CCNA

[txrandom]

Thanks for the responses. I've been on Off Topic for such a long time...I forgot the Networking forum even existed.

I have the ExamCram2 book and have been reading through it. I plan on reading through it once more as well. I will be picking up some routers from my future employer in a few days. Flash cards will come next for things I need to memorize and then practice test after practice test.

The only experience I have with networking is doing some light configuration to set up web, email, and game servers and setting up my home network. Spending the last eight years near a computer should help me a bit. I guess I know about ports, TCP/UDP, ping, etc.

Although I don't think the company is necessarily concerned if I pass or not my first time, I'd love to pass it on my first attempt and not worry about taking it again. I don't want to be studying on the weekends during my summer internship.

 

[sactwnguy]

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: sactwnguy
The CCNA is not a hard test, it covers only basic networking knowledge but for some reason hireing manager give it a lot of weight. To be fair though if you have zero networking background I can see how it could be tough to get the concepts. I have passed it twice with perfect scores, once in 2000 and again in 2005 when my CCNP expired. From what i remember of the test knowing spanning tree, subnetting, and basic routing was key. If you dont have access to a router I highly recommend Dynamips/Dynagen. http://dynagen.org/
You will need a CCO account or someone nice enough to give you a router image to run in the emulator. I used this software extensively when studying for my CCIE and saved a lot of money not having to build out a whole lab.

Emulation is not the same as real world equipment. Hands on>emulation any day, but for CCNA it's not a big deal to not work on it outside of packet tracer/emulators.

I really dont see much of a difference, Dynagen runs real Cisco IOS images for a bunch of different platforms. You can specify right down to what service modules are installed in the hardware and how they connect to other routers. Actually having to be familiar wtih the physical hardware does not come into play until the CCIE Lab and by the time you reach that point you should have plenty of real life experience.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: sactwnguy

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: sactwnguy
The CCNA is not a hard test, it covers only basic networking knowledge but for some reason hireing manager give it a lot of weight. To be fair though if you have zero networking background I can see how it could be tough to get the concepts. I have passed it twice with perfect scores, once in 2000 and again in 2005 when my CCNP expired. From what i remember of the test knowing spanning tree, subnetting, and basic routing was key. If you dont have access to a router I highly recommend Dynamips/Dynagen. http://dynagen.org/
You will need a CCO account or someone nice enough to give you a router image to run in the emulator. I used this software extensively when studying for my CCIE and saved a lot of money not having to build out a whole lab.

Emulation is not the same as real world equipment. Hands on>emulation any day, but for CCNA it's not a big deal to not work on it outside of packet tracer/emulators.

I really dont see much of a difference, Dynagen runs real Cisco IOS images for a bunch of different platforms. You can specify right down to what service modules are installed in the hardware and how they connect to other routers. Actually having to be familiar wtih the physical hardware does not come into play until the CCIE Lab and by the time you reach that point you should have plenty of real life experience.

Dynagen is good, but there are still so many things you don't experience. What would I do every night if I wasn't busying playing in ROMMON with password recovery? (or can you use ROMMON in dyna)?

Really though - Buying at least some equipment does make a big difference. Even though the IOS' are identical, there's still this weird disconnect when you make a jump from emulation to real hardware. Or that's how I felt, at least.

I just finished putting my CCNP lab together. Love it so far:
1x2501
3x2650XM
2x2950
2x3550

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel

Originally posted by: jersiq

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
I took a course and it's super hard. There's lot of memorization and stuff that don't matter in the real world. Give me a router, switch, RSA appliance, ask me to make a full blown VPN solution with some vlans. No problem, I can look stuff up. But when it comes to tests, you just have to know all the commands offhand + all the theory that really does not matter.

No offense, but I wouldn't want you troubleshooting my network.
Theory is the underpinning to making informed decisions as to
-Why you are implementing what you are implementing
-Maintaining what you are implementing.

Take spanning tree for example. Most people just brush over the theory, and don't realize how important truly understanding it is until you have an element brought to it's knees with a loop.

A lot of it is outdated standards which does not help. I don't care about BRI and thicknet, and there's no point in learning 25 pair color code when I can just look it up in real life. CCNA 1 and 2 were useful, the switch and routing part of 3-4 were, but then all the rest of the theory BS is not going to help you build or troubleshoot a network. Some theory is useful, like knowing how packets work, but some other is useless.

I'd say like at least 40% of the stuff you have to learn by heart is useless. Really, the whole concept of tests is flawed. In real life you can lookup something if you don't know it, and if you do that stuff all day you'll eventually naturally learn some by heart.

This is complete BS. I would love to hear what you consider useless.

