Contribute to open-source infrastructure tools or build automation scripts for internal teams. The best learning happens while solving real problems.
• Stay current with cloud-native networking: As more workloads shift to Kubernetes and cloud platforms, understanding container networking, ingress controllers, and service meshes becomes vital.
• Engage in architecture thinking: Study how business needs drive network design. Practice translating application requirements into connectivity, latency, and security policies.

By layering practical projects on top of certification knowledge, engineers move from being exam passers to real-world problem solvers.

Building Credibility in a Hybrid Role

In traditional IT, engineers were judged by their ability to solve problems under pressure, configure complex environments, and keep services running. In modern environments, they are increasingly evaluated on how well they automate, collaborate, and innovate.

Building credibility in hybrid roles means:

• Demonstrating repeatable success: Whether through automation scripts, dashboards, or Git repositories, showing your work builds trust.
• Sharing knowledge: Write internal documentation, contribute to knowledge bases, or teach others on your team.
• Communicating clearly: Bridging gaps between infrastructure and development teams requires translating jargon and aligning goals.
• Staying tool-agnostic: Learn platforms and protocols, but don’t lock yourself into specific tools. Principles like automation, abstraction, and observability matter more than brand names.

Hybrid professionals often become the glue that holds cross-functional teams together. Their ability to speak multiple technical languages is a strategic asset.

The Human Advantage: Problem Solving, Empathy, and Collaboration

As automation handles more of the repetitive work, the human element becomes more important. Soft skills are not optional—they’re critical differentiators.

Whether working in a fast-paced operations team or designing a multi-region network, professionals need to:

• Ask good questions
• Understand business context
• Resolve conflicts calmly
• Present solutions clearly

Certifications don’t test these qualities, but careers are built on them. The best engineers are not just technically capable—they are reliable, thoughtful, and adaptable.

A Career Built to Last

What makes a career future-proof isn’t just technical skill. It’s adaptability. The willingness to learn new things, embrace ambiguity, and grow in unexpected directions is what sustains a 10-, 20-, or 30-year career.

Here’s a mindset shift that defines long-term success:

• From device configuration to system design
• From troubleshooting errors to preventing them
• From being a tool user to becoming a tool builder
• From solving tickets to delivering platforms

The shift from manual to automated, from reactive to proactive, is the core of what DevNet represents. Blending that with a solid CCNA grounding creates a professional who is not only relevant today, but essential tomorrow.

Final Thoughts: 

By now, it’s clear that both CCNA and DevNet Associate provide more than just technical checklists—they open doors to different mindsets. One builds a foundation. The other builds forward momentum. Together, they shape a professional ready for the networking world that exists now—not just the one that came before.

Networks will continue to evolve. Automation will deepen. Complexity will grow. But professionals who can understand the fundamentals and control them programmatically will remain indispensable.

The tools will change. The protocols will expand. The platforms will migrate.

But the ability to learn, adapt, and build solutions will always define the best engineers.