$250 is a drop in the bucket compared to what you'll spend later down the line. If you're motivated by money, you'd better just get it in your head that you're going to have to spend some to make some.
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CCNA question
- Thread starter Destonomos
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$250 is a drop in the bucket compared to what you'll spend later down the line. If you're motivated by money, you'd better just get it in your head that you're going to have to spend some to make some.
Destonomos
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Oh I know in the grand scheme of things 250 bucks is a drop in the bucket. I'm in college and right now that is a bit of money for me. Once I have a job it won't be as bad. Maybe I'll luck out and find a place that will pay for the tests or books
.Yeah last article I read on the cost of preperation for the CCIE was roughly $20K if you bought all the equipment and $10K if you went the Dynamips route. And as an individual currently persuing the CCIE R&S I would say that is 100% accurate for anyone who wants to pass the lab on the first attempt rather than donate the lab fees 3 or more times.
Vito_Corleone
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$10k seems a little high if you're using Dynamips and not paying for training.
Destonomos
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Thats what I was thinking. Also you can buy ccie kits on ebay for around 1.2k or so... That sounds a little high to me. Hopefully I can get a job where they will pay for my books and pay for testing which would be nice.
I've never seen a CCIE kit for 1.2k. Please show me where you can get two 3550's and two 3560's for the internetwork expert topology (which is the topology I would follow and the materials I would use to help pass R&S) along with the other equipment needed for that price. My buddy built that topology with using various substitutions and he still spent 3k for what he bought. That's without practice materials. All equipment costs.
http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/iosonpc.htm - Dynamips
http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/ccierack.htm - equipment
The Dynamips method is obviously the best way to go. However, without access to IOS downloads you're going to have to resort to other 'less' legal methods. I still prefer the real equipment method. CCIE is nothing to just say you're going to do it. There's significant time and money invested. As for the discussion on CCNA security, that's a prerequisite for CCSP. I wouldn't bother going taking that exam unless you just want to or you're going that path. CCNP is hard enough as it is. If you pass your CCNA, I'd start working on that if you're going R&S. R&S from what I noticed is essentially the foundation most of the IE's go first before venturing to the other concentrations. Again, this is just my observation.
http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/iosonpc.htm - Dynamips
http://www.internetworkexpert.com/resources/ccierack.htm - equipment
The Dynamips method is obviously the best way to go. However, without access to IOS downloads you're going to have to resort to other 'less' legal methods. I still prefer the real equipment method. CCIE is nothing to just say you're going to do it. There's significant time and money invested. As for the discussion on CCNA security, that's a prerequisite for CCSP. I wouldn't bother going taking that exam unless you just want to or you're going that path. CCNP is hard enough as it is. If you pass your CCNA, I'd start working on that if you're going R&S. R&S from what I noticed is essentially the foundation most of the IE's go first before venturing to the other concentrations. Again, this is just my observation.
Vito_Corleone
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I have zero experience with Dynamips, but I thought you could use switch modules in routers for multi layer switching practice?
Vito_Corleone
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Also, is there specific functionality that 3560s have and 3550s don't? We used strictly 3560s at my previous job and they seemed pretty much the same as the 3550 I have now.
Xphil3 would probably know more about that, but I believe he's tying his Dynamips into real switches. I tried to set it up for CCNA, but found other methods faster and better for my studies. Considering you can sell the equipment you buy for a small loss after you're done with the CCIE, I'd say the money increase made by finishing the IE offsets the depreciation of the equipment costs.
Vito_Corleone
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Thankfully I already have most of what's on that list in my current lab, sadly no 3560s or 3825, lol. I'm not even sure I'll be going for the IE after getting my NP though.
There's alternative configurations in that topology for substitutions. CCNP is hard enough as it is. I can't imagine how indepth the IE material is and I don't want to right now lol! I start school to finish my degree in January, and I'm going to try and squeeze in some side studying for the DoD 8570.1 security model.
AFAIK, and I would find out officially before anyone else would there are no pre-req's for the CCIE track. CCNP requires a CCNA. Thats all.
In my experience, and I have said this before in other threads this is the exact behavior NOT to have. You have to set goals very high for yourself, or you wont get the certification. Its always the people that set their goal to a CCIE and only concentrated on that exam that I have seen get the certification. I have NEVER, EVER seen anyone think about the CCNA, then do the CCNP then say "well, why not go for the CCIE". It was always the guy that wanted the CCIE well before he started his CCNA that got the certification. True story.
meh, not going to happen... the switches alone are going to run you around 600-1k each(for the 3550's). If you go the route I went, which is the EXACT topology(just half virtualized) then its going to run you 4K at a minimum.
