CCENT/CCNA [H] study group

I just finished up the last of the Cisco network academy classes through my community college last week. I'm rocking 2x 2610XMs, 1x 2611XM, and 3x 2950Ts in a 12U rack at the moment. Just started reviewing for the exam tonight.

The most common piece of advice I've gotten about prepping for the CCNA exam is to study from multiple sources so I'm looking to get another book covering CCNA (other than the officlal CCNA Exploration books). Any particular recommendations?
 
I just finished up the last of the Cisco network academy classes through my community college last week. I'm rocking 2x 2610XMs, 1x 2611XM, and 3x 2950Ts in a 12U rack at the moment. Just started reviewing for the exam tonight.

The most common piece of advice I've gotten about prepping for the CCNA exam is to study from multiple sources so I'm looking to get another book covering CCNA (other than the officlal CCNA Exploration books). Any particular recommendations?

The Sybex book?

Take some pics of that rack!
 
For my home lab i now have:

3x 3640's with 128D/32F
1x 2610XM that needs maxed
2x 2613's (one for a 4 port frame relay and one for term server)
1x Catalyst 5505

Working on:

(2) or maybe 3 Catalyst 3550's for switches. these will work up thru CCNP so this is one area where spending a few extra bucks now will last you quite a bit longer without a refresh.

PICS!

does the 5505 run a normal IOS or just that CatOS?
 
PICS!

does the 5505 run a normal IOS or just that CatOS?

CatOS. It's still good to know. plus you'll have experience with a fully modular switch. I like it cause it's flippin HUGE. something like 90lbs loaded :eek: -- most people don't know what to say when they see a switch that big...i scored the 5505 and the 2 2613's for 80 plus shipping. :cool:

I don't have a rack but i need one BAD... my cable management is horrible too. once i get it cleaned up i'll be glad to post pics. i'm waiting to get my laptop back as i use that for my hyperterminal. it cost me 50 bucks. total win. i'm also cheating with the frame-relay aspect. i got frame relay working over the T1 DSU's i'm using in back-to-back config. used a NM-2W to give the 2613 4 slots and populated them all with WIC-1DSU-T1's (or 56/64k DSU's) so i have a 4 port frame relay switch for a total of about 40 bucks. :D
 
Count me in for this, I've been putting off my CCNA study for a while now (just completed my MCTIP upgrade exams) but need to expand my knowledge from the networking side. Sadly I don't own a lot of Cisco equipment (just a pair of PIX515E's and a 2924XL switch atm) but I do have enough quad NIC cards to set up a dynamips server to run all of my routers. Just need some proper switches for the CCNA.
 
I NEED to re-visit this exam. I have been through CCNA 1-4 and missed my last test by 5 points. I did very well in the Academy and just need to brush up, live in the Tacoma, WA / Joint Base Lewis-McChord area, let me know what you guys are doing or want to do. May be able to help organize something for the right group. I can also get access to all the physical equipment you can shake a stick at (though I think packet tracer is more than adequate for the CCNA). Let me know what you guys are doing. Maybe we should just meet once or twice a week utilizing something like Adobe Connect and run through a couple of chapters per meet.
 
Taking a tutored ICND1 class now. I prolly should have just gotten the books and learned on my own. The first half looks like review. The lab is way warm :(
 
Does anyone know some good CCENT labs and practice exams. I am getting ready to take this.
 
My CCNA expired on 5 March 2011... So sad. I was almost finished with my CCIP, but then I switched careers. Go figure... :)
 
So I am currently working on my switching labs/info for ICND2. Does anyone have any good online resources for studying and practicing Spanning Tree? I feel like Wendell Odom's book just isn't doing it for me and the labs at http://www.freeccnaworkbook.com/ aren't re-enforcing and solidifying the info into my head. I just feel like its not sinking in like I want it to. Anyone got any other fun labs/websites or even a book that helped them understand Spanning tree better?
 
This is currently my favorite thread. Just passed CompTIA A+ (with over 800 on both exams, not sure how people can fail this thing) and I'm going for CCNA next. Live in Chicago and looking for work in Edmonton, trying to find a networking job without CCNA is freaking hard.
 
If you guys can get your hands on the Network Academy lab books, they're a really good source for enforcing the lessons.

With CCNA, the thing you have to remember is the topology of three routers, three switches. For Spanning Tree, you just have to understand how to view the output from show spanning-tree and identify the port state, root bridge (+ BID), etc. Know how to configure portfast. Know how to configure rapid pvst+. Know how to influence the Root Bridge election process.

