Ccna r/s.

router_switch

Hi all,
Could you guys shed some light on the CCNA preparation? Especially the ones who passed it recently. I have to take both CCNA R/S and CCNA voice by the end of next year.


Thanks!!!

volfkhat

the CCNA-Voice was retired last month.
So... Not gonna happen.

And to get the CCNA R/S in 60 days.... a bit unrealistic.

router_switch

I meant by the end of next year. I mentioned it above. CCNA voice is now bundled up into Collaboration ? right.

late_collision

Correct, CCNA Voice is now part of the collaboration track. It's pretty new, so there probably wont be much feedback on that one, yet. I would focus on CCNA, when you are finished there, you'll have a better understand of how the exams and certifications work. There is an overwhelming amount of info on CCNA.

For CCNA, most of us use the Cisco Press Books, which happen to be on sale. There are 2 books in this library:
CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Official Cert Guide Library

When you finish the first book, you can take the ICND1 exam and receive CCENT certification. When you finish the second book, you can take the ICND2 exam and receive CCNA certification.

Some of like to supplement those books with the Lammle book as well:

http://www.amazon.com/CCNA-Routing-Switching-Study-Guide/dp/1118749618/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1446145973&sr=1-1&keywords=CCNA

Alternatively, there are video courses available through INE and CBT Nuggets, as well as some others. These videos are supplemental and will not give you the detail needed to pass the exams. However, these are great if you are struggling to understand a topic, as they will give you the overview of the concept. After you understand the concept, reading about it in detail is easier, because you know how the concept is supposed to operate in the end.

router_switch

Thanks ! for the input. I started with the Todd Lammle book and I am half way through.

Does CCNA require practice on physical gear or are the simulators enough?

late_collision

In my opinion, simulators are fine for CCNA.

shortstop20

router_switch wrote: »

Thanks ! for the input. I started with the Todd Lammle book and I am half way through.

Does CCNA require practice on physical gear or are the simulators enough?

Simulators are enough.

volfkhat

router_switch wrote: »

I meant by the end of next year. I mentioned it above. CCNA voice is now bundled up into Collaboration ? right.

Doh!
You certainly did. Sorry about that.
End of next year should be plenty of time.

I think that 10-12 weeks (each) for CCENT & part 2, is definitely realistic.

Can't comment on the Collab exam.

Good Luck!!

ps,
PackeT Tracer (google for "student edition") is ALL you need :]

TWX

A coworker is very, very annoyed by Collaboration. It didn't cost much to put together a voice lab, find an older router and some second-hand VICs and some used VOIP handsets and you're golden. The video part is not cheap though, there are no good solutions for the home self-study person that wants to touch real equipment. Best bet is to try to get your company to pay for training.

I'm getting ready to take the CCNA 200-120 combined exam next week. It's basically a year coming, though I wasn't terribly diligent about studying until August. So, three to four months of concerted effort to the exclusion of most of your other evening activities.

I personally love playing with real gear. I made my Cisco router into my home broadband router, replacing the Netgear POS. I enabled myself to get in from work to do labs when I have free time. I got several routers and lots of switches to force myself to do the same configuration tasks over and over to drill them in. I also have screwed up the configurations through inexperience and been forced to correct them numerous times, so I'm learning through my mistakes as well as through the equipment, and I'm learning where the equipment and the simulations differ.

If you feel like fighting with GNS3 or another emulator it can be a good compromise, but I found when I tried to get GNS3 running on a Mac it just didn't want to cooperate. Having real gear I didn't push it though.

router_switch

TWX wrote: »

A coworker is very, very annoyed by Collaboration. It didn't cost much to put together a voice lab, find an older router and some second-hand VICs and some used VOIP handsets and you're golden. The video part is not cheap though, there are no good solutions for the home self-study person that wants to touch real equipment. Best bet is to try to get your company to pay for training.

I'm getting ready to take the CCNA 200-120 combined exam next week. It's basically a year coming, though I wasn't terribly diligent about studying until August. So, three to four months of concerted effort to the exclusion of most of your other evening activities.

I personally love playing with real gear. I made my Cisco router into my home broadband router, replacing the Netgear POS. I enabled myself to get in from work to do labs when I have free time. I got several routers and lots of switches to force myself to do the same configuration tasks over and over to drill them in. I also have screwed up the configurations through inexperience and been forced to correct them numerous times, so I'm learning through my mistakes as well as through the equipment, and I'm learning where the equipment and the simulations differ.

If you feel like fighting with GNS3 or another emulator it can be a good compromise, but I found when I tried to get GNS3 running on a Mac it just didn't want to cooperate. Having real gear I didn't push it though.

Thanks for the reply. Really appreciate it.

I know that it is essential to get your hands on real gear. In the end you are going to work on real routers, also the simulators have limited options in some cases. I was wondering how much would it really cost to set up our own lab ( a router and a couple of switches).

I am trying to go through at least a few topics per day.

Hope to take my exam and get certified. I feel like I am obsolete with the skill set I got and the job requirements I look at.

router_switch

volfkhat wrote: »

Doh!
You certainly did. Sorry about that.
End of next year should be plenty of time.