You can put in the NM-16ESW. This is a standard layer 2 switching module. No SVI support.
I disagree with those numbers, they are atleast double what anyone would spend. If you know how to use dynamips properly and get all 3550's(which is what you really need) then you're looking at ~5k for the entire setup(2500 for switches, 2.5k for the computer, network cards and cables). Also, the number of first time passers has dropped below 2%. The test continues to change(like the documentation, its presented completely differently now.. not sure if that was released or something they show you on test day.) and anyone expecting to pass first time out is kidding themselves. Expect 2 times at a minimum. Im speaking from experience here.
Good find, but not exactly accurate.
http://blog.internetworkexpert.com/2008/03/03/bridging-the-gap-between-3550-and-3560-qos-part-i/
Indepth QoS analysis. This is the major difference in the two lines as they relate to the CCIE practical.
The switching features available in Dynamips are fine for the CCNA and CCNP, however due to the requiment to be able to do IPv6 routing on the Layer 3 switches and the advanced QoS requirments, the n16p modules available in Dynamips don't cut the mustard for the CCIE.
You really need at minimum 2 3560's to do any serious practice labbing, and better than that would be 2 3550's and 2 3560's, and I believe the actual lab now uses 4 3560's.
exactly, good for the majority of the CCNP tests, but for the BCMSN you're going to want to either rent some rack time or get yourself some 3550s/60's. CCIE practical's are still a mix due the QoS queues, behaviors and configurations.
Vito_Corleone
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Some great info in this thread, thanks.
FYI though, 3550s have come down big time, I got one on Ebay a couple weeks ago for ~$300. Also, it looks like you can grab some 8 port 3560s for pretty cheap, which will be nice now that I know they are needed to practice the IE stuff.
FYI though, 3550s have come down big time, I got one on Ebay a couple weeks ago for ~$300. Also, it looks like you can grab some 8 port 3560s for pretty cheap, which will be nice now that I know they are needed to practice the IE stuff.
WOW! Nice prices.
8 port wont be enough for the CCIE though. You need atleast 12. Check out the internetwork expert topology. Its an "over-lay" topology which is great for coming up with your own labs too.Vito_Corleone
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Damn, so you'll really need the extra ports? I was hoping you really just needed the functionality.
If you're going to be building a CCIE pod you need atleast 12 ports for all the connections. If you're looking for functionality then any number of ports will suffice. My recommendation would be to just pony up the cash and get the 24 port
Vito_Corleone
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It's almost twice the price though, lol.
I'm kind of kicking myself right now as I had two 3560s from my previous job in my lab, but I sold them to buy 3500s and pocketed the cash, lol. I guess it won't matter too much unless I decide to go for the IE, and by then they'll probably be cheaper anyway.
I'm kind of kicking myself right now as I had two 3560s from my previous job in my lab, but I sold them to buy 3500s and pocketed the cash, lol. I guess it won't matter too much unless I decide to go for the IE, and by then they'll probably be cheaper anyway.
Vito_Corleone
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Wow, that is really cheap.
I believe in setting goals high, sure. However I believe in setting realistic goals with milestones. Breaking each step in the process into a milestone and focusing on that step along the way. Yes, the overall goal is the same, however I simply prefer this approach. It's worked well for me. Those that just go take their CCIE and pass have a gift anyway. Accomplishable goal? Sure, but not for the vast majority of those wanting that level. There's only ~25k of them for a reason.
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/course_catalog/PacketTracer.html
We used this in my college class that was taught around CCNA. It seemed to be pretty helpful for being free.
Maybe it will help *shrug*
We used this in my college class that was taught around CCNA. It seemed to be pretty helpful for being free.
Maybe it will help *shrug*
Destonomos
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Looks like and sounds like GNS3
On on a side note I love my internship. We get downtime and I get freetime to surf the net or do whatever and I churned out some of the ICND1 book. Finished chapter 2 on switches today.
Vito_Corleone
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Packet Tracer is Cisco's software that they give out in the networking courses. It's a simulator instead of an emulator (like Dynamips), you don't load IOS into, it's just coded to do a limited amount of things. It's decent for NA stuff, but I don't think it goes much beyond that.
Destonomos
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I think I'll stick to GNS3