The very last lab in Accessing the WAN is exhaustive and all encompassing.
 
My training has spent a LOT of time talking about splitting octets for subnetting. This is something I will never have to use besides on exams.
 
My training has spent a LOT of time talking about splitting octets for subnetting. This is something I will never have to use besides on exams.

Well, subnetting is quite fundamental to networking. Its just takes a lot of practice to get people to start memorizing it which is probably why you are getting a lot of it. Some will use it, some won't, that just the nature of standardized certifications but no where near as bad as degrees and every person with a CCNA is expected to know it. I do understand it is somewhat nitty gritty but I do think everyone should know how IP addresses are allocated and organized.
 
If you guys can get your hands on the Network Academy lab books, they're a really good source for enforcing the lessons.

With CCNA, the thing you have to remember is the topology of three routers, three switches. For Spanning Tree, you just have to understand how to view the output from show spanning-tree and identify the port state, root bridge (+ BID), etc. Know how to configure portfast. Know how to configure rapid pvst+. Know how to influence the Root Bridge election process.

The very last lab in Accessing the WAN is exhaustive and all encompassing.

I took your advice on this and snagged a copy of the book. So far I prefer these labs over the free ccna workbook. These labs focus and re-enforce what I've been studying. Thanks for the advice :)
 
My training has spent a LOT of time talking about splitting octets for subnetting. This is something I will never have to use besides on exams.
If I spend the rest of my life farming, I won't have much use for CCNA either. And VLSM are actually very much common in real life.
 
If I spend the rest of my life farming, I won't have much use for CCNA either. And VLSM are actually very much common in real life.

IPv6 Day is approaching! I hope my company doesn't make me subnet that. >_<
 
My training has spent a LOT of time talking about splitting octets for subnetting. This is something I will never have to use besides on exams.
WAT? Do you plan on becoming a bartender with all those leet CCNA skills then? I subnet all the time personally. Half the time I'm fixing other people's blunders because they suck at subnetting or can't be bothered to check their own work.
 
WAT? Do you plan on becoming a bartender with all those leet CCNA skills then? I subnet all the time personally. Half the time I'm fixing other people's blunders because they suck at subnetting or can't be bothered to check their own work.

Subnetting is something that I work with all the time. Subnetting by splitting octets however is not. I have no desire to work in a place so large that that's a necessary and common thing.
 
Hi, I've been a [H] lurker since 2001 or so.

I took the CNAP (Cisco Network Academy Program) but I never ended up taking the exam. I have used my networking knowledge since I took the course at various jobs. I'm ready to go back now that I'm through school and actually get certified. I'll be doing self-study and using whatever resources I can get my hands on.

I'm willing to set up recurring video conference meetings for the purpose of studying. Would anyone be interested?
 
Subnetting is something that I work with all the time. Subnetting by splitting octets however is not. I have no desire to work in a place so large that that's a necessary and common thing.

You don't want to work on a large network?:confused:
 
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Subnetting is an absolute joke once you deal with it on a day to day basis. I don't use calculators, I just look at it and know. And I deal with masks more specific than 24 every single day.

Subnetting shouldn't scare people away from this field. If you're ever unsure, IOS routes traffic, so as you'd expect it has a built in subnet calculator called loopback + sh ip route. Just be careful w/that trick ... :)
 
Just started my CCNA studying this weekend. I took the Cisco Academy Course way back in 2004 at my highschool but never took the test. So far a lot of this stuff is coming back to me which is good. I brought the academy books and about to start the LAN section in the books tomorrow. My work is giving me 3 2600's routers and 2 2950's switches to use to prepare for the exam so I should be good to go.
 
Subnetting is something that I work with all the time. Subnetting by splitting octets however is not. I have no desire to work in a place so large that that's a necessary and common thing.
Well, the problem is, it's not just large networks. For example, lots of ISPs will give you /29 or such public subnet if you're not big enough to get provider independent space.

Besides, it looks like ISPs will be handing out /56 for ipv6 which is also on a non-nibble boundary.
 
Subnetting is something that I work with all the time. Subnetting by splitting octets however is not. I have no desire to work in a place so large that that's a necessary and common thing.
Size of a place has nothing to do with whether or not you'll need to "split octets". Security requirements, geographical limitations, politics, easy summarization at site boundaries, etc, etc are many of the driving factors in carving up address space.
 