ISDN and thicknet? Those aren't even on the CCNA, give me a break.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: James Bond

Originally posted by: sactwnguy

Originally posted by: DisgruntledVirus

Originally posted by: sactwnguy
The CCNA is not a hard test, it covers only basic networking knowledge but for some reason hireing manager give it a lot of weight. To be fair though if you have zero networking background I can see how it could be tough to get the concepts. I have passed it twice with perfect scores, once in 2000 and again in 2005 when my CCNP expired. From what i remember of the test knowing spanning tree, subnetting, and basic routing was key. If you dont have access to a router I highly recommend Dynamips/Dynagen. http://dynagen.org/
You will need a CCO account or someone nice enough to give you a router image to run in the emulator. I used this software extensively when studying for my CCIE and saved a lot of money not having to build out a whole lab.

Emulation is not the same as real world equipment. Hands on>emulation any day, but for CCNA it's not a big deal to not work on it outside of packet tracer/emulators.

I really dont see much of a difference, Dynagen runs real Cisco IOS images for a bunch of different platforms. You can specify right down to what service modules are installed in the hardware and how they connect to other routers. Actually having to be familiar wtih the physical hardware does not come into play until the CCIE Lab and by the time you reach that point you should have plenty of real life experience.

Dynagen is good, but there are still so many things you don't experience. What would I do every night if I wasn't busying playing in ROMMON with password recovery? (or can you use ROMMON in dyna)?

Really though - Buying at least some equipment does make a big difference. Even though the IOS' are identical, there's still this weird disconnect when you make a jump from emulation to real hardware. Or that's how I felt, at least.

I just finished putting my CCNP lab together. Love it so far:
1x2501
3x2650XM
2x2950
2x3550

Exactly.

CCNA it's not a big deal if you don't work hardware physically and only use emulators/software.

Physically working with cables you run into a whole new set of issues that rarely (if ever) happen in virtual labs. Using the wrong cable (xover instead of straight through), bad cables, etc are all things that happen more often when working on physical equipment. While learning the protocols and such can be done virtually, troubleshooting the configs and finding out why something that is not working as expected are more common in physical equipment.

I use Cisco's Packet Tracer every week, and also work on two seperate physical labs every week (one in school using just 3 routers, 2-3 switches, and fairly simple configs and the other at work using 10 gig equipment, 6509 routers, numerous routers/switches, etc). They are two different experiences, and both should be required when learning CC**.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: txrandom
Thanks for the responses. I've been on Off Topic for such a long time...I forgot the Networking forum even existed.

I have the ExamCram2 book and have been reading through it. I plan on reading through it once more as well. I will be picking up some routers from my future employer in a few days. Flash cards will come next for things I need to memorize and then practice test after practice test.

The only experience I have with networking is doing some light configuration to set up web, email, and game servers and setting up my home network. Spending the last eight years near a computer should help me a bit. I guess I know about ports, TCP/UDP, ping, etc.

Although I don't think the company is necessarily concerned if I pass or not my first time, I'd love to pass it on my first attempt and not worry about taking it again. I don't want to be studying on the weekends during my summer internship.

I believe the examcram's are braindumps, admitting to using them could get you banned from any cisco certification for life.

I'd stick with the ciscopress books and maybe some of the other popular ones by Lammle.

 

[James Bond]

Here's a pic of lab - I know you guys were dying to see it This was before I wired it.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/mzinz/IMG_0172.JPG

 

[sactwnguy]

Im not saying hands on experience is not important but it means absolutely zero for the CCNA or CCNP. All these tests do is verify you have some understanding of configuring certain protocols on a IOS switch or router. Im not sure if CATOS is even covered any more in the switching section. I just dont see the point of dropping $1k+ on a lab of end of life equipment that most companies have already dumped.

The reality is anyone with a CCNA or even CCNP that has no prior job experience is going to have to do entry level work and that is where they are going to get their real hands on experience that is of any use.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: James Bond
Here's a pic of lab - I know you guys were dying to see it This was before I wired it.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/mzinz/IMG_0172.JPG

Sexy

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: txrandom
Thanks for the responses. I've been on Off Topic for such a long time...I forgot the Networking forum even existed.

I have the ExamCram2 book and have been reading through it. I plan on reading through it once more as well. I will be picking up some routers from my future employer in a few days. Flash cards will come next for things I need to memorize and then practice test after practice test.

The only experience I have with networking is doing some light configuration to set up web, email, and game servers and setting up my home network. Spending the last eight years near a computer should help me a bit. I guess I know about ports, TCP/UDP, ping, etc.

Although I don't think the company is necessarily concerned if I pass or not my first time, I'd love to pass it on my first attempt and not worry about taking it again. I don't want to be studying on the weekends during my summer internship.

I believe the examcram's are braindumps, admitting to using them could get you banned from any cisco certification for life.

I'd stick with the ciscopress books and maybe some of the other popular ones by Lammle.

That's what my future employer provided me.

I'm going to take a look at some other CCNA documentation primarily online stuff.

 

[James Bond]

txrandom, really to start off that's the best thing to do. Get a basic ground level understanding of how IP works. Don't try to rush it, make sure that you understand each topic. The CCNA really is the frame for all networking, so if you don't get it now, you'll be screwed later

 

[pnad]

Two words

Practice Test

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: pnad
Two words

Practice Test

Thats 4 words