should i buy a router and switch or just settle for a sim

i just might break down and buy a router and a sim for the ccna exam but is that really nessary? and if i should buy one then what is the best to buy for the money and experience

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DarklyWise

I'm working on my CCNA (Cisco Netacademy) and it's all done via sims; I'm looking at the boson sim as well ( $149 for CCNA ) once I'm done this semester in order to keep my knowledge alive...

I thought about purchasing the equipment, but time and money are constraints - I can by the boson sim for $150, I can barely get a 2501 for that, let alone 3 2501s and switches.

-Personally- I'll utilize the sims as I can throw together any configuration in a matter of mins... using different routers and switches ( ethernet / fastethernet / gigaethernet )... while the real McKoy would be nice to have, I'll settle for sims

determinedgerman

DarklyWise,

I don't know where you are looking for routers but you can get 2501's for less than $75 on ebay if you keep your eyes open. I bought them there. Plus if you buy the equipment you can do everything with it even after you are done with the CCNA. You can't really do that with the Simulator. Plus you are getting some hands on at least on some equipment.

Hope this helps,

GermanGiant

WesleyB420

so would a 2950 12port work with the 2501?

Yah... It will work.

patelhari

i m working on bosson sim and i dont know about the equipment but i think bosson sim is also very good and i have agreed that if u have equip then u can do real work. but it depends on time and money for u.

Longbow

I used the Boson Simulator, it worked perfectly for me.

DarklyWise

germangiant wrote:

DarklyWise,

I don't know where you are looking for routers but you can get 2501's for less than $75 on ebay if you keep your eyes open. I bought them there. Plus if you buy the equipment you can do everything with it even after you are done with the CCNA. You can't really do that with the Simulator. Plus you are getting some hands on at least on some equipment.

Hope this helps,

GermanGiant

..alas I am in .ca and things are not as cheap here - I can pick one up for $75US + 20US S&H, so roughly $100 US -> ~$115CDN; I overestimated on my first post, but still, with boson I'm not limited to the setup, while I would be if I had to purchase each router and switch individually - suffice it to say, it would run me more than $150 US.

sim is fine for me, not to say I would not rather have all the equipment, a nice rack and lots of drooling, I am limited by a budget ( though not an imagination

)

milliamp

The sim is a much cheaper option. If I bought all the equipment I threw in the sim it would have cost me a fortune.

I was expecting the sim to be really limited in functionality but I was actually impressed. The CCNP sim was advanced enough that the debug commands actually worked.

There is also several built in lab scenarios to go though. if you get them down the sim on the exam should be pretty simple.

The default terminal emulator was a little lame but it let me use putty instead.

mikeyoung

Sims are good training aids and their realism seems to keep improving, but they cannot compare with the real gear. I would say it should be a monetary decision. If you can afford the gear, buy it, if not go for the sim!

Good luck,

Mike