Passed CCNA!

C

corrupted223

Gawd
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
878
After dicking around for almost 3 years after taking the classes, I passed the ICND1 and 2 this week. Glad it is over. I am going to be taking the CCNA Security tomorrow, I am totally burned out now though. Just wanted to say it is harder when you procrastinate so knock them out right after the classes if you go that route.
 
Subnetting sucks. But I figured out a method to help me knock out most of the questions I encounter. I am currently in class right now but I will post it a bit later. Supernetting is something I have trouble with now, so I will have to brush up on that later on.
 
Congrats! Huge accomplishment! I just finished my 4 quarter Academy course in June and took it mid-July myself. Glad it's over. I can't believe you waited 3 years lol. I was dogging on some of my classmates for waiting to take it in August for fear of how much would drift from my mind. I was like you and thought going straight to CCNA Security/VOIP afterwards, but I've since changed that thinking because the CCNA is just so draining on you mentally. Although I do hear both are greatly reduced and more narrowly focused, which can be easier if you're dedicated to the networking field.

The subnetting part I don't recall being very hard on the Exam, but it's tricky. They constantly used the IP Subnet Zero terminology. Something I either forgot or failed to understand. Something about not using the first subnet in each subnet. I was always getting it wrong by one subnet when I would take practice quizzes and wouldn't understand. Like /usr/home when I first took the Academy courses the first one was mostly about subnetting. I was worried I'd never get it but then like the instructor said something will make it click. Now I love it :).


Congrats again and here's to the future whether it be Security/VOIP or CCNP :p
 
I really need to do mine before the end of September...Its the bloody subnetting that does my head in
 
I waited 3 years mainly because I got hired directly out of class and started working while still in school. Then got married etc and there was always something going on. This week was rough since my divorce is ongoing and she has been pulling crazy stunts, but I just buckled down and focused hard.

The boss has said that he is willing to pay for whatever I want, but asked for me to look at CCNA Voice/Wireless first. I purchased the materials for the CCDA already as well and plan to take that in a month or so(hopefully).
 
Jay_oasis said:
I really need to do mine before the end of September...Its the bloody subnetting that does my head in
Click to expand...

It takes a while and maybe various methods but one day it'll just click and make sense. I sort of made up my own way of doing it once I figured it out. Try different methods to see if you can get it and write it down so it sticks more. I downloaded a couple free PDF workbooks on subnetting and went through them and the explanations in their answers.
 
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Liger88 said:
Congrats! Huge accomplishment! I just finished my 4 quarter Academy course in June and took it mid-July myself. Glad it's over. I can't believe you waited 3 years lol. I was dogging on some of my classmates for waiting to take it in August for fear of how much would drift from my mind. I was like you and thought going straight to CCNA Security/VOIP afterwards, but I've since changed that thinking because the CCNA is just so draining on you mentally. Although I do hear both are greatly reduced and more narrowly focused, which can be easier if you're dedicated to the networking field.

The subnetting part I don't recall being very hard on the Exam, but it's tricky. They constantly used the IP Subnet Zero terminology. Something I either forgot or failed to understand. Something about not using the first subnet in each subnet. I was always getting it wrong by one subnet when I would take practice quizzes and wouldn't understand. Like /usr/home when I first took the Academy courses the first one was mostly about subnetting. I was worried I'd never get it but then like the instructor said something will make it click. Now I love it :).


Congrats again and here's to the future whether it be Security/VOIP or CCNP :p
Click to expand...

Yeah, I did my CCNA last fall and didn't know if I wanted to do security or CCNP. I finally decided to do CCNP since I have a few months off of work due to illness that I can study. I just bought 2 3550s for the lab and am looking for another router. I'm thinking maybe a 1841 since I have a 2811 and 2611 already.
 
You get 15 min before the test starts to write out notes on provided paper, so I worked out a grid/circle method to cover the vast majority of subnetting questions I felt I would run into. I will post that when I get a chance, and it helped out a lot since I had issues. It turned out I didnt need it as much as I thought since I started to "get subnetting" a while back. But it did help me when I got a brain fart.
 
While you are doing the test, are you allowed paper to write on or is it only during that short period? I can't imagine trying to do subnetting without being able to write it all down. I can't do math in my head, at all.
 
Red Squirrel said:
While you are doing the test, are you allowed paper to write on or is it only during that short period? I can't imagine trying to do subnetting without being able to write it all down. I can't do math in my head, at all.
Click to expand...

Yes you can.
 
Part of the reason I am doing this so quickly is my boss gave me the week off paid to do it. Also it is to piss the soon to be ex wife off. I am doing my damnedest to pick up speed after letting her drag my ass down :eek:
 
pnU9Gxa.jpg


Ok here is what I do. Now I realize that this just helps you get through, but if the only thing that is holding you back from taking the test is subnetting, this will help.

With this chart/circle you can find anything from /24 on up, which is where I had a hard time. After using this several times, subnetting "clicked" for me but I wrote it out anyways just in case. I ended up not needing it, and I tend to write down anything that pops into my head hence the reason for the routing costs.
 
Wrench00 said:
subnetting hard, its straight out memorization.
Click to expand...

Eventually yes it will be memorization from doing it over and over(and hopefully seeing it and dealing with it every day in your job).

But you should first learn how to do sub/super-netting in your head. The sooner you learn the bits and the math behind how it corresponds to the masks/block sizes/etc. The sooner it'll "click" to you of whats going on in the actual IP addressing.

Personally I have the CIDR notation memorized to the subnet masks, figure up the block sizes and do it all in my head in a few seconds. EVERY network engineering interview I've gone to has required me(or the person I'm interviewing) to do variable length subnets in my head while I'm standing at a whiteboard sketching out a network on the fly.
 
B1zz said:
EVERY network engineering interview I've gone to has required me(or the person I'm interviewing) to do variable length subnets in my head while I'm standing at a whiteboard sketching out a network on the fly.
Click to expand...

But what level jobs are you interviewing for? Most new people are not asked that. I think a lot of that depends on the instructors as well. Subnetting clicked for me, but I still have issues supernetting.

And I just passed my CCNA Security yesterday.
 
I'm lucky atm where I work on manager Cisco routers on a daily basis for a large business IT company. Plenty of exposure to subnetting.

Yet still cannot crack it. Will take your advice corrupted, I know I need to understand it then a lot more things will click, just so boring to memorise it all
 
Wrench00 said:
subnetting hard, its straight out memorization.
Click to expand...

it's just looking at subnet address to determine addressing blocks then doing some basic math in the head in relation to the IP address

some of the ways that books / people teach subnetting (binary method) are good to be aware of but makes subnetting seem way more complicated to people than it really is
 
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Udgnim said:
it's just looking at subnet address to determine addressing blocks then doing some basic math in the head

some of the ways that books / people teach subnetting (binary method) are good to be aware of but makes subnetting seem way more complicated to people than it really is
Click to expand...

IMO binary method is dumb. Theory wise it's good to know but I never use it to actually subnet.
 
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