Network+ or CCENT?

Nafe92014

Greetings TE,

I am in a loop right now. I just finished reading the first 3 chapters of Odoms OCG for CCENT and I must say, it seems a bit intermediate. Would Network+ be better than CCENT for starters or am I missing something between the two?

Justin-

Yes, Network+ fundamentals do help while studying for CCENT.

Talonize

Study the Network+ first. Whether you actually take the exam or not doesn't matter. Just make sure you are able to understand the material.

The knowledge gained from net+ really helps with the ccent. I'm taking a CCENT class right now and I would have been lost without the Net+ knowledge.

7255carl

I totally agree with Talonize, the N+ is a good grounding for CCENT and CCNA

Jon_Cisco

CCENT is a lot of information. Taking network+ will help you for sure but it's just another piece of study material if your end goal is CCNA.

I like multiple sources of information but when it comes to CCNA I feel like there are two many options out there. I would suggest getting a good simulator and just hammering out everything you read in something like packet tracer. With practice it will start to stick. Don't worry about getting all of the information correct the first time you read the book. Plan on reading it again for review or pick up a second book to have another authors perspective for the second reading.

If your anything like me and the 15 other people I was in class with. By the time you are at the back of the book you won't remember what you were studying that first month. A lot of the class got hung up trying to understand it all the first time and fell behind. I learned to appreciate video training when I started with Cisco. I was never a fan before but with so much to cover it was easier to watch a video series and then go read the book. Having an idea where everything is going makes it faster to read and comprehend the boring tech books.

Good Luck!

Deathmage

I concur, I think Network + is really good before CCENT. See Cisco covers a ton of material but focuses on Cisco stuff; Network + focuses on a broad range of networking principles/standards/hardware that is essential to understand before going into the CCENT/CCNA.

I feel having taken Network + plus my 3 years of hands-on experience because of it at my last job helped me truly grasp networking.

The really deep stuff outside of a normal run of the mill /24 network is more covered in CCENT and then more in-depth into CCNA.

Some people on here would say just go straight for CCENT/CCNA but see I feel everything should be learned in steps or clay bricks, each level builds upon itself to make a wall you can climb at your own pace. No one person will tackle climbing over a wall the same.

Best of luck to you!!!

I look forward to your pass thread in the coming months.

Nafe92014

Thanks for the feedback all. Thats what I am gonna do. I am gonna get my Network+ first before taking CCENT/CCNA. the college i'll be going back to next September offers 5 certification exams during its curriculum. Anyways, time to put the coffee on and watch some Professor Messer.