Mark my words, regardless of where you work, you will have to subnet. Unless you're not doing the networking.
 
Size of a place has nothing to do with whether or not you'll need to "split octets". Security requirements, geographical limitations, politics, easy summarization at site boundaries, etc, etc are many of the driving factors in carving up address space.

Could you help me and explain some of those situations?
 
Maybe for a voice vlan?

Could you give me an example of this?

We have 5 buildings, each with computers and phones:

building1-computers: 192.168.7.0 /24
building1-phones: 192.168.107.0 /24
building2-computers: 192.168.8.0 /24
building2-phones: 192.168.108.0 /24
...

If we needed more for each building we could do:

buidling1-computers: 10.7.0.0 /16
building1-phones: 10.107.0.0 /16
building2-computers: 10.108.0.0 /16
building2-phones: 10.108.0.0 /16
...

Maybe it's just the orderly neat-freak part of me that's blocking my thinking?
 
No..it's the fact you're using almost endless private address space. Now do that with a public address space. Look at doing segmented public facing DMZs with only a /24 or /25.
 
Maybe for a voice vlan?

Management VLANs (broken down by region inside one main management VLAN), VoIP phones, Video conferencing, private VLANs, subnets for networking devices only, printers only, computers only, servers (may be split depending on different purposes for servers, like DMZ, internal and external DNS/LDAP, finger, Exchange, file servers, database servers, dev servers, backup servers,etc) Dev network, etc etc.

No..it's the fact you're using almost endless private address space. Now do that with a public address space. Look at doing segmented public facing DMZs with only a /24 or /25.

Maybe he uses PAT? Although he'll run out after 65535 ports. :p
 
Management VLANs (broken down by region inside one main management VLAN), VoIP phones, Video conferencing, private VLANs, subnets for networking devices only, printers only, computers only, servers (may be split depending on different purposes for servers, like DMZ, internal and external DNS/LDAP, finger, Exchange, file servers, database servers, dev servers, backup servers,etc) Dev network, etc etc.



Maybe he uses PAT? Although he'll run out after 65535 ports. :p

Maybe it's his 640K? lol.
 
No..it's the fact you're using almost endless private address space. Now do that with a public address space. Look at doing segmented public facing DMZs with only a /24 or /25.

Could you maybe give me a real-world example of this? I don't really understand why you would need so many public IPs.
 
Say I have an IP of 192.168.1.100 on a computer with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. First off, is this even doable in Windows? Can windows distinguish between a class B and a class C network? Secondly, if I had another computer wiht an IP of 192.168.2.100 and the subnet mask was 255.255.0.0, theoretically they could ping each other, correct?
 
Say I have an IP of 192.168.1.100 on a computer with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. First off, is this even doable in Windows? Can windows distinguish between a class B and a class C network? Secondly, if I had another computer wiht an IP of 192.168.2.100 and the subnet mask was 255.255.0.0, theoretically they could ping each other, correct?

First, those are only class C networks. 2nd yes, they can ping one another due to the specified subnet and network ID range
 
A better question is could they ping each other without a default gateway (or static route). The answer is yes, if they're using /16 masks and they're on the same broadcast domain, they can communicate without routing. They're in the same subnet.
 
That is exactly how my internal LAN is setup at my home. Network gear is on 0.x, servers on 1.x, hard wired clients on 2.x, and wireless on 3.x.
 
Yeah, I know they are both class C, but I was just wondering it was doable. Is this common or "good" practice? Why would people move to a 10.x.x.x network, if you can just change the subnet on a 192. network?

Edit: Also, if a computer has 192.168.1.7 for the IP, 255.255.255.248 for the IP with a Gateway of 192.168.1.1, it should be able to ping and see computers in a 192.168.1.x 255.255.255.0 subnet correct? I tried setting one computer to a subnet here at home and I can't ping or see it when the other computer is set to 255.255.255.0, but when I put it in the same subnet as the other one, it pings and everything fine. So say a subnet "higher" than .0 (ie .128 .192 etc.) can see anything lower than itself, but you can't see subnets higher than yourself if you are .0? I realize I'm not making much sense... What I'm wondering is why I can ping the entire network when I'm set to 255.255.255.248, but other computers can't ping the computer in that subnet when they are on 255.255.255.0.

I've just started self-studying for CCENT and learning subnetting in my spare time, so please bear with me.
 
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