I think that 10-12 weeks (each) for CCENT & part 2, is definitely realistic.

Can't comment on the Collab exam.

Good Luck!!

ps,
PackeT Tracer (google for "student edition") is ALL you need :]

Thanks for the reply. Following your advice.

router_switch

shortstop20 wrote: »

Simulators are enough.

Thanks. Will try with the simulators.

TWX

Real gear isn't that expensive. Look for 2950-series and 2960-series switches for L2, and 3550-series, 3560-series, and even possibly 3750-series switches for L3. Avoid 2900XL and 3500XL, too old. Look for 3700-series, 1800-series, 2800-series, and 3800-series routers. I'd be hesitant to go with 2600-series routers due to difficult-to-implement IPv6 and OSPFv3 and nonexistent EIGRP for IPv6. I have to net-boot my routers to get the IPv6 and OSPFv3 to work, which is a huge pain in the butt.

There's a 2960 SI switch on CL near me for $50. I've seen 3550-series go for less than $100. I bought someone else's lab of 2950 switches and 2801 and 2811 routers for something like $240 and I spent $75 each on 2821 and 2851 routers.

I look at it that I can spend $300 a pop to fail the exam, or I can spend the money to buy gear that will serve me for both CCNA and for CCNP, and possibly for other non-Route/Switch CCNA and CCNP too. Plus gear can be resold possibly down the road.

The 871W is also a recommended router, it's more like a consumer broadband router with WIFI but it's also an IOS device, so it can do VLANs and routing and the routing protocols. It also has no fans so it's quiet. I recommend the 2960C and 3560C series switches, they're 8-12 port, no fans, quiet, and do everything their bigger rack-mount brothers do. Use 'em at work all of the time and they're pretty awesome. They may be a bit tough to find used though, as they're not that old yet.

tmurphy3100

There's also some pretty decent courses on Udemy.com that are usually on sale for $10.

https://www.udemy.com/the-complete-ccna-200-120-course/learn/#/

Sign up for Udemy.com promo emails and I am sure it will be on sale soon.

theodoxa

TWX wrote: »

Real gear isn't that expensive. Look for 2950-series and 2960-series switches for L2, and 3550-series, 3560-series, and even possibly 3750-series switches for L3. Avoid 2900XL and 3500XL, too old.

I would suggest L3 switches (ideally 3560) if he can afford them as they will be useful for CCNP and beyond.

Look for 3700-series, 1800-series, 2800-series, and 3800-series routers. I'd be hesitant to go with 2600-series routers due to difficult-to-implement IPv6 and OSPFv3 and nonexistent EIGRP for IPv6. I have to net-boot my routers to get the IPv6 and OSPFv3 to work, which is a huge pain in the butt.

The 1760 was a cheap option when I did CCNA. But, given the drop in the cost of the 1841 and 2811, these are now very reasonably priced. There are a couple on eBay right now for $35 a piece.

I've seen 3550-series go for less than $100.

I was getting them for that over 2 years ago. You can get one now for ~$50 if you don't mind it not being in pristine condition. That said, you can get a 3560-24PS for a few dollars more with less scratches and dents. For some reason (I suspect because the Non-PoE models can be used for the new CCIEv5), the PoE models (3560-24/48PS) are $30 cheaper than the Non-PoE (3560-24/48TS) models now. It used to be the other way around with the PoE models commanding a premium.

theodoxa

I used (for the 2007-2013 CCNA) --

Odom's OCG for ICND1
Odom's OCG for ICND2
Lammle's CCNA Study Guide
INE CCNA R&S Videos
Boson ExSim-Max Practice Exams for ICND1 and ICND2
Live Equipment, Packet Tracer, and GNS3

1) Read Odom's books
2) Watched INE Videos
3) Reviewed Lammle's book (ICND1 Parts) and did some labbing
4) Took ICND1 Practice Exam and Rereviewed Parts I Didn't Do as Well On
5) Took ICND1
6) Reviewed Lammle's Book (ICND2 Parts) and did some labbing
7) Took ICND2 Practice Exam and Rereviewed Parts I Didn't Do as Well On
Took ICND2

dtakhar

just passed icnd2 today 200-101. i would take the 2 part route and do icnd1 and 2 separately. more manageable in terms of content to know, but depends on you prior network experiencing with Cisco equipment and concepts.

networklessons.com is a very very good website, cheap too. sign up you will not be disappointed.

RellyRale

tmurphy3100 wrote: »

There's also some pretty decent courses on Udemy.com that are usually on sale for $10.

https://www.udemy.com/the-complete-ccna-200-120-course/learn/#/

Sign up for Udemy.com promo emails and I am sure it will be on sale soon.

Thanks for this... this site is awesome...

router_switch

dtakhar wrote: »

just passed icnd2 today 200-101. i would take the 2 part route and do icnd1 and 2 separately. more manageable in terms of content to know, but depends on you prior network experiencing with Cisco equipment and concepts.

networklessons.com is a very very good website, cheap too. sign up you will not be disappointed.

Congrats and thanks for sharing the info.