Learning how to use an ASA

[zetsway]

So I'm the SysAdmin for this company I work for. They want me to learn how to use our ASA. I'm somewhat familiar with Cisco products. I've been reading up on CCNA books from the library.

How hard is it to use an ASA?

 

[drebo]

Not very, if you know what you're doing.

See if they'll buy you another one to use as a lab device. I'd strongly recommend against learning on your production device, particularly if you're unfamiliar with Cisco's nomenclature.

If they will not, you could try GNS3 to emulate at least the commandline of a PIX. You wouldn't get to use the web GUI, and I like ASDM, but at least you'd get some experience with it.

 

[zetsway]

oh sweet I didn't know they had this for free. Thank you soooo much. I will download this and start using this right away.

 

[QuixoticOne]

GNS3 looks interesting, thanks for mentioning it!

 

[spidey07]

There is also *shudder* a GUI. It isn't too bad as long as you understand firewall principles/routing/basic networking, etc. All networking gear isn't difficult to use the interface, but you MUST understand the underlying principles.

Did I mention you MUST know the OSI model like the back of your hand?

 

[zetsway]

Yeah I know the OSI model. I logged into the GUI already and played around with the Production box.....I just didn't save any thing 🙂

 

[stlcardinals]

Originally posted by: spidey07
There is also *shudder* a GUI.

If I heard my co-worker correctly, the new version of Cisco's Pix and ASA class teaches the GUI exclusively with almost no command line.

 

[zetsway]

really...well that's cool. I found a book at the library that I'm going to read. I hope it deals with the GUI

 

[hiromizu]

My experience with the ASS5505 is the GUI is a little buggy and sometimes requires CL intervention.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: hiromizu
My experience with the ASS5505 is the GUI is a little buggy and sometimes requires CL intervention.

Same here, latest version of ASDM launcher and code still makes the damn thing take 5 minutes to load all the way

 

[jlazzaro]

the GUI will only take you so far...if you're serious, the CLI is an inevitability.

 

[Tbirdkid]

You just cant replace the cl. Its just the bees knees. Thats why linux is such a good tool. It teaches you to not be ignorant to the cl. There are so many things I can do inside a pix that I wouldnt know how to do in the gui. I just dont like not seeing what is going on in there.