Passed

Whew, Im glad that's over with. Scored 937. Started studying almost two years ago, and then I got called up (USAR) to serve in Iraq October 2004. Spent a year there starting December 2004. For the last three months, I've been studying and relearning everything again.

I read the Sybex 640-801 4th edition from cover to cover, taking notes on everything. Todd Lammel's chapter on subnetting is wonderful-- it made everything clear. You really need to recognize subnets fast during the exam.

I supplemented Sybex's OSPF by going back to the Netacad module on OSPF (Sem3), and NAT by going to the Scaling IP addresses module (Sem4). I also read the VLAN Module (Sem3). I reread most of the other modules as well.

Transcender was harder than the test. Really gets you into the groove of answering questions in a test taking format. It also nails down your weaknesses and forces you to go back and study the subject(s).

Routersim was pretty good for practicing routing protocols, but for VLANs, hands-on real switches I think is a must, since Routersim doesn't include a few troubleshooting commands like "Show interfaces trunk" or "Vlan Brief." Know how to configure VLANs and troubleshoot them.

I had the OSPF sim configuration and lost alot of time figuring it out, but I eventually got it to work. You really have to know what you're doing.

I also studied/practiced Frame-Relay in detail thinking I might get a sim for it. Configuring LMIs, Interface-DLCIs, Frame-Relay Map, Frame-Relay in Multipoint, Frame Relay in point-to-point, Frame Relay while using OSPF, etc. I was almost disappointed not to get a sim on it, if there is one.

Finally, you also have to know everything else. Maybe except ISDN. I was actually worried about ISDN and DDR since I hardly spent any time practicing it.

Materials I used:

Sybex Todd Lammle CCNA 4th edition
Cisco Networking Academy
Transcender
Routersim
routers and switches from ebay
Old unwanted PCs I've gathered and from family/friends, a dumpster, a parking garage, etc.

Here is my home lab, using a PC box as a wireless router to access from my laptop. I also played around with Linux Quagga (aka Zebra) for a little on the wireless PC box. Quagga is a program (with RIP, RIPv2, OSPF, ISIS, BGP routing daemons) which closely emulates Cisco IOS CLI when making a Linux PC a router.

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Comments

Olajuwon

Congrats. You survived in Iraq? That's even more impressive.

Ricka182

congrats!

TheShadow

methoselah wrote:

Whew, Im glad that's over with. Scored 937.

Congratulations

methoselah wrote:

Started studying almost two years ago, and then I got called up (USAR) to serve in Iraq October 2004. Spent a year there starting December 2004.

From an old Viet Nam Vet to a new era Vet let me say Thank You for putting your life in harms way and on hold; and a belated Welcome Back!!

p.s. Nice schematic of your lab, I added it to my collection; hope you don't mind.

Thank You again.

mikej412

HooRah!

And welcome home! I have fond memories of eating steak on Sundays at an Air Force Mess Hall in Berlin -- I only heard rumors of steak twice in my US Army Infantry mess hall -- both times when I was out in the field.

And how were those 2924s? Were they good enough to get through the CCNA? STP, VLANs and VTP?

Humper

I have the 2912 and the work nice

rcoop

Congratulations and excellent feedback.

methoselah

TheShadow wrote:

methoselah wrote:

Whew, Im glad that's over with. Scored 937.

Congratulations

methoselah wrote:

Started studying almost two years ago, and then I got called up (USAR) to serve in Iraq October 2004. Spent a year there starting December 2004.

From an old Viet Nam Vet to a new era Vet let me say Thank You for putting your life in harms way and on hold; and a belated Welcome Back!!

p.s. Nice schematic of your lab, I added it to my collection; hope you don't mind.

Thank You again.

No problemo. Just note in the graphic, i made a typo on the table. Point-to-Point and DFGW should be switched around.

Alien

Congratulations.

methoselah

mikej412 wrote:

HooRah!

And welcome home! I have fond memories of eating steak on Sundays at an Air Force Mess Hall in Berlin -- I only heard rumors of steak twice in my US Army Infantry mess hall -- both times when I was out in the field.

Infantry huh? Heck if an infantryman can pass all the certs you have. It should be no problem for a combat engineer as myself.

And how were those 2924s? Were they good enough to get through the CCNA? STP, VLANs and VTP?

Here's a summary of all the switching commands I found in Sybex and CCNA netacad. Sybex doesn't teach you alot of trouble shooting commands. It doesn't even tell you about "#show spanning-tree" !!

Both Routersim and my C2924s dont do "#show interfaces trunk". I wonder why. Probably the IOS version on my switches. On my switches I just use "#show interfaces status" to give me a simple picture on which interfaces are in access or trunking.

Also, CCNA netacad shows how to do static macs one way, my 2924s allows me to do it another way, and Routersim has it done a third way.

Lessons learned:
1) Sybex teaches you how to configure vlans, but is weak on VLAN/VTP troubleshooting.

2) Routersim is adequate for practicing vlans and setting up a vtp switch fabric, but is missing some commands, especially port security.

3) I might need to upgrade the IOSs on my switches.

stompin

Newbie on this brd and it's looking pretty good.. so

OK I keep seeing different commands to use when dealing with VLAN's - my question is this... Which switches are used in the sims on the CCNA exam and can anybody enlighten me on which switches use the vlan database command and which ones are Ok with the switchport mode access method of creating vlans?

Any other tips on how different switches use different commands would be appreciated.

stompin