CCNA Cert + Questions

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Kerkain

Limp Gawd
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May 3, 2011
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I know this subject has been brought up numerous times. I'm still running through the list of threads available in the search even now. I just have some minor questions really.

Over the weekend I decided to buy the ICDN 1&2 Library from Barnes and Nobel. I was looking for the other three sections of another set of books. My college set me up with [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Routers-Routing-Companion-Networking-Academy/dp/1587131668"]Amazon.com: Routers and Routing Basics CCNA 2 Companion Guide (Cisco Networking Academy) (9781587131660): Wendell Odom, Rick McDonald: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51m7iO2oyKL.@@AMEPARAM@@51m7iO2oyKL[/ame] along with the study labs for them. Why they skipped the first section or leaving the last two out I dont know. The IT chair there just got fired so maybe that says something.

So I got that Library. Would it be at all beneficial to continue my search for the remaining three sections of the companion guides or a waste of money?

Also, is this website still a decent website to use as like a "guide" if you will for setting up a home network with some real Cisco gear. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/24916

Are the routers/switches that is listed in that blog from a few years ago still some adequate hardware for working to attain the CCNA? I do plan on doing more research don't get me wrong before I buy anything. I very well could end up just picking up whatever is available on craigslist near me heh.

I want to be able to work on the hardware so when I take this class again I won't be so confused and lost. The teacher was a moron and didn't know how to teach a 5 year old how to tie his shoes.

I haven't decided if I will try to take the CCNA exam or do both of the ICND exams. I have some time to think about it so I'm not in any hurry to get things figured out right now. Is there anything that I might look into before jumping into the CCNA? Anything compTIA? Something that will help improve the learning curve I'll be facing?

I should point out I work as an IT Support Tech. Mostly computer and software troubleshooting. The most I have done with switches and routers (besides failling the WAN technologies class lol) comes from wiring up offices to the telecom closet and rewiring the racks.

So, am I on the right path so far or would someone recommend another approach or at least an ammendment?
 
Personally I wouldn't waste money on hardware this early in the game. Emulators will give you the same hands on expirence without spending money. Taking CCNA and CCNA wireless I spent about $1k on switches routers APs and firewalls that I really didn't need (99% of what I needed to do could have been done with software emulation).

If you are going to do CCNA and have little to no network expirence I wouldn't suggest just trying to read a book and take the test. Do a class or a boot camp and take the test (though the boot camps are very expensive, the last one I went to for MCSE was 9k for the week) and let them tell you what to buy for books. The 30 days before your exam CCNA book from Cisco I found to be a good study guide right before the test (as long as you get an up to date copy).

If you are looking to CompTA for something cheap the Networking+ course is very easy and a good base for someone who is starting from 0, however I felt that I would rather put that towards my CCNA, study for a few more months and learn the Cisco materal (Net+ is completely covered in sem 1 of CCNA) then waste my time learning things twice.
 
I was going to buy some hardware for my CCNA but I have decided to go the GNS 3 route, sure you have to find the images but from as far as I have read it's indistinguishable from the real thing. The only thing that sucks about GNS 3 is it doesn't emulate switches but you can use the NM-16ESW and it will do everything I need for my CCNA.
 
C7J0yc3 said:
Personally I wouldn't waste money on hardware this early in the game. Emulators will give you the same hands on expirence without spending money. Taking CCNA and CCNA wireless I spent about $1k on switches routers APs and firewalls that I really didn't need (99% of what I needed to do could have been done with software emulation).

If you are going to do CCNA and have little to no network expirence I wouldn't suggest just trying to read a book and take the test. Do a class or a boot camp and take the test (though the boot camps are very expensive, the last one I went to for MCSE was 9k for the week) and let them tell you what to buy for books. The 30 days before your exam CCNA book from Cisco I found to be a good study guide right before the test (as long as you get an up to date copy).

If you are looking to CompTA for something cheap the Networking+ course is very easy and a good base for someone who is starting from 0, however I felt that I would rather put that towards my CCNA, study for a few more months and learn the Cisco materal (Net+ is completely covered in sem 1 of CCNA) then waste my time learning things twice.
Click to expand...

This.

A lot of the Cisco stuff especially at the CCNA stuff is more on the technical than the hands-on for knowledge, but you definitely need to know your configs. Most of the stuff can be emulated with PacketTracer or with GNS3 (if you can get the IOS)
 
Thank you for the replies guys. It is appreciated. As far as a class or boot camp the college that I am going to has a few networking classes. The one that I know about is called WAN Technologies and we used the book Routers and Routing basics. For the final project we had to use a router rack that the school provided to build a network configuration. That was really what got me a little set on getting a home lab as the colleges resources were never readily available.

As far as an emulator, we were using a router simulator for the class to do the labs but they were all basically scripted and I never really "learned" how it was working to the full extent. It also had PacketTracer 3.2 if I remember correctly which I never dabbled in.

I will check out GNS3 more but I don't seem that sold on it right now.
 
Kerkain said:
Thank you for the replies guys. It is appreciated. As far as a class or boot camp the college that I am going to has a few networking classes. The one that I know about is called WAN Technologies and we used the book Routers and Routing basics. For the final project we had to use a router rack that the school provided to build a network configuration. That was really what got me a little set on getting a home lab as the colleges resources were never readily available.

As far as an emulator, we were using a router simulator for the class to do the labs but they were all basically scripted and I never really "learned" how it was working to the full extent. It also had PacketTracer 3.2 if I remember correctly which I never dabbled in.

I will check out GNS3 more but I don't seem that sold on it right now.
Click to expand...

TCL scripts are really useful especially when you have to automate tens if not hundreds of IOS conversions or even configurations.

PacketTracer is essentially virtualizing a network map and you click on the device icons and it brings up a window that lets you config by interface or a CLI for you to config like on a router.
 
ShadowStriker said:
TCL scripts are really useful especially when you have to automate tens if not hundreds of IOS conversions or even configurations.
Click to expand...

You talking about the native TCL functionality in IOS, or scripting with TCL on a third party machine? If it's the former, I've never seen people use TCL scripts on routers/switches to configure other device. If it's the latter, I'd rather use something like Perl or Python.

You have any of these scripts handy? I'm always looking to add to the toolbox.
 
Vito_Corleone said:
You talking about the native TCL functionality in IOS, or scripting with TCL on a third party machine? If it's the former, I've never seen people use TCL scripts on routers/switches to configure other device. If it's the latter, I'd rather use something like Perl or Python.

You have any of these scripts handy? I'm always looking to add to the toolbox.
Click to expand...

I'll have a look, but most of the code contains confidential stuff related to the network. :( But some of the stuff is run through Alterpoint, sort of a split between perl and TCL, a dual pattern/push (one to match patterns, one to push commands).
 
ShadowStriker said:
I'll have a look, but most of the code contains confidential stuff related to the network. :( But some of the stuff is run through Alterpoint, sort of a split between perl and TCL, a dual pattern/push (one to match patterns, one to push commands).
Click to expand...

We used Alterpoint at my last job. Never been a fan. From what I understand, it's no longer going to be produced either.
 
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